Eric Evans joined the Western Michigan staff in January of 2017 and now serves as the Tight Ends Coach after previously having the duties of the Passing Game Coordinator while mentoring the Bronco quarterbacks.
Evans was the running backs coach for WMU during the 2017 campaign and transitioned to his former role as quarterback coach and passing game coordinator in February of 2018. Prior to the 2019 campaign, Evans picked up offensive play calling duties.
He helped direct another prolific offense in 2020, in spite of playing just six MAC games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Broncos ranked 23rd nationally in passing offense and led the nation in yards per completion (17.19). WMU finished ninth nationally at 41.7 points per game, reaching 30 points in five of six games. The offense thrived under the direction of QB Kaleb Eleby, the first-team All-MAC QB according to Pro Football Focus and third team according to the league's coaches. Eleby finished third in FBS in passer rating (195.1), trailing only Alabama Heisman finalist Mac Jones and BYU's Zack Wilson. Eleby was responsible for 22.0 points per game on the year, third in the nation.
Eleby's go-to-target was WR D'Wayne Eskridge, a first-team All-MAC selection at receiver. He ranked fourth in the nation and led the league with 130.7 receiving yards per game and was the only player in the country to average more than 200 all-purpose yards per game. In addition, third-team All-MAC receiver Jaylen Hall led the country in yards per reception with 26.92. Skyy Moore gave the Broncos a third All-MAC receiver in 2020, earning second team honors thanks to 388 receiving yards and three TDs.
The Broncos’ 2019 season was highlighted by an explosive offense, guided by senior quarterback Jon Wassink. Western Michigan’s offense finished the year ranked in the top 30 nationally in third-down conversions (45.3 percent/23rd), total offense (445.7 yards per game/25th) and scoring offense (33.1 points per game/30th).
Individually, Wassink earned third team All-MAC honors. He ended the campaign standing 29th nationally in total passing yards (3,097), 35th in total offensive yards per game (262.8), 37th in passing yards per completion (12.85) and 39th in passing yards per game (238.2).
The powerful offense helped Western Michigan produce a Doak Walker Award semifinalist, senior LeVante Bellamy, and a John Mackey Award semifinalist, senior Giovanni Ricci. The Doak Walker Award is given to the top running back in college football, and the John Mackey Award honors the nation’s best collegiate tight end. The Broncos joined Alabama, Clemson, Iowa State, LSU, Minnesota, Oklahoma, SMU and Utah as the programs with two or more different semifinalists for the top offensive awards in the 2019 season.
Off the field, Wassink was named was one of 12 recipients of the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award, presented by Fidelity Investments. The selection made him a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda. The Campbell Trophy is commonly referred to as the Academic Heisman. Wassink also received the 2019 Wuerffel Trophy, presented by the Chick-fil-A® Foundation. The award is given annually to the FBS football player who best combines exemplary community service with academic and athletic achievement. Western Michigan’s Tim Hiller won the 2009 Wuerffel Trophy, allowing Western Michigan to join Oklahoma as the only programs with multiple Wuerffel Trophies.
In Evans’ first season as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Wassink and Kaleb Eleby combined to throw 20 touchdowns in 2018. WMU gained 3,086 yards through the air and averaged 237.8 yards per game.
Wassink started the first nine games for the Broncos during 2018 before an injury forced true freshman Eleby into action. With Evans’ guidance, Eleby completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 1,092 yards and four touchdowns during his time under center. The Broncos finished the year ranked 31st nationally in total first downs (296), 35th in total offense (436.8 yards/game) and 38th in rushing offense (199.5 yards/game) and scoring offense (32.0 points/game).
In 2017, WMU’s running game was ranked 23rd in the nation with 224.8 yards per game in 2017 and five Bronco backs scored a touchdown.
Senior Jarvion Franklin set a number of school records, becoming WMU’s all-time leading rusher with 4,867 career yards, and career rushing touchdowns leader with 52. A first team All-MAC selection, Franklin ran for a league-best 1,228 yards, averaging 102.3 yards per game. He totaled 11 touchdowns and was twice named MAC Player of the Week. Franklin signed a free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers in April 2018.
Evans arrived in Kalamazoo after three years, 2014-16, as the University of Dayton’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He had two stints at Dayton, with the first coming as a graduate assistant from 2004-06. During his second stop, the Flyers went a combined 19-4 over the last two seasons and finished in the top 10 in numerous offensive categories. While also serving as quarterbacks coach, Evans developed Alex Jeske into a Pioneer Football League all-conference selection. In 2014 Evans worked with quarterback Will Bardo, who finished second in Dayton history in career yardage. Bardo upped his completion percentage by 10 points in one season after working with Evans.
Before going back to Dayton, Evans also spent the 2013 season at UAB. As the running back coach for the Blazers, he worked with Jordan Howard, who finished second nationally in rushing yards by a freshman. Howard went on to be selected by the Chicago Bears in the 2016 NFL Draft. Evans also coached Darrin Reaves, who signed in 2014 with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent.
He was at Albany for five seasons, from 2008-12, coaching wide receivers. Two of his wideouts, Ryan Kirchner and Tim Bush, finished first and second in career receptions at Albany. The Great Danes won Northeast Conference championships three times in those five years. They won the Gridiron Classic in 2008 and played in the NCAA FCS playoffs in 2011. Also in 2011, Evans participated at the NCAA Coaches’ Academy.
At Northwestern, he was a graduate assistant for two years, from 2006-07. He worked with the quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends and helped build the Big Ten Conference’s top passing offense at 307.9 yards per game.
During his first term at Dayton, from 2004-05, Evans coached tight ends and was part of the offensive staff that transitioned the Flyer attack from running the option out of the I formation to a spread passing attack. One of Evans’ pupils, Matt Champa, was Dayton’s first All-America tight end in 55 years.
As an undergraduate at DePauw University, Evans spent four years as a student assistant. He was the 2003 recipient of DePauw’s Kenneth Brooks Holland Memorial Award.
Evans received his B.A. in kinesiology with a minor in history in 2004. A native of St. Charles, Ill., he earned a master’s degree in exercise science from Dayton in 2006.
Evans and his wife, Rebecca, have a son, Carter, and welcomed a newborn in October 2021, Paige.
