2010 Mount Union Football Guide - University of Mount Union

head coach larrY Kehres
LarrY Kehres
H e A d COACH
The Larry
Kehres File
• 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: 64-10
• 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
• OAC Coach of the Year: 1986,
1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997
• AFCA Coach of the Year: 1993,
1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001,
2002, 2006, 2008
• Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year:
2008
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 nine 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 facilities
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.
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