Greatest name within the NFC championship sport?
It didn’t occur on the sector.
No, it was when coach Nick Sirianni was driving house after his Philadelphia Eagles beat Washington to achieve the Tremendous Bowl for the second time in three seasons.
Sirianni dialed his faculty coach from College of Mount Union to bask within the pleasure of the second and invite him to Tremendous Bowl LIX.
Larry Kehres, who retired in 2012 with a successful proportion of .929 — the very best in faculty soccer historical past — opted to look at from the consolation of house in Alliance, Ohio. He’s getting older, and he and his spouse don’t journey as a lot as once they did so for video games, teaching conventions and the like.
“Getting requested to go by Nick in all probability is extra vital than truly going,” stated Kehres, 75, who coached three of the Sirianni brothers in his 27 seasons. His groups have been a mixed 333-24 and received 11 nationwide championships.
Sirianni had praised his previous coach after that NFC championship win, however Kehres solely heard concerning the information convention. He was too busy rewinding to interrupt down the important thing moments.
“I watch each play on my TV,” stated Kehres, whose final title is pronounced CARE-ess. “I put it in slo-mo so I can perceive the play slightly higher. That sounds foolish, however as a coach they don’t provide the massive view, the all 22, so I’ve to look at the 15 or 16 gamers you may see so it’s, ‘OK, now I’ve a really feel for what they’re doing.’ By the point I used to be carried out, the opposite sport had began.”
As soon as a coach, at all times a coach. To Sirianni, Kehres was far more than a man with a whistle, or somebody who might draw up Xs and O’s. He has been a lifelong good friend and mentor.
Mount Union receiver Nick Sirianna runs for yardage after a catch.
(Courtesy of Mount Union)
“I’ve nice mother and father who’ve taught me a lot, then you definitely go away from house for the primary time, away from these robust mother and father that I’ve, and [Kehres] is sort of a dad away from house there,” stated Sirianni, 43, a onetime standout receiver on the faculty.
“One of many massive issues I discovered from him was that connection, simply caring about his gamers. He was at all times attempting to get me higher. … I’ve plenty of tales of what number of instances I received yelled at as nicely. Simply because he cares for me doesn’t imply he’s not extraordinarily demanding.”
In an incident chronicled in an NFL Movies characteristic on Kehres, Sirianni was flagged for extreme celebration after catching a landing move in a 2003 nationwide championship semifinal and giving a hug to his brother, who was standing behind the tip zone.
Despite the fact that Mount Union was blowing out Bridgewater in that sport, Sirianni received an earful from Kehres and conceded he didn’t reside as much as the excessive customary anticipated of him.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, left, hugs Jalen Hurts after the NFC championship sport, embracing a bond very similar to he had together with his faculty coach.
(Matt Slocum / Related Press)
“I didn’t know why he received a penalty,” Kehres recalled with fun. “That they had a thin rope dividing the followers from the sector. However Nick informed me he had an Eagles participant get a penalty like that, extreme celebration in the long run zone, and he reacted like I did.”
Sirianni went again and watched that previous video of himself and noticed an official in that sport who made it to an NFL crew.
“So I informed him, ‘Nick, that was a great name then,’” Kehres stated. “The man should have been doing his job nicely.”
Sirianni is way from the one notable coach or participant molded partially by Kehres. Iowa State coach Matt Campbell got here by way of the Mount Union program, as did Jason Candle, head coach at Toledo. Sirianni’s older brother, Mike, is head coach at Washington & Jefferson, alma mater of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Longtime NFL coach and coordinator Dom Capers was a classmate and onetime roommate of Kehres, and receiver Pierre Garçon performed at Mount Union as nicely.
Garçon performed for the Indianapolis Colts crew that misplaced to New Orleans within the Tremendous Bowl, and Kehres attended that sport in South Florida as a visitor of the receiver.
“As a lot enjoyable because it was to go to that sport, it was arduous as a result of I used to be nonetheless working,” Kehres stated. “We received to the sport 4 or 5 hours earlier than kickoff, so it wasn’t nearly as good as concentrating on the sport in a cushty atmosphere and watching as all of the nuances unfold.”
So this 12 months Kehres is trying ahead to enjoyable in his lounge, and watching in relative quiet together with his spouse, Linda. Perhaps they’ll get one other celebratory telephone name from Sirianni.
Somebody requested Kehres not too long ago if he’d be actually pleased with Sirianni ought to the Eagles win one other Lombardi Trophy.
“No,” Kehres stated, “I used to be pleased with him lengthy earlier than this.”