Eastern Michigan Athletics
Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- 734.487.0214
Charles E. Ramsey is right where he wants to be as the fourth-year men’s head basketball coach of the Eastern Michigan University Eagles.
Ramsey, an Ypsilanti native, EMU graduate, and former EMU assistant basketball coach, was named head coach of the men’s basketball program at EMU, March 30, 2005, giving Ramsey his dream job.
"I am honored and pleased to have this opportunity to return to Eastern Michigan University," Ramsey said at his press conference, March 30, 2005. "It has always been a dream of mine to have a chance to be part of this great institution. I have always had a great deal of respect for the University and the basketball program, which has had a commitment to both academics and athletics. I can truly say I am home now."
And not only did Ramsey begin his return on a positive note, directing his young Eagles to a 67-65 win over the University of California-Berkeley in his first game as an intercollegiate head coach, he also set in motion his plan to return the EMU program to a place of prominence in the Mid-American Conference.
After that thrilling career coaching opener against California, the Eagles went on to finish the year with a 7-21 record. Included in that record was the fact that the Green and White lost seven games by five points or less, displaying the competitive spirit Ramsey expects from his charges.
Under Ramsey’s leadership the Eagles have improved each year. In his second year at the helm, Ramsey saw his young Eagles make vast improvements, recording a 13-19 overall record and a 6-10 MAC mark in 2006-07.
The Eagles continued to improve in 2007-08 and made the season a memorable one with a tie for second in the Mid-American Conference West Division race with an 8-8 record, the best league finish for the Eagles since the 1995-96 team won the division title on the way to a regular-season and MAC Tournament championship.
In the 2007 MAC Tournament, EMU won its opening round game, the first tournament win for the Green and White since the 1998 championship game. The Eagles then fought No. 1 seed Toledo to the final horn in game two before bowing by eight points, 62-54.
Ramsey’s Eagles backed that post-season performance up in 2007-08 with a first-round win over Ball State before the Green and White bowed to Western Michigan in the second round.
"There is no doubt that the first three years were a learning experience for our players and a rebuilding process for our coaching staff," Ramsey said. "I think that will only make us stronger as we bring Eastern Michigan back to the top," Ramsey said. "We played a lot of young men the last three years and we have had very talented recruiting classes coming in to join those players."
Prior to accepting the head coaching duties at his alma mater, Ramsey sharpened his coaching and teaching abilities while working and learning from some of the top coaches in the high school and college ranks.
As a young football, basketball and baseball player at Ypsilanti High School, Ramsey first developed a passion for watching and learning about the intricacies of coaching from boys head basketball coach Dick Ouellette and boys baseball coach and assistant football coach Patrick Dignan.
Ramsey was honored by his alma mater by being inducted into the Ypsilanti High School Athletic Hall of Fame in a special ceremony held during the 2008 football season.
A 1979 YHS graduate, Ramsey went on to attend Fisk University from 1979-81 where he was named to the league’s All-Freshman team. He then transferred to EMU and went on to complete his bachelor’s degree in 1992 with a major in sociology. While an EMU undergraduate, Ramsey was an assistant boys’ basketball coach at Ypsilanti H.S. from 1982-87.
From the high school ranks Ramsey went on to enjoy great success as an assistant coach in the college ranks.
During his undergraduate career, Ramsey served as a volunteer coach at EMU under Head Coach Ben Braun from 1990--93. He joined the EMU staff as a full-time assistant from May-Sept. 1996, before leaving to assist Braun when he became the head coach at the University of California-Berkeley.
As a volunteer assistant coach in 1991, EMU made it to the Sweet 16 of the 1991 NCAA Tournament. He was part of the EMU program from 1990-93 before moving on as an assistant coach to help Tennessee State win the Ohio Valley Conference title and advance to the 1994 NCAA Tournament. While at Tennessee State, Ramsey coached his first of several future professionals by helping develop Carlos Rogers into a lottery pick by the Seattle Supersonics.
In his first year at Cal for the 1996-97 campaign, Ramsey was instrumental in helping the Bears post their best overall record since 1960 (23-9), as they reached the Sweet 16 of the 1997 NCAA Tournament. In 2001, he helped the Bears again to the NCAA Tournament with a 20-11 record. He was also a part of two NIT teams, including the 1999 squad that captured the NIT championship. Ramsey was instrumental in bringing in Sean Lampley, the 2001 PAC-10 Player of the Year and Cal’s all-time leading scorer, and Joseph Shipp, the No. 3 all-time leading scorer. Other notable Bears mentored by Ramsey included 1997 PAC-10 Player of the Year and Atlanta Hawk lottery selection Ed Gray, Sacramento King draftee Michael Stewart, future NBA players Sean Marks, of the Phoenix Suns, Francisco Elson, of the world-champion San Antonio Spurs, as well NFL All-Pro tight end Tony Gonzalez.
Ramsey’s track record of success for developing players and team success afforded him the opportunity to work as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan from 2001-05. While an assistant at Michigan for four seasons, Ramsey helped the Wolverines turn in two consecutive top 10 nationally-ranked recruiting classes, and helped coach the U-M team that won the 2004 NIT championship.
Additionally, Ramsey helped develop 2003 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and current Miami Heat guard Daniel Horton. Other Wolverines to develop into professionals under Ramsey’s guidance include NBA player Bernard Robinson, Jr. as well young men to play professionally overseas such as Chris Young and Lavell Blanchard.
Ramsey carried his history of mentoring future professional players into his first season at EMU as Eagle center John Bowler developed into a first-team All-MAC performer and is currently playing professionally in Germany.
The 47-year-old Ramsey and his wife, Allison (Lester) Ramsey, live in Ypsilanti with their two sons, Charles (Tre) and Chandler.
