Chris Hedden returned for a second stint with the Trine University football program in the summer of 2024. He will now coach the offensive line while serving as the Run Game Coordinator.
For the 2023 season Hedden served as the offensive coordinator at Ohio Northern University. Before that he spent four seasons on staff at Bowling Green spanning from 2019-22. At BGSU, he coached running backs, tight ends and the offensive line before serving as offensive run game coordinator in his final season.
Hedden was last on staff from 2015-18, serving in multiple roles, with great success in each position.
In Hedden's first season as quarterbacks coach, Thunder passers averaged 223 yards through the air per game. Under Hedden's guidance, quarterback Brandon Rooze notched the second-most completions in a game in team history and threw for the third-most yards in a game in team history. Trine started three quarterbacks in Hedden's first season, all of whom led the Thunder to at least one victory under Hedden's coaching.
Under Hedden's guidance, Rooze threw for 16 touchdown passes in 2016- the sixth-most in a season in team history. Rooze went on to earn Academic All-District honors from CoSIDA. Three Trine quarterbacks combined to throw 19 touchdown passes and average 231 passing yards per game in 2016.
In 2017, the Thunder offense led the MIAA in yards per game (475.0), total rushing yards (3,955), rushing yards per game (329.6), total offense (5,700 yards) and scoring (44.3 points per game). Nationally, Trine's 329.6 yards per game on the ground ranked fourth most in NCAA Division III. In addition, Trine's offense ranked in the top-10 in the nation in team passing efficiency (3rd - 186.7) and scoring offense (6th - 44.3 ppg.). As quarterbacks coach, Hedden mentored Evan Wyse to first-team All-MIAA honors and the MIAA Offensive "MVP." Wyse completed 57.6 percent of his passes (80-of-139) for 1,658 yards with 18 TD. He ended the season with a 193.3 pass efficiency rating, setting a school single-season record. Wyse also was one of two players to run for over 1,000 yards (1,180), marking the first time in program history with a pair of 1,000-yard rushers. Following the season, Wyse was a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy which is awarded to the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III. Off the field, Wyse was a CoSIDA Academic All-District and Academic All-American award winner.
Before coming to Trine, Hedden spent three years as the head coach at Saint Francis deSales High School in Toledo, Ohio. While there, Hedden led the Knights to a playoff berth in 2013. Hedden also spent a year as an assistant coach at Tiffin Calvert High School in Tiffin, Ohio.
Prior to coaching at the high school level, Hedden spent 14 years coaching at the collegiate level. He spent eight years on the staff at the University of Toledo, where he helped lead the Rockets to two MAC Championships, three Motor City Bowl appearances and one GMAC Bowl appearance. During his time at UT, Hedden spent time coaching tight ends, offensive line and wide receivers, and also spent time as the offensive coordinator and running game coordinator. He served as a graduate assistant at Toledo in 1996.
Hedden also made collegiate coaching stops at the University of Akron (2009), the University of Northern Iowa (1997-2000) and Tiffin University (1995).
Hedden played two years of football at Ashland University before graduating with a degree in secondary education from Heidelberg in 1994.
He and his wife, Jennifer, have three daughters - Alaina, Alexandra and Allyson - and a son, Christopher.
