View source for Ken Karcher

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1963)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name          = Ken Karcher
| current_team  = Albertville HS (AL)
| number        = <!-- 12 -->
| position      = <!-- [[Quarterback]] --> [[Offensive coordinator]]
| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1963|7|1}}
| birth_place   = [[Pittsburgh|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| height_ft     = 6
| height_in     = 3
| weight_lb     = 265
| high_school   = [[Shaler Area High School|Shaler Area]]<br>([[Shaler Township, Pennsylvania]])
| college       = [[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]]
| undraftedyear = 1986
| pastteams     = 
* [[Denver Broncos]] ({{NFL Year|1986}})*
* [[New Orleans Saints]] (1987)*
* Denver Broncos ({{NFL Year|1987|1988}})
* [[Kansas City Chiefs]] ({{NFL Year|1990}})*<ref>{{cite web |title=Ken Karcher |url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/transactions/k/karc00600.html |website=Pro Football Archives |access-date=30 June 2024}}</ref>
| pastcoaching  = 
* [[Idaho State Bengals football|Idaho State]] (1989)<br/>Quarterbacks coach
* [[North Texas Mean Green football|North Texas]] (1991)<br />Quarterbacks coach & wide receivers coach
* [[Orlando Thunder]] (1992)<br />Passing game coordinator & quarterbacks coach
* [[Pittsburgh Panthers football|Pittsburgh]] (1993–1996)<br />Offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach
* [[Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)|Rhein Fire]] (1997–1999)<br />Co-offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach
* [[Liberty Flames football|Liberty]] (2000–2005)<br />Head coach
* [[Fellowship Christian School|Fellowship Christian HS (GA)]] (2006–2007)<br />Offensive coordinator
* [[Toledo Rockets football|Toledo]] (2008)<br />Quarterbacks coach
* [[Eastern Michigan Eagles football|Eastern Michigan]] (2009–2012)<br />Offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach
* [[East Central Warriors football|East Central (MS)]] (2013–2022)<br />Head coach
* [[Albertville High School|Albertville HS (AL)]] (2023–present)<br/>Offensive coordinator
| statlabel1    = Passing yards 
| statvalue1    = 756
| statlabel2    = [[Touchdown|TD]]-[[Interception|INT]]
| statvalue2    = 6-4
| statlabel3    = [[Passer rating]]
| statvalue3    = 78.0
| pfr           = KarcKe00
}}

'''Kenneth Paul Karcher''' (born July 1, 1963) is an American [[high school football]] coach and former [[quarterback]]. He is the [[offensive coordinator]] for [[Albertville High School]], a position he has held since 2023. He was the head football coach for [[Liberty University]] from 2000 to 2005 and [[East Central Community College]] from 2013 to 2022. He played [[college football]] for [[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]] and professionally for the [[Denver Broncos]], [[New Orleans Saints]], and [[Kansas City Chiefs]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL). He also coached for [[Idaho State Bengals football|Idaho State]], [[North Texas Mean Green football|North Texas]], the [[Orlando Thunder]] of the [[NFL Europe]], [[Pittsburgh Panthers football|Pittsburgh]], the [[Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)|Rhein Fire]] of the NFL Europe, [[Fellowship Christian School]], [[Toledo Rockets football|Toledo]], and [[Eastern Michigan Eagles football|Eastern Michigan]].

==Early life and playing career==
Out of [[Shaler Area High School]], in Pennsylvania, Karcher was a highly recruited quarterback and eventually went to the University of Notre Dame. While there, he was a third-string quarterback 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]]. Karcher continued to play for the Broncos for one additional season, in 1988.

==Coaching career==
Karcher began his coaching career in 1991 as an assistant coach at the [[University of North Texas]], where he coached the [[North Texas Mean Green football|Mean Green]] quarterbacks and receivers. The next year, he was hired by head coach [[Galen Hall]] as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the [[Orlando Thunder]] of the [[World League of American Football]]. Following the suspension of the World League, Karcher returned to the college ranks as an assistant on [[Johnny Majors]]' coaching staff at the [[University of Pittsburgh]]. During his first season, he served as the [[Pittsburgh Panthers football|Panthers]]' pass offense coordinator and quarterbacks coach, sharing coordinator duties with run offense coordinator [[Charles Coe (American football)|Charles Coe]]. In March 1994, Majors put Karcher in sole charge of the offense, promoting him to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He held that position for the next three years, until Majors resignation at the end of the 1996 season.

In 1997, Karcher rejoined Galen Hall in the revamped World League, this time as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the [[Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)|Rhein Fire]], based in [[Düsseldorf]], Germany. He helped lead the Fire to the [[1997 Rhein Fire season|first winning season]] in the team's three-year history. Rhein finished in first place with a record of 7–3, but lost to the [[Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe)|Barcelona Dragons]] in [[World Bowl '97]]. Under his tutelage, quarterback [[T. J. Rubley]] earned all-World League honors and was named the league's offensive most valuable player.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/21/sports/rubley-and-simmons-honored.html |title=Rubley and Simmons Honored |date=June 21, 1997 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 1, 2012}}</ref> Karcher's offense led the league in rushing yards (1,555) and ranked second in total offense (3,253). The offensive line set a league record by holding their opponents to only one sack the entire regular season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/20/sports/20iht-bowl.t.html |title=Rhein Faces Reawakened Dragons in World Bowl |last=Carlson |first=Mike |date=June 20, 1997 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 1, 2012}}</ref>

Karcher was named the sixth head football coach at [[Liberty University]] on February 18, 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yukNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KnADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6777,395874 |title=Liberty: Mutual challenge for Karcher, Rocco |last=Emert |first=Rich |date=March 1, 2000 |publisher=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |access-date=January 1, 2012}}</ref>

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 of 2020, Karcher's winning percentage of .313 remains the worst win–loss percentage in [[Liberty Flames football|the program's history]].

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 Christian School.

In 2008, Karcher accepted a position as the quarterbacks coach with the [[University of Toledo]]. He helped the [[Toledo Rockets football|Rockets]] in an upset win over the [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan Wolverines]], although the squad finished 3–8.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/team/schedule/_/id/2649/year/2008/toledo-rockets |title=Toledo 2008 Schedule |work=[[ESPN.com]] |access-date=January 1, 2012}}</ref>

In January 2009, head coach [[Ron English (American football)|Ron English]] hired Karcher as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at [[Eastern Michigan University]]. The [[Eastern Michigan Eagles football|Eagles]] finished that year with a 0–12 record,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/team/schedule/_/id/2199/year/2009/eastern-michigan-eagles |title=Eastern Michigan 2009 Schedule |work=[[ESPN.com]] |access-date=January 1, 2012}}</ref> and Karcher's offense ranked 116th out of 120 teams in total yards (3,340).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/stats/team?season=2009 |title=2009 NCAA Division I-A College Football Team Statistics Leardes for Total |work=[[ESPN.com]] |access-date=January 1, 2012}}</ref>  Since then, EMU has improved, posting a 2–10 record the following year<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.emueagles.com/schedule.aspx?path=football&schedule=101|title = 2010 Football Schedule}}</ref> and a 6–6 record in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.emueagles.com/schedule.aspx?path=football&schedule=122|title = 2011 Football Schedule}}</ref> EMU regressed in 2012 and finished the year 2–10.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/2199/eastern-michigan-eagles|title = Eastern Michigan Eagles College Football - Eastern Michigan News, Scores, Stats, Rumors & More - ESPN}}</ref> After the season, in which the Eagles finished near the bottom of the conference offensive statistics, Karcher left the program.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.annarbor.com/sports/eastern-michigan-offensive-coordinator-ken-karcher-no-longer-with-program/|title=Eastern Michigan offensive coordinator Ken Karcher no longer with program}}</ref>

From 2013 to 2022, Karcher served as the head football coach for [[East Central Community College]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eccc.edu/eccc-head-football-coach-ken-karcher-announces-retirement|title=Ken Karcher Announces Retirement|website=[[East Central Community College]]|date=October 12, 2022|access-date=September 15, 2023}}</ref> He led the team to an overall record of 32–57.

In 2023, Karcher came out of retirement to be the offensive coordinator for [[Albertville High School]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Shannon J. |date=April 19, 2024 |title=Browne chooses Martin as Aggies' new defensive coordinator |url=https://www.sandmountainreporter.com/sports/high_schools/article_3d195be4-fe9d-11ee-81f1-9b409b613a28.html |access-date=August 11, 2024 |website=sandmountainreporter.com }}</ref>

==Personal life==
Karcher is married to the former Pauline Termini and they have four children, daughters Kelly and Katie, and sons Austin and Clay.

==Head coaching record==
===College===
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Liberty Flames football|Liberty Flames]]
 | conf      = [[NCAA Division I FCS independent schools|NCAA Division I-AA independent]]
 | startyear = 2000
 | endyear   = 2001
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season|2000]]
 | name         = [[2000 Liberty Flames football team|Liberty]]
 | overall      = 3–8
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season|2001]]
 | name         = [[2001 Liberty Flames football team|Liberty]]
 | overall      = 3–8
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Liberty Flames football|Liberty Flames]]
 | conf      = [[Big South Conference]]
 | startyear = 2002
 | endyear   = 2005
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season|2002]]
 | name         = [[2002 Liberty Flames football team|Liberty]]
 | overall      = 2–9
 | conference   = 1–2
 | confstanding = 3rd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2003 NCAA Division I-AA football season|2003]]
 | name         = [[2003 Liberty Flames football team|Liberty]]
 | overall      = 6–6
 | conference   = 2–1
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2004 NCAA Division I-AA football season|2004]]
 | name         = [[2004 Liberty Flames football team|Liberty]]
 | overall      = 6–5
 | conference   = 3–1
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2005 NCAA Division I-AA football season|2005]]
 | name         = [[2005 Liberty Flames football team|Liberty]]
 | overall      = 1–10
 | conference   = 0–4
 | confstanding = 5th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Liberty
 | overall    = 21–46
 | confrecord = 6–8
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 21–46
 | bowls    = no
 | poll     = no
 | polltype = 
 | legend   = no
}}

===Junior college===
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = NJCAA }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[East Central Warriors football|East Central Warriors]]
 | conf      = [[Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference|Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges]]
 | startyear = 2013
 | endyear   = 2022
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2013 junior college football season|2013]]
 | name         = East Central
 | overall      = 1–8
 | conference   = 0–5
 | confstanding = <small>(South)</small>
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2014 junior college football season|2014]]
 | name         = East Central
 | overall      = 3–6
 | conference   = 2–4
 | confstanding = <small>(South)</small>
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2015 junior college football season|2015]]
 | name         = East Central
 | overall      = 8–3
 | conference   = 4–2
 | confstanding = T–2nd <small>(South)</small>
 | bowlname     = [[Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference|MACJC]] Semifinal, '''W''' [[C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl|C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas]]
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 10
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = division
 | year         = [[2016 junior college football season|2016]]
 | name         = East Central
 | overall      = 5–5
 | conference   = 5–1
 | confstanding = 1st <small>(South)</small>
 | bowlname     = [[Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference|MACJC]] Semifinal
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2017 junior college football season|2017]]
 | name         = East Central
 | overall      = 1–8
 | conference   = 0–6
 | confstanding = 7th <small>(South)</small>
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2018 junior college football season|2018]]
 | name         = East Central
 | overall      = 4–5
 | conference   = 3–3
 | confstanding = 4th <small>(South)</small>
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2019 junior college football season|2019]]
 | name         = East Central
 | overall      = 4–5
 | conference   = 2–4
 | confstanding = 5th <small>(South)</small>
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2020–21 junior college football season|2020–21]]
 | name         = East Central
 | overall      = 2–3
 | conference   = 2–3
 | confstanding = 5th <small>(South)</small>
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2021 junior college football season|2021]]
 | name         = East Central
 | overall      = 3–6
 | conference   = 2–4
 | confstanding = 5th <small>(South)</small>
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2022 junior college football season|2022]]
 | name         = East Central
 | overall      = 1–8
 | conference   = 0–6
 | confstanding = 7th <small>(South)</small>
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = East Central
 | overall    = 32–57
 | confrecord = 20–38
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 32–57
 | bowls    = no
 | poll     = no
 | polltype = 
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://ecccathletics.com/sports/fball/coaches/Ken_Karcher?view=bio East Central Community College profile]
* [http://www.emueagles.com/coaches.aspx?rc=454&path=football Eastern Michigan profile]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Karcher, Ken}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:Denver Broncos players]]
[[Category:NFL replacement players]]
[[Category:East Central Warriors football coaches]]
[[Category:Eastern Michigan Eagles football coaches]]
[[Category:Idaho State Bengals football coaches]]
[[Category:Liberty Flames football coaches]]
[[Category:North Texas Mean Green football coaches]]
[[Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players]]
[[Category:Rhein Fire coaches]]
[[Category:Toledo Rockets football coaches]]
[[Category:Tulane Green Wave football players]]
[[Category:High school football coaches in Alabama]]
[[Category:High school football coaches in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania]]