Ron Kerr is in his tenth season as an assistant coach with the Shippensburg University football team in 2024.
Kerr is in his third term of service as an SU coach, having returned to the Raiders for the 2022 spring season. He serves as the team’s defensive line coach.
In 2023, Kerr's defensive line, which included All-PSAC First Team selection Jacoby Sherard, played a large role in the PSAC's No. 1 defense in terms of yardage allowed.
He navigated the Raider D-line through an injury-plagued 2022 season and helped with the emergence of several young players, most notably Jeremiah Carothers and Riley Good.
In his previous stints at Shippensburg, Kerr coached the defensive line in 2017 and the offensive line from 2011-15. He also coached the tight ends in 2014 and 2015.
Kerr returned to the Raiders after spending three seasons as an assistant coach at Millersville. With the Marauders, Kerr coached the running backs in 2019 and 2020 after coaching the tight ends in 2018.
In 2016, Kerr served as the offensive line coach under Darwin Breaux at Dickinson College.
From 2011-15, Kerr partnered with assistant coach Pete Lee to instruct an offensive line tasked with protecting the signal caller of a spread offense. From 2012-13, SU had 1,151 drop backs but yielded just 52 sacks – one per every 22 passes attempted.
SU’s offensive line allowed just 12 sacks over the course of 496 drop backs through 11 regular season games in 2012, while SU led Division II in total offense (529.92) and ranked second in passing offense (387.69) and scoring offense (46.85).
In his first season (2011), Kerr helped coach an offensive line that was the backbone of an offense that finished the regular season second in the PSAC in scoring (37.4 points per game) and total offense (464 yards per game). Lineman Chris Restino earned a spot on the All-PSAC Second Team Offense and was SU’s only offensive player to earn all-conference laurels.
Kerr, a member of the Minor League Football News Hall of Fame, was the long-time owner and head coach of the Central Penn Piranha – an organization dubbed as “the winningest team in minor league history.”
He served as the Piranha owner for eight years (2006-13) and its head coach for seven years (2007-13), compiling a record of 92-5 along the way
Over the course of 15 years, the Piranha won more than 200 games, eight league titles and three national titles. Central Penn was consistently ranked among the Top 10 minor league football programs in the country.
Kerr, named the 2012 Gridiron Developmental Football League (GDFL) Head Coach of the Year, also played four seasons with the Piranha as an offensive lineman.
In addition to his role with the Piranha, Kerr served two years as the offensive and defensive line coach for the Harrisburg Stampede of the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA).
Among his coaching honors include being named the Minor League Football Rookie Head Coach of the Year in 2007 and the Minor League Football Offensive Line Coach of the Year in 2005. He has also directed the Big Man’s Clinic for the Central Pennsylvania Football Academy.
Kerr is a graduate of Penn State University’s Sheriff’s Academy in State College and is the Chief Deputy with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s office. He currently resides in Carlisle with his wife.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Shippensburg
2022-present Assistant Coach – Defensive Line
Millersville
2019-20 Assistant Coach – Running Backs
2018 Assistant Coach – Tight Ends
Shippensburg
2017 Assistant Coach – Defensive Line
Dickinson
2016 Assistant Coach – Offensive Line
Shippensburg
2014-15 Assistant Coach – Offensive Line/Tight Ends
2011-13 Assistant Coach – Offensive Line
