Former UT assistant Hedden named St. Francis football coach

Chris Hedden. Enlarge

Former University of Toledo assistant Chris Hedden was announced Friday as the next football coach at St. Francis de Sales, succeeding Mike Blochowski, who resigned after two seasons with a 7-13 record.

“It is an honor and privilege,” Hedden said Friday. “The support system that is in place has made this opportunity extremely intriguing. I am looking forward to embracing the traditions of Knight football and working with the student-athletes on a daily basis.”

Hedden, who played at Tiffin Columbian High School and Ashland University, has 13 years of coaching experience. He served at UT from 2001-08, including posts as a position coach and later as offensive coordinator. He came to the Rockets’ staff after working at Northern Iowa, and most recently worked on the staff at Akron in 2009.

“Coach Hedden brings a wealth of offensive football knowledge that we know will be put to good use with our Knights,” said Dick Cromwell, St. Francis co-athletic director and the former longtime Knights football coach. “He is a well-organized individual with great passion for football and educating young men. We are excited about the future of the football Knights.”

Hedden has a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education, and he and wife Jennifer have a two-year-old daughter.

“The key is building solid relationships by showing them you care and being there to help them in all aspects of their lives,” Hedden said. “Once this is achieved between student-athlete and coach, the football is the easy part.”

Blochowski, a longtime assistant under Cromwell, had the unenviable task of succeeding the highly-successful coach in 2010.

His first team went 4-6 overall (2-4 City League) in 2010, and last season St. Francis finished 3-7 overall and tied with Clay and Fremont Ross for fifth place in the new eight-team Three Rivers Athletic Conference at 2-5 in conference play.

Cromwell was 208-85-1 in 26 total seasons (1979-1984 and 1990-2009) at St. Francis, a run that included a Division I state championship in 1984, a D-II state title in 2001, and a D-II state runner-up finish in 1982.