Head Coach Larry Kehres
In 2010, Larry Kehres (Care-Us) begins his 25th season as head football coach and 36th year working at Mount Union. In his 24 years at the helm of the Purple Raiders he has built one of the most successful programs in all of college football.
His teams have won 20 Ohio Athletic Conference Championships (1986, 1990, 1992-2009) while posting 18 undefeated regular seasons (1986, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995-2004, 2006-2009) and claiming 10 NCAA Division III National Championships (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008).
Over the last decade, Kehres has compiled a record of 139-5 with six national championships.
In total, Kehres has a career coaching record of 289-22-3 (.925) and for his efforts has been named American Football Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year a record 14 times, AFCA National Coach of the Year eight times, OAC Coach of the Year six times and in 2008 became just the second-ever NCAA Division III winner of the Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year award.
The coaching awards are not the only signs of respect his peers have for him as he has been an active member of the AFCA who has served on the board of directors and he will be AFCA president in the 2010-11 year.
According to Kehres, a successful football program is built on organization and consistency.
"We have built a successful program, in part, because our coaching staff has remained intact and is committed to our system," he said. "We feel our program is well-organized. Our players know what is expected of them. They know that we believe in taking advantage of opportunities and not beating ourselves with mistakes.
"Offensively, we like to attack the defense and make them cover the whole field. Defensively, we want to create big plays. As for the kicking game, I believe in being aggressive and winning the field position battle. Being consistent in all three phases and being well-conditioned puts you in a position to win games in the fourth quarter."
Kehres is aware of the fact that his program has reached a level of excellence few teams can match.
"We' re proud of what our teams have accomplished," he noted. It's a compliment to all the coaches and players who have been part of our program and have contributed in the success at Mount Union. It's very difficult to reach the top, but even more difficult to maintain excellence."
Kehres grew up just a few minutes north of Mount Union's campus in Diamond, Ohio, graduated from Southeast High School. He came to Mount Union and played quarterback on the football team and earned a business administration degree in 1971.
He served as a graduate assistant coach at Bowling Green State University in 1971-72, earning a master's degree in health and physical education. In 1973, Kehres got his first head coaching job as the football coach at Johnstown Monroe High School in Johnstown, Ohio.
He returned to Mount Union the following year, spending the next 11 seasons as an assistant coach, serving mainly as the offensive coordinator before taking over as head coach prior to the 1986 season.
His successes have not been limited to the football field. He started and coached the Mount Union swim program from 1974-86. In 1985 he was named director of athletics and in 1991, Mount Union became the first institution in the history of the OAC to claim both men's and women's all-sport trophies in the same season.
As director of athletics, he has overseen and aided in the expansion of varsity sports, increases in the athletics staff and an aggressive plan to enhance and create some of NCAA Division III top facilites including the current $17-million expansion and renovation of the Timken Physical Education Building and Petersen Field House.
Kehres is also an associate professor of physical education and values what his students have accomplished in the classroom as well as the football field. In his time as head coach, Mount Union has had 14 Academic All-Americans, two national finalists for the Draddy Trophy otherwise known as the Academic Heisman. In 2008 quarterback Greg Micheli was named Academic All-American of the Year and a recipient of the NCAA Top VIII Award given to the top student-athletes in the nation and in 2009 punter Jay Carpenter became NCAA Division III football's first winner of the NCAA Elite 88 Award given for academic excellence in championship competition.
He and his wife, Linda, have three grown children, Vince, Faith and Jan. They reside in Alliance.
Mount Union Current Head Coaching Notes
- Overall Record: 289-22-3/.925
- OAC Record: 201-8-3
- Overall Home Record: 162-9-3
- Overall Road Record: 117-10-0
- Neutral Site: 10-3
- Playoff Record: 65-11
- 187 All-OAC First Team selections
- 240 All-American selections
- 5 winners of the Gagliardi Trophy given to the top all-around football player in NCAA Division III