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2004 Coaching Staff

Larry Kehres, Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator

     Kehres enters his 19th season as head coach of the Mount Union Purple Raiders as one of the most successful head coaches in the history of college football.  His overall record of 205-18-3 (.914) is phenomenal by itself, but that is just the beginning.

     His teams have posted 13 undefeated regular seasons (86-90-92-93-95-96-97-98-99-00-01-02-03), won 39 of 46 playoff games, 14 Ohio Athletic Conference championships (86-90-92-93-94-95-96-97-98-99-00-01-02-03) and have been Division III National Champions seven times (93-96-97-98-00-01-02).

     Beginning with the first game in 1996, to the final game of 1999, his teams won 54 straight football games.  He then did one better than that by winning 55 straight games from the beginning of the 2000 season to the final game of 2003, setting a new standard in college football for excellence.  He guided the Raiders to a unbelievable mark of 120-7-1 (.941) during the decade of the 1990's, and enters the 2004 season having won 109 of his last 111 contests.

     Kehres is a native of Diamond, Ohio and went to Southeast High School.  He played quarterback while attending Mount Union College (67-70) and still holds the school record for longest pass completion, 95 yards for a touchdown, in a 1970 contest versus Ohio Northern.    

     He was a graduate assistant coach at Bowling Green State University (71-72) while earning a master's degree in health and physical education.  He served as head football coach for one season (1973) at Johnstown Monroe High School before returning to Alliance and spending the next eleven years as a Purple Raider assistant coach, mostly offensive coordinator, before taking over as head coach in 1986.

     Kehres is also an associate professor of physical education and athletic director at Mount Union College, and has been named the GTE Division III National Coach of the Year seven times (93-96-97-98-00-01-02) as voted on by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).     

Don Montgomery, Defensive Coordinator

     Montgomery enters his 27th year as an assistant football coach at Mount Union College and his 19th season as the Purple Raiders defensive coordinator.  Under his leadership, Mount Union's defense allowed  just 10.5 points per game in the 1990's, and has led the OAC in team defense 11 different times (90-93-94-95-97-98-99-00-01-02-03).

     In 2003, his defense held opponents scoreless for 13 straight quarters at one point in the season, and allowed just 60 points during the regular season (6.0 ppg) and 108 points overall (7.7 ppg). 

     He spent one year as an assistant coach at Indiana State University (1977) before returning to his Alma Mater the next season.  As a guard at Mount Union (74-77) he was a three-year letter winner and was a recipient of the John Thorpe Football Memorial Award, which is based on the leadership, scholarship, sportsmanship and overall contribution to his school.

     Montgomery is an instructor in the Health and Physical Education Department at Mount Union College and received the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Assistant Coach of the Year award in 1999, and was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Assistant Coach of the Year in 2001.

Jeff Wojtowicz, Secondary

     Wojtowicz is in his 18th year as an assistant coach for the Purple Raiders and handles the defensive backfield.  Under his guidance, the 1992 Raider defense set an OAC record with 33 interceptions. 

     He was a graduate assistant at Indiana State University (1984) and an assistant coach at Wittenberg University (1985) before returning to Mount Union in 1986.  He was a three-year letter winner for the Raiders as a defensive back (81-83) and was a co-captain of the football team his senior year, earning Honorable-Mention All-OAC honors that season.

     Wojtowicz also is an instructor in the Health and Physical Education Department at Mount Union, and coaches the men's and women's tennis teams.  He was named OAC Tennis Coach of the Year in 1999.  

Joe Leigh, Defensive Tackles

     Leigh is set to begin his 16th season as an assistant football coach at Mount Union.  He was the head coach at Ravenna High School (70-88) and also coached the wrestling team (68-73).  Prior to that he was an assistant football coach at St. Mary's High School in Colorado Springs, CO (64-68).  He was a four-year letter winner as a center at Hiram College (59-62). 

Stan Watson, Defensive Ends

     Watson enters his second season as an assistant coach for the Raiders, and will take charge of the defensive ends this year.  He was twice named First-Team All-OAC (01-02) and was an All-American in 2002 at Linebacker, playing a big part on three national championship teams (00-01-02).

Nick Sirianni, Cornerbacks

     Sirianni enters his first season as a Mount Union assistant coach and will work with the cornerbacks.  He was a three-year letter winner (01-03) at wide receiver for the Purple Raiders, and played on two national championship teams.  He earned All-Conference honors following last season.

Vince Kehres, Offensive Line

     Kehres returns for his fifth year as part of the coaching staff of his alma mater this season where he excelled on the gridiron during his college career.  He will assume offensive line duties this year after spending four seasons in charge of the defensive ends.  He was a four-year letter winner (94-97) as a defensive end, played on two national championship teams (96-97) and earned All-Conference honors his senior season.

Joel Cockley, Running Backs / Tight Ends

     Cockley returns this season to the Purple Raiders coaching staff for a fifth consecutive year.  He served under Larry Kehres from 1989-94 at Mount Union, including the final three of those seasons as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. 

     He has held a number of head coaching positions at the high school level, including Alliance High School (81-88, 95-99), Dover High School (1979) and Buckeye North High School (76-78).   In addition, he has been an assistant coach at Youngstown State University (1980) and Triway High School (73-75).  Cockley played safety in college at Northeast Missouri State (69-72) and was a part of three conference title teams.

Ed Hogya, Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

     Hogya is back as an assistant at Mount Union after working with the receivers and quarterbacks last year.  He will help with the wide receivers and tight ends in 2004.  He was a three-year letter winner (86-88) for the Raiders during his playing days, and was named First-Team All-OAC at wide receiver in 1988.

Jason Candle, Wide Receivers

     Candle begins his second year as a wide receiver coach for the Raiders after serving as a student assistant in 2002.  He earned First-Team All-OAC honors catching passes for Mount Union in 2001 and played on two national championship teams (00-01).

Clyde Ross, Kickers

     Ross enters his 11th season as the Raiders kicking coach.   He served as an assistant football coach at Salem High School (70-76), United High School (1969) and Bowling Green State University (1968) where he graduated.   He also attended and played collegiate football at Southern Illinois State University (57-58) and Morris Harvey College (now Charleston University) (55-56).  

Student Assistants:

Matt Caponi

Antoine Dillard

Andrew Doak