Most coaches don’t walk away from Power 4 jobs. Not after turning a defense from 64th in the country into 17th, and definitely not after cashing checks of $800,000. But Ron English walked away because he wanted to be a dad first. He wanted to be there for his son Seth, who is now entering his final year as a safety for the United States Naval Academy. However, it might just be so that instead of heading to the bleachers, Ron might be vying for a role that allows him to do more than just sit and watch.

The Cardinals’ former co-defensive coordinator might be in line to be the secondary coach at Navy, according to Midshipmen insider Bill Wagner. If so, this move would be a seismic addition for a Navy program. They are getting a coach who has more than two decades of P4 experience for a team.

Ron English has spent most of his career in the upper levels of college football. He has been the defensive coordinator at Michigan for two seasons and has also coached as an assistant at Arizona State, Florida, San Jose State, and Mississippi State. English was also the head coach at Eastern Michigan and was one of six African-American head coaches in the FBS at the time of his hiring. But for now, his son is his main focus, given that Seth’s path hasn’t been all roses.

Seth English was a budding safety for the Midshipmen. He came to the program after having won the sectional championship as a high school senior and First Team All-County honors as a junior. But tragedy struck in 2024, when he was ruled out of the season with a nasty knee injury. But Seth is a fighter, and he has worked his way out.

But Seth worked his way back to be able to compete in some form for 2025, which put him on the watchlist for the 2025 Comeback Player of the Year Award. The safety recorded stats in four games last year. Now, with his father expected to join him, things can be looking up for him and the Midshipmen’s defense.

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A shakeup in the Navy football staff might allow Ron English to shoot his shot.

Navy football has gone through some reshuffling, which makes way for Ron English to be part of the staff. Former defensive coordinator P.J. Volken has been hired by the Ravens to be their safeties coach. The Midshipmen did the exact opposite, replacing him with safeties coach Eric Lewis, which now leaves this position empty. English, with his experience and possible intent to join the program, is a slam dunk choice for the Navy.

English, relying on his secondary, usually deploys a 4-2-5 scheme. However, he has been known to change it up based on the down and yardage, often rolling out a 4-3 or 5-2 scheme. He prioritizes an attacking style of defense, which in turn is focused on winning 1-vs-1 battles. The charge is usually led by the defensive linemen. The secondary is English’s specialty, which thrived when he was the co-DC and defensive backs coach at Purdue. In 2022, 14 of the Boilermakers’ 35 interceptions were snagged by English’s secondaries.

Ron English has a clear advantage in securing the job because the Navy already ran a 4-2-5 scheme under former DC P.J. Volkens. If he is hired as a coach, it will be a win-win situation for Ron, Seth, and the Midshipmen. The Navy is on wonderful momentum right now, after finishing 11-2 last year. With some lucrative experience from Ron English in the defense, the team will get some serious oomph for this season.