Jason Candle

American football player and coach (born 1979)

Jason Candle
Candle with Toledo in 2023
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamToledo
ConferenceMAC
Record65–35
Biographical details
Born (1979-11-12) November 12, 1979 (age 44)
Salem, Ohio, U.S.
Playing career
1998–1999Geneva
2000–2001Mount Union
Position(s)Wide receiver
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2003–2006Mount Union (WR)
2007–2008Mount Union (OC)
2009Toledo (SR/TE)
2010–2011Toledo (WR)
2012–2013Toledo (OC/WR)
2014–2015Toledo (AHC/OC/QB)
2016–presentToledo
Head coaching record
Overall65–35
Bowls2–5
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 MAC (2017, 2022)
3 MAC West Division (2017, 2022, 2023)
Awards
2× MAC Coach of the Year (2017, 2023)

Jason Tyler Candle (born November 12, 1979) is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at the University of Toledo, a position he had held since the 2016 season. Candle had been an assistant at Toledo since 2009, and at Mount Union before that. He played as a wide receiver at Mount Union and Geneva.

Playing career

Candle was born in Salem, Ohio.[1] He played wide receiver, first at Geneva College (1998–1999) and then at Mount Union (2000–2001).[2] Both Mount Union teams he played on won the Division III championship.[3] Candle graduated from Mount Union in 2003.[4]

Coaching career

After graduating, Candle stayed on at Mount Union and joined the coaching staff as the wide receivers coach, a job he held from 2003 to 2006. In 2007, Mount Union promoted him to offensive coordinator, replacing Matt Campbell, who had joined the staff at Bowling Green.[5]

Toledo

Candle left Mount Union in 2009 to become the slot receivers/tight ends coach at Toledo under Tim Beckman.[6] He was reunited there with Campbell, then serving as run game coordinator. Toledo promoted Candle to wide receivers coach in 2010, where he coached All-American Eric Page. Toledo promoted Campbell to head coach at the end of 2011 after Beckman became head coach at the University of Illinois. Campbell retained Candle and promoted him to offensive coordinator. Candle added the title of associate head coach in 2014.[5]

Toledo named Candle as their head coach on December 2, 2015, after Campbell departed for Iowa State University.[7] He won his head coaching debut in the Boca Raton Bowl 32–17 over Temple.[8]

In his first full season as the Rockets' head coach in 2016, Candle went 9–3 in the regular season.[9] The team made the Camellia Bowl and lost 31–28 to Appalachian State.[10] In the 2017 season, Candle led the team to a 10–2 regular season mark, which won the MAC West.[11][12] The team won 45–28 over Akron in the MAC Championship.[13] The Rockets' season ended with a loss to Appalachian State in the Dollar General Bowl.[14]

In the 2022 season, Candle led the team to a 7–5 regular season mark that qualified for the MAC Championship.[15] Toledo defeated Ohio 17–7 to win the MAC.[16] Toledo defeated Liberty in the Boca Raton Bowl 21–19.[17]

In 2023 he led the Rockets to a perfect MAC record and won MAC Coach of the Year.[18] They were upset by Miami in the MAC Championship game.[19]

Head coaching record

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Toledo Rockets (Mid-American Conference) (2015–present)
2015 Toledo 1–0 0–0 T–1st W Boca Raton[a]
2016 Toledo 9–4 6–2 2nd (West) L Camellia
2017 Toledo 11–3 7–1 1st (West) L Dollar General
2018 Toledo 7–6 5–3 T–2nd (West) L Bahamas
2019 Toledo 6–6 3–5 T–5th (West)
2020 Toledo 4–2 4–2 T–2nd (West)
2021 Toledo 7–6 5–3 3rd (West) L Bahamas
2022 Toledo 9–5 5–3 T–1st (West) W Boca Raton
2023 Toledo 11–3 8–0 1st (West) L Arizona
2024 Toledo 0–0 0–0
Toledo: 65–35 43–19
Total: 65–35
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth
  1. ^ Promoted to HC for 2015 bowl game

References

  1. ^ "Toledo Assistant Football Coach Jason Candle Named Top Recruiter in MAC by Scout.com". Toledo Rockets. February 8, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  2. ^ Botos, Tim (August 20, 2017). "Mount Union football far and wide". Canton Repository. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  3. ^ Autullo, Ryan (April 2, 2012). "Purple doctrine has merit". The Blade. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  4. ^ Russo, Ralph D. (December 2, 2015). "AP Source: Toledo offensive coordinator Candle to head coach". Belleville News-Democrat. Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Jason Candle Named Head Football Coach at Toledo". Toledo Rockets. December 2, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  6. ^ Rubenstein, Alan (January 17, 2022). "Miami football going big targeting Toledo head coach Jason Candle as OC". Canes Warning. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  7. ^ Evans, Thayer (December 2, 2015). "Toledo offensive coordinator Jason Candle to be Rockets head coach". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  8. ^ "Boca Raton Bowl - Toledo vs Temple Box Score, December 22, 2015". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  9. ^ "2016 Toledo Rockets Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  10. ^ "Camellia Bowl - Appalachian State vs Toledo Box Score, December 17, 2016". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  11. ^ "2017 Toledo Rockets Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  12. ^ "2017 Mid-American Conference Year Summary". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  13. ^ "Akron vs Toledo Box Score, December 2, 2017". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  14. ^ "Dollar General Bowl - Appalachian State vs Toledo Box Score, December 23, 2017". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  15. ^ "2022 Toledo Rockets Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  16. ^ "Toledo vs Ohio Box Score, December 3, 2022". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  17. ^ "Boca Raton Bowl - Liberty vs Toledo Box Score, December 20, 2022". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  18. ^ "MAC Announces 2023 Postseason Football Awards & All-Conference Teams". Mid-American Conference.
  19. ^ "Miami (Ohio) beats No. 23 Toledo 23-14 to win MAC championship". CBS Sports. December 2, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.

External links

  • Toledo profile
  • Coaching statistics at Sports-Reference.com
  • v
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Head football coaches of the Mid-American Conference
East DivisionWest Division
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Toledo Rockets head football coaches
  • v
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  • e
2000 Mount Union Purple Raiders football—NCAA Division III national champions
Head coach
Larry Kehres
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2001 Mount Union Purple Raiders football—NCAA Division III national champions
Head coach
Larry Kehres
  • v
  • t
  • e
2005 Mount Union Purple Raiders football—NCAA Division III national champions
Head coach
Larry Kehres
  • v
  • t
  • e
2006 Mount Union Purple Raiders football—NCAA Division III national champions
Head coach
Larry Kehres
  • v
  • t
  • e
2008 Mount Union Purple Raiders football—NCAA Division III national champions
Head coach
Larry Kehres