Ted Karras returns to Marian to lead football program
Marian University announced Ted Karras Jr. as its new football coach Thursday. He returns to the Knights after serving as the first football coach in the school’s history from 2006-2012. He was the head coach at Walsh University from 2013-2016 where we went 10-33.
He led Marian to an NAIA national championship in 2012.
"I am very excited to have coach (Ted) Karras back at Marian University," Marian Director of Athletics Steve Downing said in a news release. "I know the type of energy he is going to bring from having worked with him during my first two years at Marian in 2011 and 2012, and I think our kids are going to love playing for him. He is a Marian guy who started our football program, and I look forward to watching him take our program to a higher level."
Karras has a storied football history. He was an all-state and all-conference lineman at Hobart High School before spending four years as a team captain at Northwestern. He signed with the Washington Commanders in 1987, playing in one game.
Prior to joining Marian as the program’s first coach, he was the head coach at Rose-Hulman from 2003-2005.
Karras’ son, Ted, is the starting center for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Karras succeeds Mark Henninger, who won a national title with the Knights in 2015 and led the team to two runner-up finishes. He was promoted to assistant athletic director in early December. He was 92-23 from 2013-2022.
"I am really excited and honored for the opportunity to be back on the west side to lead the Marian Knights," Karras said in a news release. "The opportunity to join the excitement of the Marian campus and to lead the Knights into this new era of college athletics is great, and I thank both Steve Downing and President (Daniel) Elsener for the chance to lead this program.
"I look forward to embracing and getting to know all of the returning players in the coming days, and am ready to get to work with them."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Ted Karras returns to Marian to lead football program
