Ted Kessinger

Ted Kessinger (born January 15, 1941) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas from 1976 to 2003, compiling a record of 219–57–1 for a winning percentage of .792. He is among the college football coaches with the most wins and the highest winning percentage.

Ted Kessinger
Biographical details
Born (1941-01-15) January 15, 1941
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Playing career
Football
c. 1962Augustana (SD)
Position(s)Center, linebacker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1964–1968Augustana (IL) (line)
1969–1976Augustana (SD) (assistant)
1976–2003Bethany (KS)
Wrestling
1964–1969Augustana (IL)
Head coaching record
Overall219–57–1 (football)
39–5–3 (wrestling)
TournamentsFootball
3–9 (NAIA D-II playoffs)
0–1 (NAIA playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
16 KCAC (1977–1981, 1986–1988, 1990–1991, 1993–1996, 1999, 2001)

Wrestling
5 CCIW (1965–1969)
Awards
11× KCAC Coach of the Year
NAIA Hall of Fame (2003)
Kansas Sports Hall of Fame (2005)
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2010 (profile)

Kessinger was the head coach of the first American football team to play in Sweden,[1] and he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.[2] His son is Kent Kessinger, the head coach at Ottawa University.

Coaching career

Assistant coaching

Before becoming a head coach, Kessinger worked as an assistant coach at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and the South Dakota Coyotes in Vermillion.[3]

Bethany

Kessinger was head coach at Bethany College Swedes in Lindsborg, Kansas from 1976 until 2003, where he posted a record of 219 wins, 57 losses, and one tie. While at Bethany, he took his team to the NAIA playoffs ten times and achieved a top 25 ranking 20 times. His teams never posted a losing season during his entire coaching tenure.[4]

In 2000, his team won the American Family Charity Bowl, defeating the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes by a score of 20-3.[5]

Kessinger was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2003 as well as the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.[6]

Head coaching record

Football
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs NAIA#
Bethany Terrible Swedes (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference) (1976–2003)
1976 Bethany 6–45–3T–3rd
1977 Bethany 9–18–01st
1978 Bethany 10–18–01stL NAIA Division II Quarterfinal
1979 Bethany 11–18–01stL NAIA Division II Semifinal
1980 Bethany 9–17–11st
1981 Bethany 9–18–01st
1982 Bethany 5–55–4T–4th
1983 Bethany 8–27–22nd
1984 Bethany 6–4
1985 Bethany 7–27–2T–2nd
1986 Bethany 8–18–11st
1987 Bethany 8–28–11stL NAIA Division II First Round
1988 Bethany 10–19–01stL NAIA Division II Quarterfinal
1989 Bethany 8–18–12nd
1990 Bethany 8–28–11stL NAIA Division II First Round
1991 Bethany 8–28–11stL NAIA Division II First Round
1992 Bethany 7–1–17–12nd
1993 Bethany 9–28–01stL NAIA Division II First Round
1994 Bethany 7–37–1T–1st
1995 Bethany 10–18–01stL NAIA Division II Quarterfinal
1996 Bethany 8–28–01stL NAIA Division II First Round
1997 Bethany 7–26–23rd
1998 Bethany 6–35–33rd
1999 Bethany 8–27–1T–1stL NAIA First Round13
2000 Bethany 7–36–3T–3rdW American Family Charity Bowl
2001 Bethany 8–18–1T–1st19
2002 Bethany 6–36–32nd
2003 Bethany 5–45–4T–3rd
Bethany: 219–57–1
Total:219–57–1
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth
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See also

References
  1. The Victoria Advocate "Sweden's First Shot at Football a Success Despite 72-7 Defeat" by Stephaan Nastrom, Jun 20, 1985
  2. "College Football". ESPN. May 11, 2010.
  3. Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Kent Kessinger
  4. Topeka Capital-Journal "Ted Kessinger retires with 219-57-1 record" February 12, 2004
  5. College Football Data Warehouse Archived October 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Kansas Wesleyan Bowl History
  6. Ted Kessinger at the College Football Hall of Fame
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