Toledo defensive coordinator Vince Kehres, who started his tenure at the Glass Bowl in 2020, has accepted the same position at Syracuse.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the news on Saturday afternoon.
Kehres, son of Mount Union legend Larry Kehres, succeeded his father as head coach of the Purple Raiders from 2013-2020 and maintained the Division III powerhouse’s success, compiling a 95-6 record and winning the D-III national championship twice (2015, 2017.)
Upon his hire at Toledo, the defense improved
drastically, aiding in Toledo’s near-upset of Notre Dame in 2021 and the team’s 2022 and 2023 title chases. The 2025 Rockets unit was perhaps the best he assembled in Toledo, as he led them to the ultra-rare superfecta in defensive statistics, leading the MAC in scoring defense (12.2 points), total defense (247.8 yards allowed per game), rushing defense (89.3 yards per game) and passing defense (158.4 yards per game.)
The month of November, which saw UT finish 4-0 down the stretch, saw opponents score only 18 points over four games.
Since taking over in 2020, the Rockets have seen four of their defenders stick on in the NFL, including first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell, second-round pick Darius Alexander, and UDFAs Dallas Gant and Maxen Hook. This year’s Toledo efense will likely see several more former Rockets make the pro level as well, with Emmanuel Warren-McNeil and Avery Smith considered top rising defensive back prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Syracuse made a handful of moves on their defensive staff in recent days, demoting defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson and firing co-defensive coordinator Robert Wright, while also hiring a new offensive line coach in Michigan’s Juan Castillo.
Toledo will now have to replace both their head coach and defensive coordinator in short order, with the Rockets getting their bowl assignment on Sunday afternoon. The university has yet to name an interim head coach.
