Ken Karcher
Encyclopedia
Ken Karcher is an American football
coach and former quarterback
. He is currently the offensive coordinator
and quarterbacks coach
at Eastern Michigan University
. He had most recently served as quarterbacks coach for the University of Toledo
.
Out of Shaler Area High School, in Pennsylvania, Karcher was a highly-recruited QB and eventually went to the University of Notre Dame. While there, he was a third-string QB behind Blair Kiel
. He decided to transfer after two years to Tulane University
, where he finished out his collegiate playing career.
Karcher went undrafted by NFL teams, and bounced around training camps before going to the Denver Broncos
. He played in a total of four NFL games; three of those games came when he played as a replacement player while many other NFL players were on strike. The Broncos retained him for the rest of the year, and Karcher backed up John Elway
while the team played in Super Bowl XXII
.
He later decided to try his hand in coaching, eventually becoming an offensive coordinator for the University of Pittsburgh
from 1994-1996. Later, he became the offensive coordinator for the Rhein Fire
in NFL Europe
from 1997–1999, a position he occupied until accepting the head coaching job at Liberty University
.
At Liberty, Karcher's teams underachieved. Despite this, Liberty chancellor Jerry Falwell
resigned him to a 5-year contract after the 2004 season. But, he would only last one more season. After a 1-10 campaign in 2005, Karcher was fired. His final coaching record at Liberty was 21-46, with a 6-8 record in conference play (including two straight second places finishes).
As a coach, Karcher stressed building character in his players through football. One such player was Samkon Gado
, a reserve while playing at Liberty. Karcher helped Gado get his foot in the door of an NFL team, and within the year Gado was the starting running back for the Green Bay Packers
.
After his dismissal from Liberty, Karcher was the offensive coordinator at Fellowship Christian High School in Roswell, Georgia, where he led the Paladins to their first ever winning season and a deep run in the Georgia state playoffs. He also served as the school's athletic director, and taught a 9th grade Bible class at Fellowship Bible Church.
In 2008, Karcher accepted a position as the quarterbacks coach with the University of Toledo. He helped Toledo in an upset win over the Michigan Wolverines
, although the squad finished 3-8.
In early 2009, Eastern Michigan head coach Ron English
hired Karcher as the EMU offensive coordinator. EMU finished Karcher's first season 0-12 (0-8 in conference), and EMU finished 116th out of 120 teams in net total yards for the season.
He is married with children. His son Austin is currently a redshirted quarterback at Eastern Michigan University following his transfer from Defiance College (OH). His daughter Kelly is a track/cross country runner that compete in the events of steeplechase and distance for Mississippi State University.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach and former quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He is currently the offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and quarterbacks coach
Quarterbacks coach
A quarterbacks coach is a coach in charge of the quarterbacks in gridiron football. The quarterbacks coach typically operates under the offensive coordinator on a team's coaching staff....
at Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
. He had most recently served as quarterbacks coach for the University of Toledo
University of Toledo
The University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The Carnegie Foundation classified the university as "Doctoral/Research Extensive."-National recognition:...
.
Out of Shaler Area High School, in Pennsylvania, Karcher was a highly-recruited QB and eventually went to the University of Notre Dame. While there, he was a third-string QB behind Blair Kiel
Blair Kiel
Blair Armstrong Kiel is a former four-year starting quarterback for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, from 1980-1983. He played professionally for several teams in the National Football League, the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League, and was inducted into the...
. He decided to transfer after two years to Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
, where he finished out his collegiate playing career.
Karcher went undrafted by NFL teams, and bounced around training camps before going to the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He played in a total of four NFL games; three of those games came when he played as a replacement player while many other NFL players were on strike. The Broncos retained him for the rest of the year, and Karcher backed up John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
while the team played in Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII was an American football game played on January 31, 1988 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1987 regular season...
.
He later decided to try his hand in coaching, eventually becoming an offensive coordinator for the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
from 1994-1996. Later, he became the offensive coordinator for the Rhein Fire
Rhein Fire
The Rhein Fire was a professional American football team in NFL Europe, formerly the World League of American Football. Established in Germany in 1995, the franchise resurrected the name of the former Birmingham Fire team which was active during the 1991-1992 WLAF seasons.-History:The team was...
in NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
from 1997–1999, a position he occupied until accepting the head coaching job at Liberty University
Liberty University
Liberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
.
At Liberty, Karcher's teams underachieved. Despite this, Liberty chancellor Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
resigned him to a 5-year contract after the 2004 season. But, he would only last one more season. After a 1-10 campaign in 2005, Karcher was fired. His final coaching record at Liberty was 21-46, with a 6-8 record in conference play (including two straight second places finishes).
As a coach, Karcher stressed building character in his players through football. One such player was Samkon Gado
Samkon Gado
Samkon Kaltho Gado is an Nigerian-American running back of American football who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Liberty....
, a reserve while playing at Liberty. Karcher helped Gado get his foot in the door of an NFL team, and within the year Gado was the starting running back for the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.
After his dismissal from Liberty, Karcher was the offensive coordinator at Fellowship Christian High School in Roswell, Georgia, where he led the Paladins to their first ever winning season and a deep run in the Georgia state playoffs. He also served as the school's athletic director, and taught a 9th grade Bible class at Fellowship Bible Church.
In 2008, Karcher accepted a position as the quarterbacks coach with the University of Toledo. He helped Toledo in an upset win over the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
, although the squad finished 3-8.
In early 2009, Eastern Michigan head coach Ron English
Ron English (American football)
-External links:**...
hired Karcher as the EMU offensive coordinator. EMU finished Karcher's first season 0-12 (0-8 in conference), and EMU finished 116th out of 120 teams in net total yards for the season.
He is married with children. His son Austin is currently a redshirted quarterback at Eastern Michigan University following his transfer from Defiance College (OH). His daughter Kelly is a track/cross country runner that compete in the events of steeplechase and distance for Mississippi State University.