About your football coach

Coach Eric Caler most recently served briefly at Edward Waters University after serving at Allen University of the SIAC as the Wide Receivers Coach and Head Coach of Allen's Men's and Women's Track and Cross-Country programs. While at Allen for the Fall 2024, Caler led a WR group that produced three receivers (Nanders Lawrence, Kaleb Commings, Montrell White) within the top twenty in receptions, yards and touchdowns, number two kick return man in the SIAC Conference, and top five kick returner (N. Lawrence) in the country in division two in 2024. While leading the track program through 2025 SIAC Indoor season culminating in conference champions and national qualifiers Measha Jones, and Jhyrique Mangum with 3 runners up and ten All-Conference performers. Prior to Allen, Caler served as the running backs coach, special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Lake Erie College, an NCAA Division II program in Painesville, Ohio, in August 2023. Prior to his time with the Storm, Caler earned his Master of Science degree in Kinesiology from Alabama A&M University while also working as an offensive graduate assistant coach with the Bulldogs' football program for two seasons, where the offensive staff was awarded 2021 AFCA minority offensive staff of the year. Caler spent the 2020 season at Highland Community College, Highland, Kansas as the wide receivers coach for the Scotties, where he guided Deontay Campbel to All-Conference Honorable Mention honors in the spring season of 2021, and he would eventually become NJCAA All-American. Before entering the collegiate coaching ranks, Caler spent a season as the offensive coordinator at Advance Prep Academy, a post-graduate institution in Auburndale, Florida, in 2019. He also spent time at Westside High School in Jacksonville, Florida as the football teams' offensive coordinator and wide receivers' coach, guiding receiver Kenny Davis to All-Conference honors along with Central Michigan recruit Javon Gantt and as the track and field team's head girls' coach and jumps coach guiding 2018 FHSAA girls 100-meter State Champion Aniya Harper. Caler has also coached at Firestone High School in Akron, Ohio, where in 2015 the Falcons appeared in the City Series Conference Championship game. There he would guide All-Conference linebacker Asante Sante and was chosen to coach in the Summit County Turkey Day All-Star game. In 2015 at Theodore Roosevelt High School, Kent, Ohio, again with a talented position group culminating with an All-Conference player Matthew Lillibridge. Eric’s first season working at the high school level was at Field High School, his alma mater, in Brimfield, Ohio, where he began a string of success sending his first player, Luke Cruse, to the All-Portage Trail Conference team and culminating with a conference championship and state playoff appearance in the fall of 2014. The Kent, Ohio native attended Kent State University earning his bachelor’s degree in educational studies. While at Kent State he interned with the track and field team as an assistant jumps coach. Caler also coached with Ohio Special Olympics for 12 years, coaching basketball, volleyball, and track and field for Summit County, Ohio Special Olympics. Coach Caler began his coaching career in 2000 working with Field Youth Football in Portage County as head coach for five seasons, before moving onto Kent Youth Football serving in the same capacity. Caler is a proud military veteran, having been a member of the Ohio Army National Guard from 2002-2008. As a Specialist, Caler served with the Military Police for a 12-month tour in Iraq as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom 3 earning the Army Accommodation Medal, along with a Combat Action Badge. Eric comes from a family with football coaching in their veins. His brother Brian Caler being a successful Head Football Coach in the German Football League, appearing in the German Bowl and European Championship in 2018. Eric has a 26-year-old son Elisha of Kent, Ohio and is a devout Muslim.