Football
- Title:
- Offensive Line Coach
- Email:
- football@kent.edu
Updated June 2026
Kent State head football coach Mark Carney announced the addition of Alex Stadler as the program’s new offensive line coach in the spring of 2026.
Stadler spent the last three seasons as Elon University’s offensive line coach from 2023-25, helping develop one of the Phoenix’s most productive and consistent position groups. During his time with the program, Elon’s offense improved from 333.3 yards per game in 2023 to 344.3 in 2024 and 371.2 in 2025, while multiple offensive linemen earned postseason recognition.
In 2025, Stadler guided a retooled offensive line that helped Elon produce one of its most balanced offensive seasons in recent program history. The Phoenix rushed for 2,020 yards and 24 touchdowns while passing for 2,434 yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging 371.2 yards of total offense per game. Elon also ranked third in the CAA in rushing offense at 168.3 yards per game.
The 2025 offensive line also helped support the emergence of redshirt freshman quarterback Landen Clark, who was named CAA Co-Offensive Rookie of the Year after accounting for 2,935 yards of total offense and 29 total touchdowns. Clark rushed for 614 yards and set Elon’s FCS-era single-season rushing touchdown record with 11 rushing scores, while Timothy Hogan earned Second Team All-CAA honors after starting 10 games at right guard.
In 2024, Stadler’s offensive line helped Elon average 344.3 yards of total offense while producing 1,556 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, 2,575 passing yards, and 17 passing touchdowns. The Phoenix also had two running backs rush for at least 500 yards in the same season for the first time since 2018. Kevin Burkett earned First Team All-CAA and Phil Steele First Team All-CAA honors after starting all 12 games and being ranked by Pro Football Focus as the top pass-protecting offensive lineman in FCS Football.
In his first season at Elon in 2023, Stadler helped guide a veteran offensive front for a team that averaged 333.3 yards of total offense, including 128.9 rushing yards per game. The line also provided time for quarterback Matthew Downing to lead Elon to national rankings of No. 10 in yards per completion and No. 26 in passing efficiency.
Before Elon, Stadler served as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Towson from 2021-22, where he coached two All-CAA selections and Freshman All-American Dan Volpe. He previously coached the offensive line at Lehigh in 2020, where Chris Fournier and Justin Gurth earned All-Patriot League honors, and spent the 2019 season as an offensive analyst at Wake Forest, helping support the ACC’s top passing offense.
Stadler also held multiple roles at Virginia State from 2015-18, including associate head coach, run game coordinator, and offensive line coach, helping the Trojans win the 2017 CIAA championship and lead the league in rushing from 2015-17. Earlier in his career, he coached at Bowling Green, Richmond, and Liberty. A former standout offensive lineman at Liberty, Stadler was a two-time Big South All-Conference guard, team captain, and member of three Big South championship teams. He earned both his bachelor’s degree in communication studies and his master’s degree in sport management from Liberty.
