Rick Gehres

Entering 2020-21: 14th Year
Position: Offensive Coordinator
Alma Mater: Campbellsville University ('04)
Office Phone: (270) 789-5347
E-mail: rcgehres@campbellsville.edu
Updated: December 2019

Rick Gehres is entering his 14th season a part of the Tiger Football staff. He was promoted the program's offensive coordinator in May 2012.

In 2019, Gehres put together an offense that saw Kendon Young achieve 1st team All Mid-South Conference. Kendon on the season racked up 951 yards and hauled in seven touchdowns. 

Gehres called an offense that led to wide receiver Kendon Young earning NAIA All-American Honorable mention as an All-Purpose player. Young, also an All-MSC Bluegrass Division First Team selection, totaled 1,136 total yards on offense with 886 receiving yards and 250 rushing yards. 

Offensively in 2018, the Tigers averaged more yards per game, 351.4, than their opponents over the 10-game season working with three inexperienced quarterbacks. 

The 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons saw the most success compared to previous years in the Tigers' offense.

During the 2017 season, Gehres orchestrated the best passing attack in the NAIA that averaged 382.9 yards per game, while coaching the top passer in the nation in Hunter Brown who led the NAIA with 370.5 passing yards per game -- en route to being named the NCCAA Player of the Year. Brown concluded his career leading numerous passing yards in his two seasons as the starting quarterback for the Tigers, where both season came under Gehres guiding the offense.

In 2016, quarterback Brown and wide receiver Tyus Alcorn led the Tigers. Brown had a remarkable season for the Tigers breaking or tying eight program records – passing yards in a game (617 vs. Faulkner), passing yards in a season (3,734), touchdown passes (7 vs. Bethel), passing yards per game in a season (377.6), most completions in a game (38 vs. Lindsey Wilson), most completions in a season (292), most attempts in a game (67 vs. Bethel) and most attempts in a season (489). Brown was also one touchdown pass short of tying Jacob Russell's record of 42 career touchdowns.
 
Brown ranked No. 1 in the NAIA in passing yards per game (377.6) and No. 3 in total passing yards (3,776).

In addition, Brown was one of two Tigers to earn First-Team All-NCCAA honors. Senior receiver Tyus Alcorn also had a phenomenal season by leading the Tigers for the second-straight year.

Alcorn, a senior from Lexington, Ky., finished the season with 1,095 receiving yards and 109.5 receiving yards per game, which led the Mid-South Conference in both categories. He now joins Shane Riley, Trevon Chatman and Jarrod Harrington as the only 1,000-yard receivers in program history.
 
Alcorn also led the Mid-South with 6.6 receptions per game this season. At the NAIA level, Alcorn ranked fifth in receiving yards, sixth in receiving yards per game and receptions per game.
 
Highlighting his senior season, Alcorn hauled in 235 yards vs. Union College to break the single-game record, which was previously set by Shane Riley with 172 (2002).
 
Over the previous three seasons, Alcorn totaled 36 receiving touchdowns – breaking the career record which was previously set by Demytreus Gipson (2011-2014) with 29. He also holds the single-season mark of 19 touchdowns set in 2015.

Alcorn was also named the MSC West Division Co-Offensive Player of the Year earlier in November.

In 2015, CU finished in the Top 30 in 16 different statistical categories. Led by NAIA All-American, MSC West Offensive Player of the Year and NCCAA Player of the Year Jacob Russell, the Tigers averaged 27.3 first downs per game (#2), 350 passing yards per game (#3) and 509 total yards per game (#3). 

Russell is the first Fighting Tiger to be named MSC Offensive Player of the Year and second overall, as former linebackers coach Dwight Houston picked up Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2011. Russell was the first NAIA All-American for Campbellsville since 2010, when Calvin Bini was named a First Team defensive back. Overall, he is the eighth NAIA All-American in program history.

In 2014, Campbellsville finished in the Top 25 in several NAIA offensive categories - third in passing yards per game (315 Yards), sixth in total pass offense (3475 Yards), eighth in pass efficiency (144.7), 18th in total offensive yards per game (418 Yards), 20th in average first downs per game (22), 25th in total scoring (340).

While starting his collegiate career at Western Kentucky University as a quarterback, he transferred to Campbellsville as a wide receiver in the fall of 2001. A 2004 graduate, Gehres is among the leaders in several receiving categories. The Hopkinsville, KY native was a two-time First Team All-MSC selection and was named an Honorable Mention NAIA All-American in 2002.  He was a pre-season NAIA All-American in 2003.

During his time at Campbellsville, the Tigers went 31-14 overall including a season at 10-3 with the first NAIA Playoff victory in school history advancing them to the second round of the NAIA Playoffs. In 2003, he helped lead the Tigers to a 9-2 finish which ties for the best regular season record at CU. He finished his career at 153 Receptions for 2,202 Yards and 15 Touchdowns.

Before returning to Campbellsville as a position coach in 2006, Gehres coached wide receivers at Hopkinsville High School where they finished 10-3 in 2005.

After graduating from CU, Gehres played overseas in the German Football League (GFL) the spring of 2005, where they finished 12-2 on the year, amassing 73 receptions for 1,246 yards and 15 touchdowns. In 2006, Gehres spent time in Arena Football playing both sides of the ball while starting on defense for the Odessa (TX) Roughnecks (IFL).