Football Coaches

Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Vince Kehres

Vince Kehres is in his second season as Toledo’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

In 2020, Kehres spearheaded a complete turnaround of the Toledo defense. Toledo was second in the MAC in total defense (362.2) after ranking last in the league in total defense (475.7) in 2019. The Rockets, who allowed just 24.3 points per game in 2020, also led the MAC in opponent third-down conversions (27.4%) and were second in rushing defense (129.2).

The Rocket defense was represented with four players on the 2020 All-MAC team ­— senior safety Tycen Anderson, sophomore safety Nate Bauer, junior outside linebacker Jamal Hines and junior defensive tackle Desjuan Johnson.

Kehres arrived at Toledo after 21 years at Mount Union, the last seven of which he served as head coach. His career record as a head coach of 95-6 (.941) gave him more victories than any college coach at any level during that time period. Kehres led his team to NCAA Division III national championships in 2015 and 2017.

Kehres also have seven NCAA playoff appearances, six Ohio Athletic Conference titles and five national championship game appearances on his resume. He is a three-time OAC Coach of the Year, three-time Lee Tressel Ohio College Coach of the Year and three-time the Columbus Dispatch Ohio College Coach of the Year.

A winner in every sense, Kehres has been a part of 12 of Mount Union’s 13 national championships in some capacity. Prior to his time as head coach, Kehres served 13 seasons as an assistant under his father and then-head coach Larry Kehres. During his time as defensive coordinator from 2005-12, the Purple Raiders’ defense was ranked in the Top 10 nationally in all but one season. Kehres coached the top-ranked defense in all of Division III in 2007, 2008, and 2012. He also served as Mount Union’s strength and conditioning coordinator from 2005-13 as well as the recruiting coordinator from 2009-13.

A 1998 graduate of Mount Union with a degree in political science, Kehres was a four-year letterwinner (1994-97) at defensive end for the Purple Raiders, a member of two National Championship teams (1996 & 1997) and earned All-OAC honors during his senior year 1997. During his playing career, Kehres totaled 62 hits and 12 tackles for loss, and he was a key member of the special teams unit. He was part of a 1997 defense that led all of Division III in fewest points allowed (5.6 ppg) and rushing defense (48.6 ypg) while posting five shutouts and setting a Raider single-season mark for sacks in a season (53 in 10 regular season games).

Kehres spent a year coaching at Austintown Fitch High School, earned his master’s degree from Ashland University then returned to Mount Union in 2000. He and his wife, Lindsay, have three sons, Evan, Bo and Jackson.

Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Mike Hallet

Now in his sixth season on Toledo’s coaching staff, Mike Hallett has been a driving force in making Toledo’s offense one of the best in the Mid-American Conference. After serving as the Rockets’ offensive line coach and running game coordinator for four seasons, Hallett was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2020.

In Hallett’s first season in his new role, the Rockets ranked third in the MAC in total offense (494.0) and first in passing offense (325.8), averaging 35.0 points per game. Despite suffering a couple of key injuries, Toledo’s offensive line thrived under Hallett’s guidance. Center Bryce Harris earned first-team All-MAC honors and was named a candidate for the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center.

In 2019, Toledo’s running game ranked second in the MAC and 14th in the country, producing 224.5 yards per game. The offense as a whole ranked fourth in the MAC with 434.1 yards per contest. Redshirt freshman Nick Rosi broke out in a big way, earning PFF All-America and All-MAC honors in his first season as a starter, while sophomore Bryant Koback (1,187) and junior Shakif Seymour (741) combined for over 1,900 yards on the ground. Koback earned second-team All-MAC honors.

In 2017, Hallett helped guide a Toledo running attack that spearheaded the Rockets’ MAC Championship run. UT averaged 204.0 rushing yards per game, third-best in the MAC. The Rockets also ranked first in the MAC in total offense and passing efficiency, and second in scoring offense and passing offense. Senior Terry Swanson led the MAC with 1,363 yards rushing. Swanson earned first-team All-MAC honors, as did senior offensive linemen Elijah Nkansah and Brant Weiss. All three players signed free-agent contracts with NFL teams following the season.

In 2016, Hallett played a major role in guiding Toledo’s offense to the highest single-season yards per game total in program history ­— 517.8 yards per game. The Rockets also set the passing yardage record with 322.8 yards per contest. Toledo ranked in the top 10 in the nation in five offensive categories: passing efficiency (second), third-down conversions (fifth), total offense (seventh), red-zone offense (ninth) and passing offense (10th). The Rockets also led the MAC in total offense, passing offense, and passing efficiency.

Toledo’s offensive line allowed just 14 sacks in 2016, which was tied for the 11th-fewest in the nation. Two senior offensive linemen, Storm Norton and Mike Ebert, earned first-team All-MAC recognition in 2017. Norton signed as a free agent with the Detroit Lions and is currently on the Minnesota Vikings’ roster.

Hallett’s unit helped pave the way to a record-breaking season for senior running back Kareem Hunt. He rushed for 1,475 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2016, giving him a school-record 4,945 for his career. Hunt was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs and went on to lead the NFL in rushing as a rookie.

Hallett joined the Rockets’ staff in December of 2015 and helped UT earn a 32-17 victory over No. 24 Temple at the 2015 Marmot Boca Raton Bowl.

Prior to becoming a Rocket, Hallett served as head coach at Heidelberg from 2007-15. He ranks third in all-time victories at Heidelberg with a 55-36 record, 46-35 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Hallett turned a program that had lost 36 consecutive games prior to his arrival into a contender in a very competitive NCAA Division III conference. After winning four games in Hallett’s first season, the Student Princes gradually improved, winning at least eight games in every season from 2011 through 2014. In 2012, Heidelberg went 9-2 record (8-1 OAC) and earned its first-ever berth into the NCAA Playoffs.

Hallett was named the OAC Coach of the Year and D3Football.com North Region Coach of the Year in both 2007 and 2011. During his tenure, 10 of his players earned All-America honors a total of 12 times, and 60 of his players received All-OAC accolades 96 times.

A 1994 graduate of Mount Union, Hallett was a two-time All-American for the Purple Raiders in 1992 and 1993, and was named the Division III Lineman of the Year in 1993. He was part of head coach Larry Kehres’ first national championship team in 1993 when he racked up 111 tackles and 8.5 sacks. A two-time All-OAC first-team selection as well as a three-time Academic all-league pick, Hallett was enshrined in the Mount Union Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.

After graduation, Hallett coached high school football in Ohio at Orrville (assistant coach, 1988-89), Akron Coventry (defensive coordinator, 1994-96) and Wooster (Head Coach, 1997-98). He moved to the college ranks, working at Thomas More as the offensive coordinator (1999-2003) and head coach (2004-06), before accepting the head coaching position at Heidelberg in 2007.

Hallett grew up in Orrville, Ohio and graduated from Orrville High School, where he played football and ran track. He originally enrolled at Kent State in 1987 to play football for the Golden Flashes before transferring to Mount Union. He has two sons, T.C. and Ryan, and is engaged to Brooke Shannon.

Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach Ross Watson

Ross Watson is in his sixth season as a defensive coach for the Rockets, and second year as co-defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator. During his term at Toledo, Watson has groomed safeties that have played an indispensable role in the team’s success.

Watson’s safeties group for 2020 included a pair of second-team All-MAC honorees, senior Tycen Anderson and sophomore Nate Bauer. Anderson, who had 34 tackles and four breakups in 2020, returns this season and is on the 2021 watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back. Bauer had 23 tackles and two interceptions last season. Also returning for the Rockets is junior Saeed Holt, who has started every game over the past two seasons.

In 2018, Watson helped safety Josh Teachey to an All-MAC season. Teachey was excellent for the Rockets that season, tallying 59 tackles and breaking up 11 passes.

Watson guided safeties that played a major role in Toledo’s 2017 MAC Championship season. Sophomore Kahlil Robinson registered 67 tackles and led the team with four interceptions. Junior Josh Teachey and Blue added 56 and 36 tackles, respectively. Toledo’s defense held MAC opponents to 21 points or fewer in six of their seven league victories, and shut out Akron through most of three quarters in the MAC Championship Game.

In 2016, Watson helped mentor senior strong safety DeJuan Rogers to second-team All-MAC honors on his way to an invitation to the Chicago Bears’ 2017 rookie mini-camp. Rogers led the Rockets with 94 tackles and broke up six passes. Fellow senior Connery Swift also had an outstanding season, with 61 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups.  Toledo finished fourth in the MAC in scoring defense (25.7) last season, en route to a 9-4 record and a berth in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl. The Rockets led the MAC in third-down conversions (34.7%), a figure that ranked 23rd nationally.

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Watson played cornerback at Mount Union from 2002-05, where he was a freshman during Jason Candle’s senior season with the Purple Raiders. He stayed at his alma mater to begin his coaching career, spending two seasons as a defensive backs coach under legendary head coach Larry Kehres. The Purple Raiders posted a 29-1 record in Watson’s two seasons at Mount Union, winning the 2006 Division III national championship and finishing as runner-up in 2007.

During a 15-0 season in 2006, the Raider defense allowed just 186 yards per game, posted four shutouts and intercepted 22 passes. In 2007, Mount Union’s defense shut out seven opponents, intercepted 17 passes and held opponents to 173.7 total yards per game.

Watson then went to Nebraska, where he served as a graduate assistant for head coach Bo Pelini from 2008-11, working primarily with the defensive backs. In 2009, the Cornhuskers led the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 10.4 points per game.

In 2012 and 2013, Watson coached defensive backs at Florida Atlantic. In his final season at FAU, the Owls ranked second in the FBS in passing yards allowed (161.5 yards per game), were third in team passing efficiency defense (97.41) and ranked 11th in total defense. FAU ranked 27th nationally in passing defense in 2012.

In 2014, Watson joined the staff at Youngstown State, assuming the position of director of football operations under head coach Eric Wolford. Watson then moved on to Northern Illinois in 2015, where he helped lead the Huskies to a share of the MAC West Division title.

Watson and his wife Sydney have four children, Tripp (7), Wyatt (5) and twins Colbi and Lexi (3).

Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Robert Weiner

Robert Weiner is in his second season as the Rockets’ co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Weiner is currently ranked as the No. 2 recruiter in the Mid-American Conference for the Class of 2022 by 247 Sports.

In 2020, Weiner mentored a pair of quarterbacks—Eli Peters and Carter Bradley—who showed tremendous improvement from their previous seasons. Peters completed 68.2 percent of his passes, nearly a 10-point jump from 2019. He had games of 339 yards passing (Western Michigan) and four touchdown passes (Bowling Green).

Bradley stepped in when Peters went down with an injury, and finished third in the MAC in passing efficiency. He threw for a career-high 432 yards and three TDs in a win over Northern Illinois. The 432-yard total was the seventh-most in Toledo history and the most by a MAC quarterback in 2020.

Weiner came to Toledo after 16 seasons as the head coach at Plant High School in Tampa, Fla. where he won four state championships, had two runner-up finishes, and earned 14 consecutive district titles (2005-2018). Weiner and former Rocket quarterback Phillip Ely teamed up to win two of those state titles in 2008 and 2009. Plant also won state championships in 2006 and 2011.

Other notable quarterbacks Weiner coached during his tenure include Aaron Murray (Georgia, 2010-13), Robert Marve (Miami (Fla.) 2008/Purdue 2010-12), Jordan McCloud (USF 2018-20/Arizona 2021) and Tucker Gleason, a current member of the Rockets.

Plant’s record during Weiner’s tenure was 172-37-1 with a 42-10 record in playoff games. He was twice named the Florida Dairy Farmer’s All-Classifications High School Football Coach of the Year, winning the award in 2006 and 2008. Weiner is one of only two high school coaches ever in the state of Florida to win that award twice.

Weiner began his coaching career at his high school alma mater, Tampa Jesuit High School, where he served as an assistant coach in football, basketball and baseball from 1989-2003. He moved on to Crystal River (Fla.) High School, where he was the head baseball coach from 2003-04, before accepting the head football position at Tampa Plant in 2004.

Weiner graduated from Boston College in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in English and secondary education. He and his longtime girlfriend Tonya Thomas have homes in Toledo and Tampa.

Special Teams Coordinator Stanton Weber

Stanton Weber took over as special teams coordinator for the Rockets in 2023. He began his coaching career at Kansas State, his alma mater, and spent two seasons as the special teams analyst at South Carolina before joining the Toledo coaching staff.

Weber was a three-time First-Team Academic All-Big 12 player as a wide receiver and special teams standout at Kansas State from 2011-15. A team captain as a senior in 2015, Weber played 46 career games and ended with 19 tackles. He helped the Wildcats accumulate a 34-18 record, earn a Big 12 championship in 2012 and advance to four straight bowl games.

After graduation, Weber spent four seasons coaching at his alma mater, two years as an offensive graduate assistant from 2017-18, and two seasons in a full-time role as the special teams’ quality control coach from 2019-20.

In his first season working with special teams, Weber helped the Wildcats break the single-season record for kickoff-return average, ranking first in the country with a 29.5 average. In 2020, K-State blocked the first punt in each of their first three contests. In the rivalry game against Kansas, the Wildcats returned four punts over 40 yards, including a pair of touchdowns. In that game, they set the school record for highest punt return average and most TDs scored in a game. K-State finished the 2020 season ranked second in the NCAA in punt return average (22.1).

Weber then moved on to South Carolina, where he spent two seasons as a special teams’ analyst. In 2022, the Gamecocks were ranked No. 1 in the country in special teams efficiency by ESPN, led the SEC in punt return average and had the nation’s longest kickoff return of the season (100 yards) against Texas A&M. They were also second in the SEC in yards per punt and were 11-of-11 on field goal attempts.

Stanton has two accounting degrees from Kansas State, earning his bachelor’s degree in 2015 and master’s degree in 2016, along with an MBA in 2019.

Weber comes from an athletic family, all of whom played collegiately at Kansas State. His father, Stan Weber, was a quarterback for the Wildcats from 1980-84; his brother Landry was a wide receiver at Kansas State from 2017-21; and his sister McKenzi played volleyball at KSU from 2016-19.

Weber and his wife Natalie were married in July of 2022.