OAC Names Award for Larry Kehres

The Ohio Athletic Conference has announced that its annual football coach of the year award will now be named in honor of former Mount Union head football coach and director of athletics Larry Kehres.

The OAC Athletics Council, which includes the athletic directors, senior women’s administrators and faculty athletics representatives from all 10 member schools, voted October 29 to rename the award the Larry Kehres OAC Football Coach of the Year Award.

Kehres worked at Mount Union for 46 years (1974-2020) and was head football coach for 27 of those years building one of the most successful football programs in college football history. His teams won 23 OAC titles with 21 undefeated seasons and 11 NCAA Division III National Championships. He leads all levels of college football with a .929 winning percentage as he went 332-24-3 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2017.

He was named OAC Coach of the Year a record six times. Dave Mauer of Wittenberg and Lee Tressel of Baldwin Wallace both won the award five times.

OAC Coach of the Year – All-Time Winners

2019 – Tim Doup, Otterbein

2018 – Vince Kehres, Mount Union

2017 – Andy Waddle, Marietta

2016 – Tom Arth, John Carroll

2015 – Dean Paul, Ohio Northern

2014 – Vince Kehres, Mount Union

2013 – Tom Arth, John Carroll and Vince Kehres, Mount Union

2012 – Tim Doup, Otterbein

2011 – Mike Hallett, Heidelberg

2010 – Dean Paul, Ohio Northern

2009 – Al Logan, Muskingum

2008 – Joe Loth, Otterbein

2007 – Mike Hallett, Heidelberg

2006 – John Snell, Baldwin Walalce and Jim Collins, Capital

2005 – Joe Loth, Otterbein

2004 – Todd Glaser, Marietta

2003 – Jim Collins, Capital

2002 – Regis Scafe, John Carroll and John Snell, Baldwin Wallace

2001 – Jim Collins, Capital

2000 – Wally Hood, Otterbein

1999 – Tom Kaczkowski, Ohio Northern

1998 – Bob Packard, Baldwin Wallace

1997 – Tony DeCarlo, John Carroll and Larry Kehres, Mount Union

1996 – Larry Kehres, Mount Union

1993 – Dick West, Heidelberg

1992 – Larry Kehres, Mount Union

1991 – Bob Packard, Baldwin Wallace

1990 – Larry Kehres, Mount Union

1989 – Jeff Heacock, Muskingum

1988 – Dick West, Heidelberg

1987 – Roger Welsh, Capital

1986 – Larry Kehres, Mount Union

1985 – Ken Wable, Mount Union

1984 – Bob Packard, Baldwin Wallace

1983 – Jeff Heacock, Muskingum

1982 – Ken Wable, Mount Union and Wally Hood, Ohio Northern

1981 – Tom McHugh, Kenyon

1980 – Lee Tressel, Baldwin Wallace

1979 – Dave Mauer, Wittenberg

1978 – Lee Tressel, Baldwin Wallace and Dave Mauer, Wittenberg

1977 – Lee Tressel, Baldwin Wallace

1976 – Dave Mauer, Wittenberg

1975 – Al Christopher, Muskingum

1974 – Lee Tressel, Baldwin Wallace

1973 – Dave Mauer, Wittenberg

1972 – Pete Riesen, Heidelberg

1971 – Jack Fouts, Ohio Wesleyan

1970 – Gene Slaughter, Capital

1969 – Dave Mauer, Wittenberg

1968 – Lee Tressel, Baldwin Wallace