 Candle withToledo in 2023 | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | UConn |
| Conference | Independent |
| Record | 0–0 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1979-11-12)November 12, 1979 (age 46) Salem, Ohio, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1998–1999 | Geneva |
| 2000–2001 | Mount Union |
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2003–2006 | Mount Union (WR) |
| 2007–2008 | Mount Union (OC) |
| 2009 | Toledo (SR/TE) |
| 2010–2011 | Toledo (WR) |
| 2012–2013 | Toledo (OC/WR) |
| 2014–2015 | Toledo (AHC/OC/QB) |
| 2016–2025 | Toledo |
| 2026–present | UConn |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 81–44 |
| Bowls | 3–5 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2MAC (2017,2022) 3MAC West Division (2017, 2022, 2023) | |
| Awards | |
| 2×MAC Coach of the Year (2017, 2023) | |
Jason Tyler Candle (born November 12, 1979) is an Americancollege football coach. He is the head football coach at theUniversity of Connecticut, and was previously the head football coach at theUniversity of Toledo, a position he had held since the 2016 season. Candle had been an assistant at Toledo since 2009, and was previously a coach atMount Union from 2003 to 2008. He played as awide receiver at Mount Union andGeneva.
Candle was born inSalem, Ohio.[1] He played wide receiver, first atGeneva College (1998–1999) and then at Mount Union (2000–2001).[2] Both Mount Union teams he played on wonthe Division III championship.[3] Candle graduated from Mount Union in 2003.[4]
After graduating, Candle stayed on at Mount Union and joined the coaching staff as the wide receivers coach, a job he held from 2003 to 2006. In 2007, Mount Union promoted him to offensive coordinator, replacingMatt Campbell, who had joined the staff atBowling Green.[5]
Candle left Mount Union in 2009 to become the slot receivers/tight ends coach at Toledo underTim Beckman.[6] He was reunited there with Campbell, then serving as run game coordinator. Toledo promoted Candle to wide receivers coach in 2010, where he coachedAll-AmericanEric Page. Toledo promoted Campbell to head coach at the end of 2011 after Beckman became head coach at theUniversity of Illinois. Campbell retained Candle and promoted him to offensive coordinator. Candle added the title of associate head coach in 2014.[5]
Toledo named Candle as their head coach on December 2, 2015, after Campbell departed forIowa State University.[7] He won his head coaching debut in theBoca Raton Bowl 32–17 overTemple.[8]
In his first full season as the Rockets' head coach in 2016, Candle went 9–3 in the regular season.[9] The team made theCamellia Bowl and lost 31–28 toAppalachian State.[10] In the 2017 season, Candle led the team to a 10–2 regular season mark, which won the MAC West.[11][12] The team won 45–28 overAkron in theMAC Championship.[13] The Rockets' season ended with a loss toAppalachian State in theDollar General Bowl.[14]
In the 2022 season, Candle led the team to a 7–5 regular season mark that qualified for theMAC Championship.[15] Toledo defeatedOhio 17–7 to win the MAC.[16] Toledo defeatedLiberty in theBoca Raton Bowl 21–19.[17]
In 2023, Candle led the Rockets to a perfect MAC record and won MAC Coach of the Year.[18] They were upset byMiami in theMAC Championship game.[19] The team finished with a 11–3 record.[20] He joined Frank Lauterbur as the only head coaches in school history with multiple 11-win seasons.[21]
In the 2024 season, Candle led the Rockets to a 7–5 mark in the regular season highlighted by a 41-17 victory atMississippi State.[22][23] The Rockets won theGameAbove Sports Bowl 48–46 overPitt in six overtimes to finish 8–5.[24]
After defeatingWestern Kentucky in 2025, Candle surpassedGary Pinkel for the most wins by a head coach in Toledo football history with 74.[25]
On December 6, 2025, it was announced that Candle had signed a six-year contract to become the head football coach at theUniversity of Connecticut, succeedingJim L. Mora.[26]His hire was first reported by Connecticut news station WFSB.[27]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo Rockets(Mid-American Conference)(2015–2025) | |||||||||
| 2015 | Toledo | 1–0 | 0–0 | T–1st | WBoca Raton[a] | ||||
| 2016 | Toledo | 9–4 | 6–2 | 2nd(West) | LCamellia | ||||
| 2017 | Toledo | 11–3 | 7–1 | 1st(West) | LDollar General | ||||
| 2018 | Toledo | 7–6 | 5–3 | T–2nd(West) | LBahamas | ||||
| 2019 | Toledo | 6–6 | 3–5 | T–5th(West) | |||||
| 2020 | Toledo | 4–2 | 4–2 | T–2nd(West) | |||||
| 2021 | Toledo | 7–6 | 5–3 | 3rd(West) | LBahamas | ||||
| 2022 | Toledo | 9–5 | 5–3 | T–1st(West) | WBoca Raton | ||||
| 2023 | Toledo | 11–3 | 8–0 | 1st(West) | LArizona | ||||
| 2024 | Toledo | 8–5 | 4–4 | T–6th | WGameAbove Sports | ||||
| 2025 | Toledo | 8–4 | 6–2 | T–2nd | Boca Raton[b] | ||||
| Toledo: | 81–44 | 53–25 | |||||||
| UConn Huskies(NCAA Division I FBS independent)(2026–present) | |||||||||
| 2026 | UConn | 0–0 | |||||||
| UConn: | 0–0 | ||||||||
| Total: | 81–44 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||