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- Title:
- Defensive Line Coach
Bio
Ted Karras enters his first season on the USF staff as defensive line coach. Karras brings over 30 years of coaching experience in Indiana and the Midwest to his role. The Gary Indiana native prepped at both Andrean and Hobart High school as a 2-sport athlete garnering first team All-State honors as a defensive lineman for the Brickies. He was a North All Star and All Area point guard. Karras was a 4-year starter and letterman at Northwestern University on the defensive line earning All-Big Ten honorable mention honors. He played one year in the NFL and earned a Super Bowl XXII ring with the then Washington Redskins. Karras was recently inducted into both the Andrean and Hobart High School Halls of Fame.
Karras began his coaching career as a graduate assistant defensive line coach at both University of Minnesota and Northern Illinois. From there he served 2-year stints as an assistant coach at both Lake Forest College and University of Saint Francis, Il. His first head coaching opportunity came at Andrean High School where he led the 59ers to their first ever state finals appearance, never losing in sectionals and garnered Region 1 Coach of the Year honors. He compiled a 30-10 record in his three seasons. The college ranks came calling and Karras spent four years at Saint Xavier University in a variety of coaching roles helping to reverse the fortunes of the program and earning their first ever NAIA playoff appearance.
That success led to his hiring as head coach at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute Indiana where in his first year was recognized by D3FOOTBALL.COM as the Rookie Performance of the Year. From there he was hired to start the then Marian College football program and built it quickly winning the 57th NAIA National Championship in 2012 just 6 years after starting the program from scratch. He was named AFCA Region 2, Mid-States Football Association and American Football Monthly Coach of the Year. He then was hired at Walsh University in Canton Ohio to transition their program from the NAIA to NCAA Division II and the GLIAC setting numerous school records on both sides of the football.
Karras comes from an Indiana football family. Seven members have played in the Big Ten and five in the NFL. His uncle Alex Karras was recently inducted posthumously into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His dad Ted Sr played 9 years in the NFL and was a member of the 1963 World Champion Chicago Bears. His Son Teddy is currently entering his 7th season in the NFL and has 2 Super Bowl rings with 2016 and 2019 New England Patriots. This spring he signed on to be the starting center for the Cincinnati Bengals. Ted is married to his wife Jennifer and they also have a daughter Taylor.