YPSILANTI, Mich. – Ron English was well aware of Eastern Michigan’s football struggles before he interviewed to become the Eagles’ new head coach.

There were plenty of naysayers reminding the former Louisville and Michigan defensive coordinator why he shouldn’t take over a program that hasn’t had a winning season in 12 years and that last made a bowl appearance in 1987.

But for English, who became the fifth black coach at the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision schools, the opportunity to call a program his own was too much to pass up.

English was introduced as Eastern Michigan’s new coach at a news conference Monday. He takes over a program that finished 3-9 last season, leading to the firing of coach Jeff Genyk, who was 16-42 in his five years on the job.

English agreed to a five-year contract, the terms of which Eastern Michigan athletic director Derrick Gragg declined to specify. The Eagles haven’t had a winning season since 1995, when they were 6-5, and haven’t won more than four games since then. Eastern’s record of 40-108 is roughly on par with teams whose names are synonymous with major-college frustration – Army, Duke, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Buffalo and others.

Of course, Buffalo – a Mid-American conference rival of Eastern’s – just won the MAC under Turner Gill,

English said he’s proud to join the small ranks of black coaches, but won’t allow race to minimize the chance to work as a head coach for the first time.

The other black coaches in the FBS are Gill, Miami’s Randy Shannon, Houston’s Kevin Sumlin and New Mexico’s newly hired Mike Locksley.

Weis to call plays for Irish in Hawaii Bowl

HONOLULU – Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis says he’ll call the offensive plays against Hawaii in Wednesday’s Hawaii Bowl instead of offensive coordinator Mike Haywood.

Weis called plays during the team’s final three regular-season games. He says he’s on the same page with Haywood and that they couldn’t be any closer than they are right now.

The Fighting Irish (6-6) are seeking to snap their NCAA-record nine-game bowl losing streak against the Warriors (7-6).

Unbeaten Boise meets TCU in Poinsettia Bowl

SAN DIEGO – The Poinsettia Bowl, the little brother of the Holiday Bowl, sure grew up fast.

The No. 9 and undefeated Boise State Broncos and No. 11 TCU Horned Frogs meet Tuesday night in the Poinsettia Bowl, which despite its lower-tier status has put together a marquee matchup that’s going to be overshadowed by only a few games this postseason.

“I think it’s one of the best matchups of all the bowl games,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said Monday. “Besides the national championship game, I’d put this one right up with the one that’ll be played up north of here.”

In other words, the Poinsettia Bowl should fall in line right behind the BCS national championship game between No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Oklahoma, and the Rose Bowl between No. 5 USC and No. 6 Penn State.

“If you just want to watch a great football game, that’s hopefully what we’ll give them,” Patterson said. “The intrigue of this ballgame, I think, is what makes this game special. Two teams that come from nowhere, not a lot of people know about.”

The Broncos, the school with the blue turf and the Fiesta Bowl darlings two years ago, are trying for their second unbeaten season in the last three years. Despite their 12-0 record, the Western Athletic Conference champion Broncos were bypassed by the BCS in favor of Mountain West Conference champion Utah. The Utes, who also went undefeated, earned a Sugar Bowl bid. Their closest call this season came when they had to rally to beat TCU 13-10.