UToledo Announces Contract Extension for Head Football Coach

UToledo Announces Contract Extension for Head Football Coach

The University of Toledo and Head Football Coach Jason Candle have agreed to a contract extension through the 2028 season, Toledo Vice President and Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair announced today.

Candle's teams have won two Mid-American Conference Championship titles and three MAC West Division crowns, while making seven bowl appearances in his nine seasons as head coach.

A two-time MAC Coach of the Year, Candle has won 69 games as Toledo's head coach, second in program history only to Gary Pinkel, who won 73 games from 1991-2000. No team in the Mid-American Conference has won more games than Toledo during Candle's tenure.

Candle's Rockets are 4-1 and defeated defending MAC Champion and preseason favorite Miami on Saturday, 30-20. Earlier this season, Toledo knocked off Mississippi State, 41-17, the program's first win against a "Power Four" school since 2015.

"We are very pleased to extend Coach Candle's contract," said Blair. "Not only is Jason one of the finest football coaches in the country, he is also a tremendous leader who is 100 percent committed to the academic success and personal growth of every student-athlete in his program. He has a well-earned reputation of preparing players for careers in the NFL. But Jason is just as proud of the young men who have gone on to successful careers outside of football.

"Toledo Football has a proud history, and Coach Candle has already made his mark as one of the most successful coaches to ever lead the Rockets. But one of the things that makes him special is that he is never satisfied. We are fortunate to have Coach Candle guiding our football program, and he and I are committed to elevating our football program to even greater heights in the years ahead."

"My family and I are incredibly thankful for the continued investment in the football program and our staff by Bryan Blair and our University administration," said Candle. "The commitment enhances the foundation that has been built over the last decade and allows our staff to cultivate a unique student-athlete experience that is designed to continue developing champions on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Together, we will continue to be a program that the University, our alumni and the Toledo community can take great pride in."

In 2023, Candle's Rockets won 11 consecutive games on its way to a MAC West Division crown, a Top 25 ranking and an appearance in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. Candle led the Rockets to MAC Championship titles in 2017 and 2022. He is the only current MAC head football coach with multiple conference championship titles and only the third Toledo head coach to claim multiple outright MAC titles.

Candle has coached 32 Rockets who have made it to the NFL, including 10 who were selected in the NFL Draft between 2017-24. Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell was chosen in the first round of the draft by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024.

Candle's teams have excelled in the classroom too. The Rockets have surpassed the 3.0 GPA mark seven times since Candle became the head coach, including a program-record 3.202 in the spring of 2023. A total of 52 players have earned Academic All-MAC honors in the past three seasons, including a school-record 22 honorees in 2021. A school-record 25 players entered the 2024 season having already earned their bachelor's degree.

The Rockets also have led the Mid-American Conference in the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate (APR) in seven of the past 10 years in which the data was released to the public, with an average score of 977.5 over the past seven years. They also earned a 94 Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in 2023, the highest score in school history and the best mark among Mid-American Conference schools. Toledo was one of only seven schools in the nation to earn the 2022 American Football Coaches Association's Academic Achievement Award.