1974 record 7–4 (2–3 MAC) Home stadium Dix Stadium | Head coach Don James (4th year) | |
Conference Mid-American Conference Offensive coordinator Dick Scesniak (4th year) Defensive coordinator Dennis Fitzgerald (4th year) | ||
The 1974 Kent State Golden Flashes football team was an American football team that represented Kent State University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1974 NCAA Division I football season. In their fourth and final season under head coach Don James, the Golden Flashes compiled a 7–4 record (2–3 against MAC opponents), finished in fourth place in the MAC, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 254 to 161.
The team's statistical leaders included Larry Poole with 1,070 rushing yards, Greg Kokal with 1,265 passing yards, and Ken Dooner with 451 receiving yards. Six Kent State players were selected as first-team All-MAC players: defensive back Cedric Brown, tight end Ken Dooner, defensive end Marvin Elliott, defensive lineman Larry Faulk, running back Larry Poole, and Henry Waszczuk.
On December 23, 1974, Don James resigned as Kent State's head coach to become the head football coach at the University of Washington. James was credited with turning a "mediocre" Kent State program into a MAC power in four years.