Clarion Athletics

Mike Tesch will begin his first year as a member of the Golden Eagle football staff in 2021. He was announced as an offensive assistant coach on June 23, 2021 after spending the prior two years at Division III Illinois College.

Coaching the Blueboys in 2019, Tesch helped fuel a turnaround that saw Illinois College improve from 4-6 the previous year to 7-3. There he held the titles of associate head coach and recruiting coordinator as well as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Tesch's offense ranked second in the Midwest Conference with an average of 32.0 points per game, and ranked seventh in the nation in red zone scoring percentage at 90 percent. The Blue Boys saw four offensive players earn all-conference status, including Midwest Conference South Division Newcomer of the Year running back Trevor Smalls. Smalls led the conference with 14 rushing touchdowns. Offensive tackle Zach Heren, tight end Seth Vaughn and quarterback Drew Chance also earned all-conference honors.
 
Prior to his stint at Illinois College, Tesch served as the offensive coordinator at ASA Brooklyn during the 2018 season. His offense was one of the best in the nation, ranking seventh nationally in scoring at 37.8 points per game and third nationally in yards at 470.8 yards per game. Tesch was the wide receivers coach at Charleston in 2017 as well as the team's academic coordinator. He got his start in college coaching at Hudson Valley Community College, where he was an offensive assistant from 2013-17. He worked as the wide receivers coach from 2013-14 before taking over as the associate head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2015-16.
 
Tesch earned his Associates degree in Individual Studies from Hudson Valley Community College in 2011, and earned his Bachelors in Childhood Education with a concentration in Social Studies from the College of St. Rose in 2014. He completed his Masters in Special Education Grades 1-6 at Niagara in 2017.