Kent State football coach Mark Carney, Akron Zips coach Joe Moorhead share Fordham QB bond
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Twenty-four years ago, Joe Moorhead went out of his way to congratulate Mark Carney on setting a Fordham University single-game record with five touchdown passes.
Two weeks ago, one of the first congratulatory text messages Carney received when Kent State University removed his interim tag and hired him as its full-time football coach came from Moorhead, who’s in his fourth season at the helm of the University of Akron.
As former Fordham starting quarterbacks who are now guiding rival Mid-American Conference programs, Moorhead and Carney will carry their unique bond into the Wagon Wheel game between Akron and Kent State at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at InfoCision Stadium.
“When I compete against my friends, I want to beat their tail, and I know the feeling is the same for him,” Carney told the Beacon Journal. “There is a little something extra being able to have that as something to potentially hold over somebody else’s head.
“This is a special rivalry, a really special rivalry. Anytime you play for something extra outside of just what the scoreboard says, when there’s a trophy game and certainly one with this history, it’s a special week. It’s a special game.”
The feeling is indeed mutual, and the respect Moorhead and Carney have for one another is palpable. Their first matchup as head coaches coincides with Akron (4-6, 3-3) and Kent State (3-6, 2-3) being better than they have been in recent years.
Akron has defeated Kent State in the last two meetings, and the Zips lead the all-time series 37-28-2.
“Anytime you go into a game and there’s something more than pride or a trophy to be played for, it adds a little bit of juice to it,” Moorhead said. “… You’re talking about two teams on an upward trajectory and a game that’s always highly competitive. It’s not just two teams coming together that are fighting to keep the Wagon Wheel trophy, which is significant, but two teams who hadn’t been playing meaningful games in November playing a meaningful game in November.”
It’s also two teams with coaches who have plenty in common.
How Kent State football coach Mark Carney and Akron Zips coach Joe Moorhead became connected through Fordham
Carney, 45, is a Cleveland native who quarterbacked St. Edward High School in Lakewood. Moorhead, 52, is a Pittsburgh native who quarterbacked Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School.
They attended college in New York City, playing football’s most important position at Fordham in the Bronx. Moorhead’s seasons with the Rams spanned 1992-95 and Carney’s 1998-2001. They were both named the team’s most valuable player — Moorhead in 1995 and Carney in 2001.
From 2012-15, Moorhead served as Fordham’s head coach.
“Joe Moorhead was the guy [for Fordham football],” Carney said. “… He was the name when you looked at that record book, so that’s when I knew his name. You see pictures in the media guide of this big, big dude throwing the ball everywhere.”
During Carney’s senior season, he threw five touchdown passes in a 48-13 win over Georgetown on Sept. 29, 2001, at Fordham. The previous single-game school record for TD passes was four by Gary Brennan against Hofstra in 1991 and Steve O’Hare versus Penn in 1998.
When Carney produced the record-setting performance, Moorhead was on the Georgetown sideline, serving as a young Hoyas quarterbacks coach. Both of them recall what happened next.
“On my way to go to the press conference room, Joe was standing there to say congratulations, which was really freaking cool,” Carney said. “So, that’s where I think we first initially met if memory serves.”
After Carney joined Moorhead in the college coaching ranks, they occasionally crossed paths while recruiting and continued to build a relationship. They have stayed in touch through the years, and Moorhead said he’s “ecstatic” Carney signed a contract on Oct. 30 to remain Kent State’s coach through the 2029 season. The deal will automatically extend through the 2030 season with an FBS bowl game appearance.
“When [former Kent State coach] Kenni Burns was let go [in April] and Mark was named the interim, you never know how that’s going to go, and, obviously, Mark took it and ran with it and did a really nice job and has put together a successful season,” Moorhead said. “So, at the end of the day, rivalry, no rivalry, whether I know him or I don’t know him, you always like to see good things happen to good people. From my interactions with Mark prior to Kent and while he’s been there, Mark’s not only a great coach, but he’s an awesome human being, too.”
Donovan Moorhead’s recruiting experience brought Joe Moorhead and Mark Carney closer together
Moorhead’s youngest son, Donovan, further united the leaders of Akron and Kent State football.
Donovan Moorhead recently ended his senior season as the starting quarterback at Hawken School. He is committed to play college football at Jacksonville State. Kent State, though, was among 11 other programs to extend him a scholarship offer. Burns and Carney, who was KSU’s offensive coordinator last season, recruited him.
Despite Joe Moorhead coaching Akron, he insisted he would not have been opposed to his son playing for Kent State. Yet, the timing didn’t align because KSU went through a coaching change, one the Moorheads were not sure would end with Carney in charge.
“They did a great job recruiting him,” Moorhead said. “He was down there a bunch for junior days and game visits and basketball games. I would’ve had absolutely zero problem with him going to Kent and playing for Kenni and Mark.
“But then when the transition occurred and you’re kind of not sure whether Mark’s going to be kept full time or not and decisions needed to be made, he obviously made his trip to Jacksonville State on the official [visit] and loved it. But, yeah, Kent was definitely 100% in consideration.”
Carney said he has enjoyed getting to know the Moorhead family, including Joe’s wife, Jennifer, and he vowed to follow Donovan Moorhead’s college career.
Most of the time, Carney wants the Moorhead who played quarterback for Fordham to do well, too.
“Outside of this week, I root for Joe,” Carney said.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Mark Carney, Joe Moorhead old Fordham QBs coaching Kent State, Akron
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