Larry Kehres

Larry Kehres (born September 7, 1949) is a former American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the University of Mount Union—formerly known as Mount Union College—in Alliance, Ohio for 27 seasons, from 1986 to 2012. Kehres retired from coaching in May 2013 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. The elder Kehres was also the athletic director at Mount Union from 1985 to 2020. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

Larry Kehres
Biographical details
Born (1949-09-07) September 7, 1949
Diamond, Ohio, U.S.
Playing career
1970Mount Union
Position(s)Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1971–1972Bowling Green (GA)
1973Johnstown-Monroe HS (OH)
1974–1985Mount Union (OC)
1986–2012Mount Union
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1985–2020Mount Union
Head coaching record
Overall332–24–3
Tournaments77–12 (NCAA D-III playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
11 NCAA Division III (1993, 1996–1998, 2000–2002, 2005–2006, 2008, 2012)
23 OAC (1986, 1990, 1992–2012)
Awards
9× AFCA NCAA Division III COY (1993, 1996–1998, 2000–2002, 2006, 2008)
6× OAC Coach of the Year (1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996–1997)
Records
Highest winning percentage in college football history (.929)
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2017 (profile)

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 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 Gannon football head coach Erik Raeburn, who played for him from 1987 to 1990 and then served as his assistant coach for a number of years.[8][9]

Head coaching record
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Mount Union Purple Raiders (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1986–2012)
1986 Mount Union 11–18–01stL NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
1987 Mount Union 6–46–2T–2nd
1988 Mount Union 6–3–15–2–13rd
1989 Mount Union 7–2–16–1–12nd
1990 Mount Union 10–19–01stL NCAA Division III First Round
1991 Mount Union 8–1–17–1–12nd
1992 Mount Union 12–19–01stL NCAA Division III Semifinal
1993 Mount Union 14–09–01stW NCAA Division III Championship
1994 Mount Union 10–28–1T–1stL NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
1995 Mount Union 12–19–01stL NCAA Division III Semifinal
1996 Mount Union 14–09–01stW NCAA Division III Championship
1997 Mount Union 14–09–01stW NCAA Division III Championship
1998 Mount Union 14–09–01stW NCAA Division III Championship
1999 Mount Union 12–19–01stL NCAA Division III Semifinal
2000 Mount Union 14–09–01stW NCAA Division III Championship
2001 Mount Union 14–09–01stW NCAA Division III Championship
2002 Mount Union 14–09–01stW NCAA Division III Championship
2003 Mount Union 13–19–01stL NCAA Division III Championship
2004 Mount Union 12–19–01stL NCAA Division III Semifinal
2005 Mount Union 14–18–11stW NCAA Division III Championship
2006 Mount Union 15–09–01stW NCAA Division III Championship
2007 Mount Union 14–19–01stL NCAA Division III Championship
2008 Mount Union 15–09–01stW NCAA Division III Championship
2009 Mount Union 14–19–01stL NCAA Division III Championship
2010 Mount Union 14–19–01stL NCAA Division III Championship
2011 Mount Union 14–19–01stL NCAA Division III Championship
2012 Mount Union 15–09–01stW NCAA Division III Championship
Mount Union: 332–24–3230–8–3
Total:332–24–3
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

See also

References
  1. "2006 Coaching Staff: Larry Kehres, Head Coach". Mount Union College. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  2. "Mount Union's Larry Kehres Named 2010 AFCA President". AFCA. January 12, 2010. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010.
  3. Dave Campbell (December 20, 2008). "Mount Union coach Larry Kehres has what other coaches crave: players, tradition, nine titles". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on November 10, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  4. Milan Simonich (August 31, 2003). "Coach Larry Kehres has built Mount Union College into a Division III football juggernaut". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  5. "Mt Union Football Head Coaching Records". Archived from the original on March 30, 2009. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
  6. "2010 AFCA President Larry Kehres, University of Mount Union". AFCA. August 11, 2010. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  7. SJSU's Tomey is named president of American Football Coaches Association - Associated Press - January 13, 2009
  8. Mount Union hosts Wabash in the NCAA Quarterfinals Archived February 1, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. November 26, 2011. Retrieved on February 1, 2012.
  9. "SSU Names Erik Raeburn Head Football Coach". Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
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