Kent State University at East Liverpool Football

Updated March 2025 Mark Carney joined Kent State in January of 2023 as the tight ends coach. Carney was elevated to offensive coordinator ahead of the 2024 season and was named interim head coach in April 2025. Carney was officially named the 24th head coach of Kent State football on October 30, 2025. In 2024, the Golden Flashes were one of the top big-play teams in the passing game, as they ranked 21st in the nation in passing yards per completion at 13.5 yards per completion. Quarterback Tommy Ulatowski ranked second in the nation, averaging 16.7 yards per completion. Carney’s offense also had one of the best receivers in the nation, Chrishon McCray, who ranked 20th in the nation with nine touchdowns and 30th in the nation, averaging 17.63 yards per reception. The Golden Flashes saw two receivers named an All-MAC Team this season: Chrishon McCray (2nd Team) and Luke Floriea (3rd Team). During the 2023 season, Carney coached the tight ends and Justin Holmes finished fifth on the team with 20 receptions for 188 receiving yards. Carney comes to Kent State after four seasons with the Charlotte 49ers, including serving as the offensive coordinator for the last three seasons. In his three seasons at the helm of the 49ers’ offense, Charlotte averaged nearly 400 yards of offense. In his first season in Charlotte, he helped lead the 49ers to a school record for wins (7) and a trip to the Bahamas Bowl. Before his time in Charlotte, Carney was the offensive coordinator at Virginia Sta

FootballSkip AdStadler, AlexBaiz, JacobBertini, RJBucar, DaveCarney, Mark Chapman, BraxtonCorey, WoodyCribbs, JoshGant, AllenHailey, CarsonKesner, KarterLance, TylerPatterson, ClayRiley, CadenSnyder, KevinStadler, AlexTanski, BartTeerlinck, BillToth, ElizabethTrussell, KyleValeria, CherokeeVance, Isaac

FootballSkip AdGant, AllenBaiz, JacobBertini, RJBucar, DaveCarney, Mark Chapman, BraxtonCorey, WoodyCribbs, JoshGant, AllenHailey, CarsonKesner, KarterLance, TylerPatterson, ClayRiley, CadenSnyder, KevinStadler, AlexTanski, BartTeerlinck, BillToth, ElizabethTrussell, KyleValeria, CherokeeVance, Isaac

Kent State head football coach Mark Carney announced the addition of Bart Tanski as the program’s new cornerbacks coach in Summer 2025, bringing over a decad...

Updated March 2025 Bill Teerlinck was named the defensive line coach in February of 2024. In his first season with the Flashes, Teerlinck led a defensive line group with one of the top sackers in the MAC as Kameron Olds ranked seventh in the MAC and 63rd in the nation with six sacks. Olds also had seven tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries, and an interception. Stephen Daley was also a major contributor to the defense from the defensive line. Daley led the team with nine tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries. Daley also finished sixth on the team with 51 tackles and added three breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Teerlinck came to Kent State with nearly 20 years of coaching experience across the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. He has previous college coaching stops at Virginia Tech, where he helped Amare’ Barno successfully make the transition from linebacker to defensive line, where he ranked third in the power-5 with 16.0 tackles for loss. He had similar success at Nevada, helping several defensive linemen to all-conference status. On the professional level, Teerlinck coached for the Buffalo Bills (2017-19) and the Indianapolis Coach (2007-2011). In Indianapolis, he helped the Colts reach Super Bowl XLIV and worked specifically with defensive ends, developing Pro Bowlers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. With Buffalo, he was responsible for coaching the Bills’ defensive line, helping Buffalo rank in the top 5 in several defens

Braxton Chapman joined the Golden Flashes as the running backs coach in January 2026. Chapman comes to Kent State from Dartmouth, where he spent the 2024 season serving as the running backs coach before being promoted to special teams coordinator in 2025. He helped guide the Big Green to a share of the Ivy League Championship in 2024 while mentoring back-to-back First Team All-Ivy running backs. Under his leadership, Dartmouth’s special teams was in the top half of the Ivy League, with the punt unit finishing second in the conference and 28th nationally. Sophomore punter Luke Armistead earned 2nd team all-conference recognition. Before Dartmouth, he was a graduate assistant at Coastal Carolina University, where he served as a graduate assistant working with both the running backs and special teams. In just under a year, Chapman also assisted with evaluating recruit prospects, all while earning his Master’s of Education. Before Coastal Carolina, Chapman worked with the running backs and special teams at Northern Illinois University as a quality control coach. In this role, Chapman created the playbook, assisted with recruiting and official visits, and served as the academic advisor and coordinator for high academic risk running backs. Chapman played college football at Youngstown State University, where he earned his undergraduate degree, and at Northern Illinois University. Between both schools, Chapman won a MAC Championship and served as team captain and one of the football

FootballSkip AdRiley, CadenBaiz, JacobBertini, RJBucar, DaveCarney, Mark Chapman, BraxtonCorey, WoodyCribbs, JoshGant, AllenHailey, CarsonKesner, KarterLance, TylerPatterson, ClayRiley, CadenSnyder, KevinStadler, AlexTanski, BartTeerlinck, BillToth, ElizabethTrussell, KyleValeria, CherokeeVance, Isaac

FootballSkip AdHailey, CarsonBaiz, JacobBertini, RJBucar, DaveCarney, Mark Chapman, BraxtonCorey, WoodyCribbs, JoshGant, AllenHailey, CarsonKesner, KarterLance, TylerPatterson, ClayRiley, CadenSnyder, KevinStadler, AlexTanski, BartTeerlinck, BillToth, ElizabethTrussell, KyleValeria, CherokeeVance, Isaac

Veteran collegiate assistant Cherokee Valeria was hired as Kent State’s defensive backs coach in 2025 following a standout run at Sacramento State, where he served as defensive passing game coordinator from 2019 to 2024. Valeria made an immediate impact during his first season at Sacramento State, helping the Hornets lead the Big Sky in defensive pass efficiency and red zone defense. The team more than doubled its interceptions from the previous year, jumping from five in 2018 to 11 in 2019. His unit featured standout Daron Bland, a first-team all-conference cornerback who went on to play in the NFL, and safety Caelan Barnes, a second-team honoree. In 2021, Valeria’s group produced three all-Big Sky selections, led by first-team nickelback Marte Mapu. Mapu broke out with 65 tackles, 10 PBUs, four interceptions, and four TFLs. He would later become Sacramento State’s first-ever Big Sky Defensive MVP in 2022 and the highest NFL draft pick in school history, going in the third round to the New England Patriots. That 2022 season also saw Caleb Nelson earn second-team all-league honors, highlighted by a 98-yard pick-six in his debut. In 2023, Valeria coached first-team all-Big Sky safety Cameron Broussard and honorable mention cornerback Dillon Juniel. Safety Murvin Kenion III led the DBs with 51 tackles the following year and started all 12 games, pacing a secondary that produced eight interceptions. Before Sacramento State, Valeria spent seven seasons at Eastern Washington (2012

Updated March 2025 Clay Patterson joined Kent State in January 2024 as the Flashes’ new co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. In his first season with the Golden Flashes, they were one of the top big-play teams in the passing game, as they ranked 21st in the nation in passing yards per completion at 13.5 yards per completion. Quarterback Tommy Ulatowski ranked second in the nation, averaging 16.7 yards per completion. Carney’s offense also had one of the best receivers in the nation, Chrishon McCray, who ranked 20th in the nation with nine touchdowns and 30th in the nation, averaging 17.63 yards per reception. The Golden Flashes saw two receivers named an All-MAC Team this season: Chrishon McCray (2nd Team) and Luke Floriea (3rd Team). Patterson joined the Golden Flashes from South Florida, where he coached tight ends last season. He helped the Bulls finish 7-6, capped by a victory over Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl. Tight end Weston Wolff averaged nearly 10 yards per catch under his leadership and helped pave the way for a running attack that averaged over 180 yards per game in 2023. Before his season in Tampa, Patterson was the tight ends coach at Colorado in 2022 before being promoted to interim offensive and passing game coordinator for the second half of the season. He got his first FBS gig at Minnesota, coaching tight ends from 2018-21. The Gophers enjoyed great success during his tenure in Minneapolis, going 30-16 in his four seasons, including three bow

Elizabeth Toth was named the Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations for Kent State Football in July 2024. Originally from Euclid, Ohio, Toth has...

Isaac Vance returned to his alma mater in January 2026 to join Mark Carney’s staff as the wide receivers coach after spending the last two seasons at East Tennessee State University. In 2025, Vance coached All-SOCON Freshman Team member Jeremiah “Scar” Harrison, who led the Bucs in receiving yards. Vance mentored a wide receiver room that had two receivers over 600 yards and four total receivers with over 300 yards. In 2024, Vance served as ETSU's director of player personnel under Head Coach Tre Lamb. In 2023, Vance was an offensive graduate assistant at Gardner-Webb University, helping the Runnin’ Bulldogs capture the Big South/OVC Conference Championship and a 2023 FCS Playoff berth. Vance is a graduate of Kent State University, where he played wide receiver from 2017 to 2022. During his final year with the Golden Flashes, Vance was named a team captain before the 2022 season. Throughout his career, he battled multiple season-ending injuries. Still, during a healthy 2020 campaign, Vance was a key contributor for the #1 ranked FBS offense, which averaged 612 yards per game and 49.8 points. Before his playing days at Kent State, Vance was a two-time all-state first team selection as both a running back and defensive back at Mayfield High School in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Vance is the son of Zane and Debbie Vance. His father, Zane, is a long-time college football coach, now on staff at The Citadel. His Grandfather, Bill Burbach, played major league baseball for the New York Y

FootballSkip AdBaiz, JacobBaiz, JacobBertini, RJBucar, DaveCarney, Mark Chapman, BraxtonCorey, WoodyCribbs, JoshGant, AllenHailey, CarsonKesner, KarterLance, TylerPatterson, ClayRiley, CadenSnyder, KevinStadler, AlexTanski, BartTeerlinck, BillToth, ElizabethTrussell, KyleValeria, CherokeeVance, Isaac

Karter Kesner serves as the Director of Football Operations for Kent State Football, playing a key role in the strategic planning and day-to-day execution of...

Kevin Snyder joined the Kent State football coaching staff in spring 2025 as the linebackers coach, bringing a strong foundation of experience developed acro...

FootballSkip AdTrussell, KyleBaiz, JacobBertini, RJBucar, DaveCarney, Mark Chapman, BraxtonCorey, WoodyCribbs, JoshGant, AllenHailey, CarsonKesner, KarterLance, TylerPatterson, ClayRiley, CadenSnyder, KevinStadler, AlexTanski, BartTeerlinck, BillToth, ElizabethTrussell, KyleValeria, CherokeeVance, Isaac

FootballSkip AdBertini, RJBaiz, JacobBertini, RJBucar, DaveCarney, Mark Chapman, BraxtonCorey, WoodyCribbs, JoshGant, AllenHailey, CarsonKesner, KarterLance, TylerPatterson, ClayRiley, CadenSnyder, KevinStadler, AlexTanski, BartTeerlinck, BillToth, ElizabethTrussell, KyleValeria, CherokeeVance, Isaac

FootballSkip AdLance, TylerBaiz, JacobBertini, RJBucar, DaveCarney, Mark Chapman, BraxtonCorey, WoodyCribbs, JoshGant, AllenHailey, CarsonKesner, KarterLance, TylerPatterson, ClayRiley, CadenSnyder, KevinStadler, AlexTanski, BartTeerlinck, BillToth, ElizabethTrussell, KyleValeria, CherokeeVance, Isaac

FootballSkip AdCorey, WoodyBaiz, JacobBertini, RJBucar, DaveCarney, Mark Chapman, BraxtonCorey, WoodyCribbs, JoshGant, AllenHailey, CarsonKesner, KarterLance, TylerPatterson, ClayRiley, CadenSnyder, KevinStadler, AlexTanski, BartTeerlinck, BillToth, ElizabethTrussell, KyleValeria, CherokeeVance, Isaac