Larry Kehres

Larry Kehres
Sport(s) Football
Current position
Title Athletic director
Team Mount Union
Conference OAC
Biographical details
Born (1949-09-07) September 7, 1949
Diamond, Ohio
Playing career
1970 Mount Union
Position(s) Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1971–1972 Bowling Green (GA)
1973 Johnstown-Monroe HS (OH)
1974–1985 Mount Union (assistant)
1986–2012 Mount Union
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1985–present Mount Union
Head coaching record
Overall 332–24–3
Tournaments 77–12 (NCAA D-III playoffs)

Statistics

Accomplishments and honors
Championships
11 NCAA Division III National (1993, 1996–1998, 2000–2002, 2005–2006, 2008, 2012)
23 OAC (1986, 1990, 1992–2012)
Awards
9x AFCA Division III Coach of the Year (1993, 1996–1998, 2000–2002, 2006, 2008)
6x OAC Coach of the Year (1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996–1997)
Records
Highest winning percentage in college football history (.929)

Larry Kehres (born September 7, 1949) is a college athletics administrator and former American football player and coach. He is the athletic director at the University of Mount Union, formerly known as Mount Union College, in Alliance, Ohio. Kehres was the head football coach at Mount Union for 27 seasons, from 1986 through the 2012 season. In May 2013, Kehres retired with a record of 332–24–3 as head coach of the Mount Union Purple Raiders football team, and a winning percentage of .929, the highest in college football history. Kehres also has the most national titles (11: 1993, 1996–1998, 2000–2002, 2005–2006, 2008, 2012), conference titles (23), and unbeaten regular seasons (21) of any coach in college football history. His Purple Raiders set the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football record for most consecutive victories with 55, running from 2000 to 2003. He was succeeded as head football coach by his son, Vince.

Early years

Kehres is a native of Diamond, Ohio. He attended and played quarterback for Portage County's Southeast High School, which shared the 1966 Portage County League championship with Windham High School, before attending Mount Union College from 1967 to 1970. At Mount Union, he played quarterback for the football team. In 1970, he set the school record with a 95-yard touchdown pass against Ohio Northern.[1]

Coaching career

Bowling Green and Johnstown-Monroe

From 1971 to 1972, Kehres was a graduate assistant at Bowling Green State University, while studying for a master's degree in health and physical education.[1] In 1973, he was the head football coach at Johnstown-Monroe High School.[1]

Assistant coach at Mount Union

In 1974, Kehres returned to Mount Union College as an assistant football coach under head coach Ken Wable.[2] Kehres was an assistant coach and offensive coordinator for 11 years under Wable.[3][4] Wable had a .564 winning percentage in 24 years as the head coach at Mount Union.[5]

Kehres also started and served as the coach of Mount Union's swim program from 1974 to 1986.[6]

Head coach at Mount Union

In 1985, Kehres became the athletic director at Mount Union. In 1986, he took over as head football coach.[2] His teams have won 11 NCAA Division III National Football Championships (1993, 1996–1998, 2000–2002, 2005–2006, 2008, 2012).

Kehres' teams hold several NCAA records. In addition to owning the two longest winning streaks in NCAA history, 54 wins in 1996–1999 and 55 wins in 2000–2003, the Mount Union Purple Raiders won a conference title in 23 of his 27 seasons; at Kehres' retirement, Mount Union had an ongoing streak of 21 conference titles. During his tenure, Kehres only lost eight games and tied three times in conference play. From 1994 to 2005, his squads won 100 consecutive games against Ohio Athletic Conference opponents. The 1994 season was the last under his tenure in which the Purple Raiders lost more than one game. Finally, his record of 72–3 (.960) in his final five seasons is the best in college football history, surpassing Tom Osborne's 60–3 (.952) in his final five seasons at Nebraska.

Kehres is 3–1 against college football's all-time winningest coach, John Gagliardi, having beaten Gagliardi's St. John's squads twice in playoff match-ups and traded wins in the national title game in 2000 and 2003.

In 2009, Kehres was named first vice president of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).[7] He was elected President of the AFCA in January 2010.[2] In 2013, Kehres retired after 27 years as head coach to become the Athletic Director of Mount Union. His son, defensive coordinator Vince Kehres, succeeded him as head coach.

Family

Kehres and his wife, Linda, have three children, Vince, Faith and Jan.[6] He is also the uncle of current Wabash head football coach Erik Raeburn, who played for him from 1987 to 1990 and then served as his assistant coach for a number of years.[8]

Head coaching record

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Mount Union Purple Raiders (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1986–2012)
1986 Mount Union 11–1 8–0 1st L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
1987 Mount Union 6–4 6–2 T–2nd
1988 Mount Union 6–3–1 5–2–1 3rd
1989 Mount Union 7–2–1 6–1–1 2nd
1990 Mount Union 10–1 9–0 1st L NCAA Division III First Round
1991 Mount Union 8–1–1 7–1–1 2nd
1992 Mount Union 12–1 9–0 1st L NCAA Division III Semifinal
1993 Mount Union 14–0 9–0 1st W NCAA Division III Championship
1994 Mount Union 10–2 8–1 T–1st L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
1995 Mount Union 12–1 9–0 1st L NCAA Division III Semifinal
1996 Mount Union 14–0 9–0 1st W NCAA Division III Championship
1997 Mount Union 14–0 9–0 1st W NCAA Division III Championship
1998 Mount Union 14–0 9–0 1st W NCAA Division III Championship
1999 Mount Union 12–1 9–0 1st L NCAA Division III Semifinal
2000 Mount Union 14–0 9–0 1st W NCAA Division III Championship
2001 Mount Union 14–0 9–0 1st W NCAA Division III Championship
2002 Mount Union 14–0 9–0 1st W NCAA Division III Championship
2003 Mount Union 13–1 9–0 1st L NCAA Division III Championship
2004 Mount Union 12–1 9–0 1st L NCAA Division III Semifinal
2005 Mount Union 14–1 8–1 1st W NCAA Division III Championship
2006 Mount Union 15–0 9–0 1st W NCAA Division III Championship
2007 Mount Union 14–1 9–0 1st L NCAA Division III Championship
2008 Mount Union 15–0 9–0 1st W NCAA Division III Championship
2009 Mount Union 14–1 9–0 1st L NCAA Division III Championship
2010 Mount Union 14–1 9–0 1st L NCAA Division III Championship
2011 Mount Union 14–1 9–0 1st L NCAA Division III Championship
2012 Mount Union 15–0 9–0 1st W NCAA Division III Championship
Mount Union: 332–24–3 230–8–3
Total: 332–24–3
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title

See also

References

External links

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