Dartt named football coach at Mount Union

ALLIANCE — Geoff Dartt has some big shoes to fill.The Port Clinton graduate was named head football coach at the University of Mount Union, replacing Vince Kehres at the Division III national power.Dartt will be the 24th coach in school history and fourth since 1962."I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel some pressure," Dartt said in a cleveland.com article. "But I want to be at a place that has high expectations for its players and coaches."The 38-year-old played offensive line for the Purple Raiders and coached seven seasons at Mount Union, five as offensive coordinator."I think offensive line coaches often make good head coaches," Mount Union athletic director Larry Kehres told cleveland.com. "Geoff was coached here by (Iowa State head football coach) Matt Campbell. He's learned a lot over the years."Larry Kehres went 332-24-3 with 11 national championships in his 27 years as head coach of the Purple Raiders. He moved up to athletic director when his son, Vince, took over the program in 2013.The younger Kehres, who left Mount Union to become an assistant football coach at the University of Toledo earlier this month, went 95-5 in six years at the helm with a pair of national titles.The Purple Raiders led the nation in nine different statistical categories including leading the nation in scoring three times – most recently this past season — under Dartt.Dartt was a three-year letterwinner as an offensive lineman at Mount Union. He was part of three national championship teams (2002, 2005, 2006) and was an All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection in 2007.He graduated in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education.From 2008-12, Dartt was an assistant football coach at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill., working with offensive tackles and tight ends for two years and serving as offensive line coach for two more. He also coordinated the team video operations while also being the junior varsity offensive coordinator and assistant strength coach.Dartt came back to Mount Union in 2012 as offensive line coach on that national championship squad then became offensive coordinator from 2013-16 and led an offense that won four conference titles and the 2015 national championship.In 2017, he was the offensive line coach at Western Kentucky University but returned to Mount Union in 2018 as an assistant coach and was named Ohio Athletic Conference Assistant Coach of the Year.In 2019, he became offensive coordinator again and the Raiders led the nation in scoring, total offense, completion percentage and passer rating.He and his wife, Jan along with their daughter, reside in Alliance.