Eastern names Ian Shoemaker Eagles' offensive coordinator

Central Washington University head coach Ian Shoemaker has accepted a position at Eastern Washington University as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Eagle head coach Aaron Best announced Monday, Feb. 25. His hiring is contingent on Shoemaker successfully passing EWU's mandatory background check.

Shoemaker has been CWU's head coach for the past five seasons, compiling a 38-16 record and winning Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships in 2017 and 2018. In those 54 games, Central has averaged 37.3 points per game and 447.3 yards of total offense.

He replaces Bodie Reeder, who left after two seasons to become offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of North Texas.

"We are very fortunate and excited to bring a coach of Ian's caliber into our program," Best said in a news release. "He has a proven track record at multiple levels of football and we are privileged to get him on board this late in the game."

"I am very excited to be coming to EWU as offensive coordinator," Shoemaker said. "From growing up in the state of Washington to having a younger brother play for the Eagles (Javid Shoemaker), I have always considered EWU as an elite university and football program."

In the 2018 season, the Wildcats opened the year by falling to Eastern 58-13, but won eight of their next nine. The Wildcats finished as the co-champions in the GNAC with Azusa Pacific, which beat the Wildcats 42-35 to end the regular season.

Central's offense finished fourth in Division II in scoring (47.7 points per game) and was second in total offense (540.9). The Wildcats ranked 10th in rushing at 272.64 yards per game, and had two 1,000-yard rushers. A total of 11 players earned first team All-GNAC accolades for the Wildcats in 2018.

In 2017, the Wildcats were 11-1 on the season and 8-0 in GNAC play, and advance to the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Shoemaker was selected as the 2017 Don Hansen Super Region 3 Coach of the Year, GNAC Coach of the year, and placed seven players on all-region squads.

A native of Graham, Wash., Shoemaker graduated from Orting High School. The Grinnell College (Iowa) graduate was a four-year starter in both football and baseball, and earned a degree in psychology. He was the school's most valuable player and offensive back of the year in football, and set school records for home runs in a season and career in baseball.

Shoemaker began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for Western Washington University from 1997-99, coaching the tight ends and running backs. He then went to University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan., as the offensive coordinator. From 2000-2003, he was the passing game coordinator at Minot State University in North Dakota.