Paul Kempe describes his father with pride.
"He's just loving and caring," said Kempe. "He puts the family first. He'll do anything for us. I couldn't ask for a better father."
A family man is just part of the reason why Ursuline stayed within its family in naming longtime assistant Larry Kempe its next head football coach.
"I'm going to be the same way coaching," said Larry Kempe. "I'm going to be the same way on game night. Whenever things get tough, I'll be the same way there, too. There won't be any changes in how I approach things."
But it is a change for Kempe. He's been an assistant in the area for 38 years, helping lead the Irish to three state titles in his eight-year run as defensive coordinator under Dan Reardon.
"He's an intense coach," said Reardon. "Yet again, I think he knows when to pull off and have fun. He gets after the kids. He coaches them hard. He coaches them well."
"He relates with all his players," said Kempe's oldest son. "It doesn't matter who it is. He just connects with everyone."
"Kids today need to know that someone has their back," said Larry Kempe. "When I need to get stern with them, I'll get stern with them. They also know I'm the first guy to come up and give them a pat and say 'let's go'. We're just going to work hard and get better every day."
Kempe has coached with Leetonia, Niles, Girard, and Mathews before joining Ursuline in 2004. He and his wife Traci live in Girard with their two sons Paul and Anthony.
