(Courtesy Graphic)
“We are very excited to welcome Coach Ron Tyner to the Owosso coaching family,” Owosso High School Athletic Director/Assistant Principal Steve Irelan announced on Monday, Feb. 28. “His wealth of coaching experience and vision for Owosso Trojan Football, from the first snap of youth football to the last snap of varsity, will create opportunities for student-athletes to learn, grow and experience success.”
Coach Tyner is employed at Young Chevrolet Cadillac and resides in Owosso with his family. He is from Grand Ledge, where he played for Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame Head Coach Pat O’Keefe. Coach Tyner attended Olivet College and Saint Joseph’s College in Indiana, and he was a four-year starter. He earned honors on the offensive line at Saint Joseph’s and then helped Olivet clinch the 2007 MIAA title and an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Coach Tyner has 11 years of coaching experience at the college level as an offensive line coach for several universities, including working for Western Michigan University Head Football Coach Tim Lester at Elmhurst College. While coaching at Concordia University Chicago, Coach Tyner bolstered the team’s offensive game to propel them to a 15th ranking in the NCAA in rushing offense. During his time as Concordia’s run game coordinator/offensive line coach, the Cougars broke nine school rushing records and three NACC rushing records. Tyner spent the 2015 season at Ave Maria University as the offensive line coach. He guided one offensive lineman to first-team All-Sun Conference, first-team NAIA All-American honors and a selection in the FCS All-Star game. Before Ave Maria, Tyner coached at Division 1 Bryant University in Rhode Island, where he served as the Bulldogs Offensive Line Coach for two seasons. Prior to Tyner’s arrival, the Bulldogs ranked eighth in the NEC in rushing offense and by his second season, Bryant ranked first in the NEC in rushing offense. In 2014, the Bulldogs’ offensive line produced the top rushing offense in the NEC. Bryant averaged nearly 200 yards per game on the ground and 402 yards per game of total offense. Tyner came to Bryant after spending the previous five seasons (2008-2012) at Elmhurst College. At Elmhurst, Tyner served as the running backs coach, tackles and tight ends coach and was the run game coordinator/offensive line coach during his final three seasons. Under Tyner, Elmhurst was a top ten team in 2012, ranking 8th in the country. The Blue Jays broke nine school rushing records, one CCIW rushing record, one NCAA Division III rushing record and earned the 2012 Gagliardi Trophy winner (Division 3 version of the Heisman Trophy).
Coach Tyner shared the following upon being hired at the Owosso High School Varsity Football Coach, “It is an honor to be named the Head Football Coach at Owosso High School. I want to thank Dr. Tuttle, Mr. Holladay and Mr. Irelan for the opportunity to serve our community through football. The Owosso football program’s main focus will be to build individuals of character while demonstrating class and humility. The coaching staff and I strive to bolster an atmosphere of hard work, effort and discipline that permeates our program. We deserve to be champions and will create an environment conducive to making positive life choices for our student-athletes. We will consistently compete for conference championships and statewide recognition, providing student-athletes and coaches with the finest facilities possible and state-of-the-art technology needed to compete and win. We have a talented group of returning assistant coaches. I was greatly impressed with their knowledge, passion and commitment to our student-athletes. Our staff will collaborate at all levels to have a keen awareness of our student-athletes, build relationships, offer technical expertise and develop players while emphasizing consistency, improvement and effort from the youth program up to the varsity level. I want to make it very clear that we expect success here and we are going to give the Owosso community a football program that it can be proud of. I am looking forward to working with our players as soon as possible. Go Trojans!”
