'I was confident when I stepped on that grass': Mount Union honors Larry Kehres, renames football stadium

ALLIANCE — Larry Kehres is a thankful and proud man.

As the College Football Hall of Fame coach stood outside Mount Union's football stadium, he saw reminders of what has made the Purple Raiders program so powerful.

Kehres could see about 40 of his former players, including one who could join him in the Hall of Fame someday.

He could see former assistant coaches who were with him for years. He could see the nearby Gulling Training Center, Sean M. Moore Field at Wable Park, Wable-Harter Football Locker Room and the newly-dedicated Dom and Karen Capers Football Coaching Center.

Then Kehres saw something his players and coaches would say is long overdue.

He saw his name unveiled on the stadium scoreboard.

Mount Union's stadium was renamed Kehres Stadium on Saturday. The university is also planning to build a stadium plaza honoring Kehres and his wife Linda, and create an endowment for the football program in his name.

Kehres coached the Purple Raiders to 11 national championships in 27 seasons as head coach from 1986 to 2012. He spoke for almost 30 minutes during the ceremony and offered many thanks.

He also did not want to be the center attention on his special day.

"Mount Union is forever," Kehres said. "Mount Union Stadium is forever.

"Kehres Stadium may or not be. There could be a time where a donor gives a gift significant enough to impact the student-athletes at Mount Union. Accept it and name the stadium after that individual.

"I'm not saying this because I don't have gratitude."

Kehres' former players who were on hand hope the stadium name is permanent. They are grateful to him for having an impact on their lives.

"He always encouraged and demanded out of his players and coaches to be consistent in your daily grind," said current Mount Union head coach Geoff Dartt, who played on three of Kehres' national championship teams. "For many of us, we saw a sign when we walked into the locker room every day: God, family, football, work, commitment, loyalty and hope. If there was anything he ever did on a daily basis, it was consistently that."

Kehres consistently adapted and adjusted to whatever his teams faced.

Bill Borchert, a two-time All-American quarterback and Hall of Fame finalist, talked about preparations for a 1995 playoff game against Hanover. With a potent Hanover offense you wanted to keep off the field and a lot of rain in the forecast, the Purple Raiders game plan featured mostly running plays.

Kehres scrapped the initial game plan as the game wore on. Borchert threw for an NCAA Division III playoff-record 584 yards. Mount Union won 52-18.

"Nobody knew the feel of that stadium like Coach Kehres," Borchert said. "He noticed that It was muddy inside the numbers and hashmarks. Outside the hashmarks it was grass. He figured we could throw it."

Kehres played, coached and watched hundreds of games in the stadium that now bears his name. Ohio's oldest college football stadium, no matter what it's called, has been close to his heart for more than 50 years.

"When I walked through the tunnels, it was like the fear of what might happen in that game left me," Kehres said. "I was confident when I stepped on that grass."

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Mount Union renames football stadium in honor of coach Larry Kehres