Eastern Michigan Athletics
Chris Creighton & EMU Agree To Contract Extension
9/2/2021 11:00:00 AM | Football
Head Football Coach Chris Creighton's contract runs through the 2025 season
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University Athletics and Head Football Coach Chris Creighton have agreed to terms on a contract extension that runs through the 2025 football season, Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee announced today, Sept. 2.
Creighton is the only coach in EMU history to lead the program to multiple bowl appearances with the 2016 Bahamas Bowl, the 2018 Camellia Bowl, and the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl. Currently the fifth-winningest coach in program history, Creighton is just 11 victories away from tying Jim Harkema for fourth-best at Eastern.
"Coach Creighton has helped change the culture and the direction of our football program during his tenure at Eastern Michigan," said Wetherbee. "We are excited about continuing to build upon a foundation that has seen our teams compete in three postseason bowl games, upset a trio of 'Power Five' opponents, and reach unprecedented new heights in the classroom. Winning a Mid-American Conference Championship and future bowl games continues to drive our football program and athletic department. We believe Coach Creighton is the best leader to accomplish those goals and continue to make our alumni, university, and community proud."
One of eight active Football Bowl Subdivision coaches to record more than 160 wins, Creighton helped the Eagles to the program's first win over a Big Ten Conference or Power Five team with a 16-13 victory over Rutgers, Sept. 9, 2017. Nearly one year later, EMU used a 24-yard field goal as time expired for a stunning 20-19 win over Purdue, Sept. 8, 2018, for Eastern's first walk-off win in two decades. The magic continued in 2019, when Eastern posted its third-consecutive Big Ten road victory with a 34-31 walk-off triumph at Illinois, Sept. 14.
Named the 37th head football coach at Eastern Michigan on Dec. 11, 2013, Creighton and his staff have made tremendous strides in changing the culture and mindset surrounding the program. Now the 21st-longest tenured coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ranks, he is now just eight days shy of Miami's Chuck Martin for the top-spot in the Mid-American Conference.
"I am very fortunate to get to lead the football program here at EMU," Creighton remarked. "We are very proud of the progress we have made and believe deeply that we will realize the vision of making this program a source of pride for our department, the university, Ypsilanti and this region."
Recently, ESPN ranked all 130 FBS programs in order of stability. Eastern Michigan checked in at No. 9 overall and tied with Miami University for the top-spot in the Mid-American Conference. Overall, EMU was considered one of 17 programs to have "extreme stability" and the only program inside the state of Michigan to make the "extreme stability" list.
In the classroom, Eastern Michigan led the MAC in mean grade point average (GPA) for the third time in the last seven years. Eastern notched an impressive 3.158 GPA in 2020-21 when combining the fall and winter terms. The next closest MAC school recorded a 3.148.
In recent years, the Green and White have taken home the league's football academic crown in 2014-15, 2015-16, and now in 2020-21.
A MAC-leading 106 EMU football student-athletes have landed on the league's Academic All-MAC teams since 2014 when Creighton arrived. EMU's number is two ahead of Western Michigan (104) and four ahead of Ball State (102) as the only conference institutions to surpass the century mark over that span.
Furthermore, Eastern Michigan continues to give back with weekly service appearances in the Ypsilanti community. In addition, Creighton has installed yearly traditions such as Youth Day as well as Victory Day, which is designed for cognitively and physically impaired children.
Inspired by the region and the student-athlete's own backgrounds, Creighton has continued to challenge the program to be "E Tough," committed to great effort, sacrifice and triumphing in the face of adversity. In this spirit, EMU nicknamed Rynearson Stadium "The Factory," a place where coaches and staff will go to work each day to help "E Tough" student-athletes become scholars, leaders, champions and impact men. "The Factory" is also highlighted by Division I Football's first gray FieldTurf playing surface.
Grab your green and white, put on your hard hat, and paint your face loud and proud, because college football is back in Ypsilanti! The 2021 Eastern Michigan University football season is set to begin Friday, Sept. 3, when EMU welcomes Saint Francis University to town for a 7 p.m. matchup at The Factory inside Rynearson Stadium.
The Sept. 3 contest has been designated as CommUniversitE Night. An event designed to spotlight the unique relationship between the local community and the University. This is a special event where we are inviting the entire community to come out and support the football team. Pregame festivities will feature food, music, kid-friendly activities, and more. Throughout the game, Eastern Athletics will be recognizing frontline workers and celebrating our return to Rynearson Stadium.
Eastern's Accomplishments in the Chris Creighton Era
– 1st Win over a "Power 5" Conference team (Rutgers)
–1st Win over a Big Ten Conference Team (Rutgers)
–1st Bowl Appearance in 29 years (1987 California Bowl to 2016 Bahamas Bowl)
–1st Bowl Played on US soil in 31 years (1987 California Bowl to 2018 Camellia Bowl)
–1st Winning season since 1995 (7-6 record in 2016)
–1st Non-conference road victory since the 1988 campaign (at Wyoming in 2015)
–1st Back-to-back season since 2008-09 that players were taken in the NFL Draft
–1st Three game road winning streak since 1967
–1st Win over Miami University since 1993
–1st Win over Ohio University in Athens, Ohio since 1994
–1st Win over Northern Illinois University since 2007
–1st Win over Toledo since 2006
–1st Win at Akron since 1995
–1st Three-game winning streak against Big Ten Conference opponents
–1st Three-game MAC winning streak since 1999
–1st Four-game MAC winning streak since 1995
–1st Five-game MAC winning streak since 1989
–1st winning Mid-American Conference campaign since 1995
–1st time EMU student-athletes have the opportunity to play in two bowl games in their careers
–1st time EMU student-athletes have the opportunity to play in three bowl games in their careers
–First EMU Head Coach to defeat all 11 other MAC members
–First time EMU has been bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons
–2nd Win over a "Power 5" Conference team (Purdue)
–2nd Win over a Big Ten Conference team (Purdue)
–3rd Win over a "Power 5" Conference team (Illinois)
–3rd Win over a Big Ten Conference team (Illinois)
–Most Improved Program in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2016
–Largest single-season turnaround in school history (1-11 in 2015 to 7-6 in 2016)
–Largest deficit overcome in program history at 21-points (at Ball State in 2016)
–Largest MAC margin of victory in program history at 42-points (vs. Ball State in 2017)
Creighton is the only coach in EMU history to lead the program to multiple bowl appearances with the 2016 Bahamas Bowl, the 2018 Camellia Bowl, and the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl. Currently the fifth-winningest coach in program history, Creighton is just 11 victories away from tying Jim Harkema for fourth-best at Eastern.
"Coach Creighton has helped change the culture and the direction of our football program during his tenure at Eastern Michigan," said Wetherbee. "We are excited about continuing to build upon a foundation that has seen our teams compete in three postseason bowl games, upset a trio of 'Power Five' opponents, and reach unprecedented new heights in the classroom. Winning a Mid-American Conference Championship and future bowl games continues to drive our football program and athletic department. We believe Coach Creighton is the best leader to accomplish those goals and continue to make our alumni, university, and community proud."
One of eight active Football Bowl Subdivision coaches to record more than 160 wins, Creighton helped the Eagles to the program's first win over a Big Ten Conference or Power Five team with a 16-13 victory over Rutgers, Sept. 9, 2017. Nearly one year later, EMU used a 24-yard field goal as time expired for a stunning 20-19 win over Purdue, Sept. 8, 2018, for Eastern's first walk-off win in two decades. The magic continued in 2019, when Eastern posted its third-consecutive Big Ten road victory with a 34-31 walk-off triumph at Illinois, Sept. 14.
Named the 37th head football coach at Eastern Michigan on Dec. 11, 2013, Creighton and his staff have made tremendous strides in changing the culture and mindset surrounding the program. Now the 21st-longest tenured coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ranks, he is now just eight days shy of Miami's Chuck Martin for the top-spot in the Mid-American Conference.
"I am very fortunate to get to lead the football program here at EMU," Creighton remarked. "We are very proud of the progress we have made and believe deeply that we will realize the vision of making this program a source of pride for our department, the university, Ypsilanti and this region."
Recently, ESPN ranked all 130 FBS programs in order of stability. Eastern Michigan checked in at No. 9 overall and tied with Miami University for the top-spot in the Mid-American Conference. Overall, EMU was considered one of 17 programs to have "extreme stability" and the only program inside the state of Michigan to make the "extreme stability" list.
In the classroom, Eastern Michigan led the MAC in mean grade point average (GPA) for the third time in the last seven years. Eastern notched an impressive 3.158 GPA in 2020-21 when combining the fall and winter terms. The next closest MAC school recorded a 3.148.
In recent years, the Green and White have taken home the league's football academic crown in 2014-15, 2015-16, and now in 2020-21.
A MAC-leading 106 EMU football student-athletes have landed on the league's Academic All-MAC teams since 2014 when Creighton arrived. EMU's number is two ahead of Western Michigan (104) and four ahead of Ball State (102) as the only conference institutions to surpass the century mark over that span.
Furthermore, Eastern Michigan continues to give back with weekly service appearances in the Ypsilanti community. In addition, Creighton has installed yearly traditions such as Youth Day as well as Victory Day, which is designed for cognitively and physically impaired children.
Inspired by the region and the student-athlete's own backgrounds, Creighton has continued to challenge the program to be "E Tough," committed to great effort, sacrifice and triumphing in the face of adversity. In this spirit, EMU nicknamed Rynearson Stadium "The Factory," a place where coaches and staff will go to work each day to help "E Tough" student-athletes become scholars, leaders, champions and impact men. "The Factory" is also highlighted by Division I Football's first gray FieldTurf playing surface.
Grab your green and white, put on your hard hat, and paint your face loud and proud, because college football is back in Ypsilanti! The 2021 Eastern Michigan University football season is set to begin Friday, Sept. 3, when EMU welcomes Saint Francis University to town for a 7 p.m. matchup at The Factory inside Rynearson Stadium.
The Sept. 3 contest has been designated as CommUniversitE Night. An event designed to spotlight the unique relationship between the local community and the University. This is a special event where we are inviting the entire community to come out and support the football team. Pregame festivities will feature food, music, kid-friendly activities, and more. Throughout the game, Eastern Athletics will be recognizing frontline workers and celebrating our return to Rynearson Stadium.
Eastern's Accomplishments in the Chris Creighton Era
– 1st Win over a "Power 5" Conference team (Rutgers)
–1st Win over a Big Ten Conference Team (Rutgers)
–1st Bowl Appearance in 29 years (1987 California Bowl to 2016 Bahamas Bowl)
–1st Bowl Played on US soil in 31 years (1987 California Bowl to 2018 Camellia Bowl)
–1st Winning season since 1995 (7-6 record in 2016)
–1st Non-conference road victory since the 1988 campaign (at Wyoming in 2015)
–1st Back-to-back season since 2008-09 that players were taken in the NFL Draft
–1st Three game road winning streak since 1967
–1st Win over Miami University since 1993
–1st Win over Ohio University in Athens, Ohio since 1994
–1st Win over Northern Illinois University since 2007
–1st Win over Toledo since 2006
–1st Win at Akron since 1995
–1st Three-game winning streak against Big Ten Conference opponents
–1st Three-game MAC winning streak since 1999
–1st Four-game MAC winning streak since 1995
–1st Five-game MAC winning streak since 1989
–1st winning Mid-American Conference campaign since 1995
–1st time EMU student-athletes have the opportunity to play in two bowl games in their careers
–1st time EMU student-athletes have the opportunity to play in three bowl games in their careers
–First EMU Head Coach to defeat all 11 other MAC members
–First time EMU has been bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons
–2nd Win over a "Power 5" Conference team (Purdue)
–2nd Win over a Big Ten Conference team (Purdue)
–3rd Win over a "Power 5" Conference team (Illinois)
–3rd Win over a Big Ten Conference team (Illinois)
–Most Improved Program in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2016
–Largest single-season turnaround in school history (1-11 in 2015 to 7-6 in 2016)
–Largest deficit overcome in program history at 21-points (at Ball State in 2016)
–Largest MAC margin of victory in program history at 42-points (vs. Ball State in 2017)
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