One of
the nicknames for basketball hall of fame player Larry Bird is ‘Larry
Legend.’ In Alliance, Ohio, there is another 'Larry Legend':
Mt. Union College’s Head Coach Larry Kehres. Quite simply in
his 19 years at the helm of the Purple Raider football fortunes,
he has built one of the most successful programs in college football.
Kehres' teams have won 14 Ohio Athletic Conference Championships
while posting 13 undefeated regular seasons. Under Kehres, the Raiders
have won over 100 regular season games in a row and seven Division
III national Championships. During the last 13 regular seasons,
his teams have posted a phenomenal 129-2 overall record.
A native of
Diamond, Ohio, Kehres graduated from Mt. Union in 1971. An assistant
coach at the school for 11 seasons, Kehres took over as head coach
prior to the 1986 season. In addition to his duties in football,
Kehres also serves as an Associate Professor in Human Performance
and Sports Management as well as being the school’s full-time
Athletic Director.
We spoke to
Coach Kehres about his years at Mt. Union but more specifically
about his office. What has it been like and what goes on behind
the scenes. What is the inner-workings of a day like for Coach Kehres?
Included is an intimate look inside a coach’s den...
AFM: What was it like the first time you stepped into your office
knowing you were now in charge of the Mt. Union program?
LK: I knew what to expect... I had the office next door when the
previous coach – Ken Wable – retired. He had been my coach
and I was an assistant under him for 11 years. He left the program
in good shape after 26 years at Mt. Union. I approached the position
with great respect and dignity for the football program.
AFM: Tell me how the office is used –
do you have staff meetings there, do recruits visit, do you use
it to watch tape?
LK: I have a lot of one-on-one staff meetings and recruits visit
often with their parents. There are only three chairs so four or
more is a crowd... I have a computer as well and a TV/video player
so I’m able to watch of lot of player highlight tapes.
AFM: Have you had over the years any unusual
anecdotes you can share?
LK: I have the door always open and it’s a relatively informal
place... students are always coming by and asking everything from
‘where are the racquet balls? to how do I get into the gym?’...
that’s the life of an athletic director...
I do recall on three different occasions I spoke to students that
wanted to go out for our football team but had not played in high
school. In each case the students were somewhat apprehensive but
I told them the rules they would have to follow... in each case
it was a positive experience for the students. We don’t cut
any players that want to play but they are required to follow team
principles and rules. In recruiting we see so many great athletes
we always try to find the hidden gem that may help us...
AFM: Over the years have you had any unusual
or interesting visitors?
LK: Dom Capers, a Mt. Union guy and head coach of the Houston Texans
has stopped by and I’ve learned a lot from him....The former
head of the secret service, Brian Stafford, also stops by... he
was a teammate of mine although we overlapped in years at Mt. Union.
He is a member of the Board of Trustees.
AFM: What coaches have influenced you over
the years?
LK: Early on, Woody Hayes was a direct influence on my life...so
was Don Nehlen who was head coach at Bowling Green when I was a
GA – I loved his energy and enthusiasm. Bill Walsh has also
influenced me a great deal. I read an article he wrote on why the
49ers were so successful in drafting late-round players-like Joe
Montana and Charles Haley. His point was that his staff thoroughly
examined game tapes of all players and didn’t just rely on
the combine scores and times. Their philosophy was to have each
player attempt to play up to the potential of his highlight reel.
AFM: What are some of your personal and
professional memorabilia in your office?
LK: It’s a busy office with many action photos of the Mt. Union
teams as well as many awards we’ve won over the years. I also
have a picture taken in 1914 that shows a panoramic view of our
stadium.
AFM: If you were allowed to take only one
item from your office, what would it be?
LK: A picture of myself and my wife, Linda.
AFM: What have you enjoyed most about the
job?
LK: One of the most enjoyable parts of the job is seeing former
players become successful in life but also seeing players become
successful as coaches. Many of them have gone on to be successful
in our league...it’s also enjoyable having my son Vince on
our staff. Many former players have coached here.
AFM: If you could invite any three coaches
into your office for a philosophical football discussion, who would
they be?
LK: Vince Lombardi, Paul Brown, and Bob Knight. I respect Coach
Knight and his teams always play hard.
AFM: If you could be a GA again and learn
from one coach, who would it be?
LK: Paul Brown...he was brilliant in many ways-operationally and
organizationally. I would have said Bill Walsh but Walsh, earlier
in his career, was on Brown’s staff.
AFM: What thoughts or advice would you
give to the person that eventually will replace you?
LK: I wouldn’t give them any – they shouldn’t try
to do what I did but be their own man. I’m not trying to be
pretentious but I don’t really need to give advice but would
certainly be there to help if someone wanted it.
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