Vince Kehres preaches a simple mantra for his defense.
11 as 1.
“We want to put a defense on the field that plays with great effort and tackles well, leverages the ball and plays together,” said Kehres.
It’s a mantra that Kehres learned from his defensive coordinator when he played college football at Mount Union, Don Montgomery. It’s the same mantra that Kehres carried when he coached Mount Union for his father, College Football Hall of Famer Larry Kehres.
The younger Kehres eventually became Mount
Union’s Head Coach after the elder retired in 2013. Vince reached five Division III championships with Mount Union as head coach, winning two of them. He only lost six games in total over seven years leading Mount Union.
He left Mount Union to become Toledo’s defensive coordinator in 2020. Kehres’ players can see that his coaching style could bring him success anywhere as a coordinator or head coach.
“He’s kind of a big reason for why I’m the linebacker, the player and the man that I am today,” said Chris D’Appolonia.
D’Appolonia is one of many players and coaches to follow Kehres to Syracuse after he took the defensive coordinator position in December. Along with defensive back Amare Snowden, defensive backs coach Perry Eliano and defensive analyst Dan Bolden also joined the Orange from Toledo.
Familiarity was just one of the reasons why D’Appolonia, a linebacker that Kehres had been recruiting since he was 16 years old, joined Syracuse this offseason. And his endorsement of Kehres’ reflects in the coaching style that Syracuse’s new defensive coordinator is implementing.
“I feel like everything is easier,” said Davion Kerr. “Everything is chained together.”
Kerr recalled meeting Kehres and his new defensive coaches, like Eliano, for the first time. He said that the first thing the coaches did was ask how the players liked to learn. In return, the coaches take their time, according to Kerr.
“Coach Kehres is never going to ask a guy to do something he doesn’t think he can be successful at,” said D’Appolonia.
The core of the defense that Kehres’ teaches is one that plays hard and as a team together. However, he’s emphasized that while he has schemes that he wants his players to buy in to, he’s not blind to adapting to what his current team is good at.
“I’m open minded enough to adjust based on the skill sets of our players,” said Kehres.
It shows in a player like Kerr, who’s changing position from defensive back to safety. He’s already taken advantage of an open door policy. Kerr said the coaches preached to the team they could meet with the players at any time of the day to go over plays and other things.
“You can feel the energy,” said Kerr. “They actually want it.”
Kehres and his coaches are only just starting full spring practices with their new team. But the goal remains the same. To buy in and understand to play together.
11 as 1.
