Hall of Fame
Position: Coach
Years: 1986-2012
Place of Birth: Diamond, OH
Date of Birth: Sept. 7, 1949
Record: 332-24-3 (92.9%)
Boasting the highest winning percentage (93 percent) in college football history, Larry Kehres established himself as a coaching legend during his 27 seasons at Mount Union from 1986-2012. He also owns the most national titles (11), most conference titles (23) and most unbeaten regular seasons (21) of any college football coach in history.
The winningest coach in Ohio Athletic Conference and Mount Union history, Kehres set an NCAA record for most consecutive victories after winning 55 from 2000-03. One of only 10 coaches in college football history to win 300 games, he was named AFCA Regional Coach of the Year a record 17 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.
Kehres’ Purple Raiders appeared in 16 national championship games and led the OAC in total offense and total defense every season from 1999-2009. He finished his career on a high note, compiling a record of 182-7 and winning seven of his 11 national titles after the year 2000. He stepped down as the head coach following a perfect 15-0 national championship season in 2012, and his 72-3 record in his final five seasons is the best in college football history, breaking the record set by Hall of Fame coach Tom Osborne in his final five seasons. Kehres lost only nine home games and 24 games overall in 27 seasons.
During his remarkable coaching career, Kehres coached five Gagliardi Trophy winners, 77 First Team All-Americans (including Hall of Famer Jim Ballard), 220 First Team All-OAC selections, 18 First Team Academic All-Americans and three NFF National Scholar-Athletes.
Kehres served as the offensive coordinator for the U.S. National Football Team that won a gold medal in the 2011 World Championships. Off the field, he served as a board member and as president of the American Football Coaches Association and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity.
The Diamond, Ohio, native played quarterback and punter at Mount Union from 1967-70. Kehres served as a graduate assistant coach at Bowling Green from 1971-72, and then got his first head coaching job at Johnstown Monroe High School [Ohio]. He returned to Mount Union the following year, spending the next 11 seasons as an assistant coach before taking over as head coach prior to the 1986 season. He has served as Mount Union’s athletics director since 1985, and he is also a professor of physical education at the university. His son, Vince, has succeeded him as the Purple Raiders’ head coach and already owns a 55-4 record, three Division III national championship appearances and the 2015 national title.
