Larry Kerr
Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator

Larry Kerr enters his 12th year at Colorado State, his second campaign in his second stint at the school, and his 35th overall season in the coaching profession. The first phone call Steve Fairchild made upon accepting the Rams' offer to become their next head coach, Kerr and Fairchild officially returned to Colorado State on the same day, Dec. 12, 2007.

At a Glance...

Get to Know Coach Kerr

  • Rejoined the Colorado State coaching staff on Dec. 12, 2007; he was the first coach hired by Steve Fairchild.
  • Enters his 35th overall season in coaching, his 18th as a college defensive coordinator.
  • Saw 12 defensive players selected in the NFL Draft during his first tenure at CSU (1993-2002).
  • A two-year starting linebacker at San Jose State, played on a defense that sent eight of 11 starters to the NFL, including Denver Broncos Ring of Famer Louie Wright.
  • A former standout high school athlete in Northern California, was inducted into the Marin County Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.
  • Each of his two daughters, Kelly and Lindsey, played volleyball for the Rams earlier this decade.

Prominent Players Coached

  • Jeff Horinek: Draddy Trophy finalist (2008) and freshman All-American Mychal Sisson (2008).
  • Twelve NFL Draft choices: Sean Moran (Buffalo, fourth round, 120th overall), Raymond Jackson (Buffalo 5/156), Greg Myers (Cincinnati, 5/144) and Brady Smith (New Orleans 3/70) in 1994; Joey Porter (Pittsburgh 3/73) and Jason Craft (Jacksonville 5/160) in 1999; Clark Haggans (Pittsburgh 5/137) and Erik Olson (Jacksonville 7/236) in 2000; John Howell (Tampa Bay 4/117) and Rick Crowell (Miami 6/188) in 2001; and Dexter Wynn (Philadelphia 6/192) and Andre Sommersell (Oakland, 7/255) in 2003.
  • Smith (1995) and Crowell (2000) were conference Players of the Year.
  • Myers, a two-time All-American, won the 1995 Jim Thorpe Award.
  • Spencer Havner, a UCLA linebacker who was a semifinalist for the Butkus, Rotary Lombardi and Bednarik awards.
  • Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year Dave Ball, and first-team all-conference performer Brandon Chillar.
  • Stanford LB Dave Wyman, who enjoyed a nine-year NFL career after Seattle selected him in the second round of the 1987 draft.

Coaching background

Seasons Team/School Title/Position Coached
1975 Saratoga (Calif.) HS Def. Coordinator/LBs/OL
1976-77 San Jose (Calif.) HS Assistant
1978 Pioneer (Calif.) HS Head Coach
1979 Saint Mary's College Inside Linebackers
1980-83 San Jose State Inside Linebackers
1984-88 Stanford Inside Linebackers/Sp. Teams
1989 UCLA Inside Linebackers/Sp. Teams
1990-92 Northern Arizona Asst. Head Coach/Def. Coordinator
1993-2002 Colorado State Defensive Coordinator/LBs
2003-05 UCLA Defensive Coordinator/LBs
2006 Duke Special Teams/LBs
2007 Duke Strong-Side LBs/Rush Ends
2008- Colorado State Asst. Head Coach/Def. Coordinator

Postseason Experience

Season Appearance Opponent
1981 California Bowl
(assistant coach with San Jose State)		 Toledo
1986 Gator Bowl
(assistant coach with Stanford)		 Clemson
1994 Holiday Bowl
(assistant coach with Colorado State)		 Michigan
1995 Holiday Bowl
(assistant coach with Colorado State)		 Kansas State
1997 Holiday Bowl
(assistant coach with Colorado State)		 Missouri
1999 Liberty Bowl
(assistant coach with Colorado State)		 Southern Mississippi
2000 Liberty Bowl
(assistant coach with Colorado State)		 Louisville
2001 New Orleans Bowl
(assistant coach with Colorado State)		 North Texas
2002 Liberty Bowl
(assistant coach with Colorado State)		 TCU
2003 Silicon Valley Bowl
(assistant coach with UCLA)		 Fresno State
2004 Las Vegas Bowl
(assistant coach with UCLA)		 Wyoming
2005 Sun Bowl
(assistant coach with UCLA)		 Norhtwestern
2008 New Mexico Bowl
(assistant coach with Colorado State)		 Fresno State