| Western Illinois Leathernecks football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1903 | ||
| Athletic director | Paul Bubb | ||
| Head coach | Joe Davis 1st season, 0–0 (–) | ||
| Stadium | Hanson Field (capacity: 16,368 Record: 19,850) | ||
| Year built | 1950 | ||
| Field surface | Matrix Turf | ||
| Location | Macomb, Illinois | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Missouri Valley | ||
| All-time record | 509–439–38 (.535) | ||
| Bowl record | 2–1 (.667) | ||
| Playoff appearances | 1 (Div. II) 1973 11 (Div. I FCS) 1988, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2015, 2017 | ||
| Playoff record | 0–1 (Div. II) 7–11 (Div. I FCS) | ||
| Conference titles | 13 1939, 1942, 1949, 1958, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1981, 1988, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002 | ||
| Colors | Purple and gold[1] | ||
| Fight song | We're Marching On | ||
| Mascot | Colonel Rock (Live Bulldog), Rocky (Costumed Bulldog) | ||
| Marching band | Western Illinois University Marching Leathernecks | ||
| Outfitter | Adidas | ||
| Website | goleathernecks.com | ||
Western Illinois Leathernecks
The Western Illinois Leathernecks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Western Illinois University located in Macomb, Illinois.[2][3] The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC).[4] The school's first football team was fielded in 1903. The team plays its home games at the 16,368 seat Hanson Field. The Leathernecks are playing one final MVFC campaign in the fall of 2023 before joining the football alliance between the Big South Conference and Western's primary home of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in 2024.
History
Western Illinois had an unofficial football team in 1902, the year the school was established. The team played four games against regional high schools and the Western Illinois Normal & Business Institute going 2-2. In 1903, the school formed an athletic association for the fall football season, which is considered the official beginning of Western Illinois football by the school.[5]
The team adopted its nickname in 1927 when coach Ray Hanson, a decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps, asked the U.S. Navy for permission to use the Corps' Fighting Leathernecks nickname and logo for his team. Western Illinois is the only college which officially takes its nickname from a branch of the U.S. military.[6]
The university announced on May 12, 2023 that its football program will remain in the MVFC through the autumn of 2023 before joining the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in 2024. The remainder of the Leathernecks' athletic programs transition to the OVC one year prior on July 1, 2023.[7]
Conference affiliations
| Years | Conference | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| 1903–1913 | Independent | |
| 1914–1949 | Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic | |
| 1950–1969 | Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic | NCAA College Division |
| 1970–1972 | Independent | NCAA College Division |
| 1973–1977 | Independent | Division II |
| 1978–1980 | Mid-Continent | Division II |
| 1981–1984 | Mid-Continent | Division I-AA |
| 1985–2005 | Gateway Football | Division I-AA |
| 2006–2007 | Gateway Football | Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) |
| 2008–2023 | Missouri Valley Football | Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) |
| 2024–future | Ohio Valley | Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) |
Championships
Conference championships
| Years | Conference | Overall Record | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 5–1–1 | 2–0–1 |
| 1942 | IIllinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 5–0–2 | 3–0–1 |
| 1949 | IIllinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 9–1–0 | 4–0 |
| 1958 | IIllinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 6–1–1 | 5–1 |
| 1959 | IIllinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 9–0–0 | 6–0 |
| 1964† | IIllinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 6–3–0 | 3–1 |
| 1969 | IIllinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 8–2–0 | 3–0 |
| 1981† | Mid-Continent | 5–6 | 2–1 |
| 1988 | Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference | 10–2–0 | 6–0 |
| 1997 | Gateway Football Conference | 8–3 | 4–1 |
| 1998 | Gateway Football Conference | 11–2 | 6–0 |
| 2000 | Gateway Football Conference | 9–3 | 5–1 |
| 2002† | Gateway Football Conference | 11–2 | 6–1 |
† Co-championship
Playoffs and bowls
Playoffs
| Season | Result | Classification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | First Round | NCAA Division II Playoffs | |
| 1988 | First Round | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs | |
| 1991 | First Round | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs | |
| 1996 | First Round | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs | |
| 1997 | Quarterfinals | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs | (Pecan Bowl) |
| 1998 | Semifinals | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs | (Pecan Bowl) |
| 2000 | First Round | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs | |
| 2002 | Quarterfinals | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs | (Pecan Bowl) |
| 2003 | Quarterfinals | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs | (Pecan Bowl) |
| 2010 | Second Round | NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs | |
| 2015 | Second Round | NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs | |
| 2017 | First Round | NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs |
*Note: Since 1981, the NCAA Division I-AA/Division I FCS Playoffs Regional Championships were commonly referred to as the Boardwalk Bowl (East Region Championship), Pecan Bowl (Midwest Region Championship), Grantland Rice Bowl (South Region Championship), and Camellia Bowl (West Region Championship).
Bowl games
| Season | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Corn Bowl | Wheaton | W 13–0 |
| 1953 | Corn Bowl | Iowa Wesleyan | W 32–0 |
| 1955 | Corn Bowl | Luther | L 20–24 |
Head coaches
| Years | Name |
|---|---|
| 1903 | Unknown |
| 1904 | L. H. Laughlin |
| 1905 | A. Laughlin |
| 1906, 1910 | Oliver Morton Dickerson |
| 1907–1908 | Charles A. Barnett |
| 1909 | Francis Taft |
| 1911 | Albert Walbrath |
| 1912–1913 | Unknown |
| 1914 | Edward S. Dowell |
| 1915 | Unknown |
| 1916–1917, 1919 | Erskine Jay |
| 1918 | No team |
| 1920–1921 | W. A. Cleveland |
| 1922–1925 | Howard Hawkes |
| 1926–1941 | Ray Hanson |
| 1942–1943 | Wix Garner |
| 1944 | Bob Barnwell |
| 1945–1947 | Wix Garner |
| 1948 | Harold Ave |
| 1949–1953 | Vince DiFrancesca |
| 1954–1956 | Wes Stevens |
| 1957–1959 | Lou Saban |
| 1960–1968 | Art Dufelmeier |
| 1969–1973 | Darrell Mudra |
| 1974–1975 | Brodie Westen |
| 1976–1978 | Bill Shanahan |
| 1979–1982 | Pete Rodriguez |
| 1983–1989 | Bruce Craddock |
| 1990–1998 | Randy Ball |
| 1999–2009 | Don Patterson |
| 2008–2012† | Mark Hendrickson |
| 2013–2015 | Bob Nielson |
| 2016–2017 | Charlie Fisher |
| 2018–2021 | Jared Elliott |
| 2022–2023 | Myers Hendrickson |
† Acting head coach first seven games of 2008 season and last eight games of 2009 season.
Season records
| Year | Overall Record | Conference Record | Standing (Total teams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 0-3 | - | - |
| 1904 | 5-2 | - | - |
| 1905 | 4-2 | - | - |
| 1906 | 1-4 | - | - |
| 1907 | 2-3 | - | - |
| 1908 | 2-3-1 | - | - |
| 1909 | 2-3 | - | - |
| 1910 | 4-1-1 | - | - |
| 1911 | 4-3 | - | - |
| 1912 | 4-3 | - | - |
| 1913 | 5-3 | - | - |
| 1914 | 3-2-1 | 0-1 | T-14th (15) |
| 1915 | 1-5 | 0-4 | T-16th (28) |
| 1916 | 1-7-1 | 0-5 | T-18th (19) |
| 1917 | 2-4 | 1-4 | 13th (18) |
| 1918 | No Games Played | N/A | N/A |
| 1919 | 5-2 | 1-2 | 16th (19) |
| 1920 | 0-3-1 | 0-2-1 | T-17th (21) |
| 1921 | 3-3-1 | 1-2 | T-16th (23) |
| 1922 | 6-2 | 2-1 | T-6th (23) |
| 1923 | 1-6-1 | 1-4-1 | 20th (23) |
| 1924 | 4-3 | 3-3 | 8th (22) |
| 1925 | 4-3-1 | 4-3-1 | 9th (22) |
| 1926 | 4-3-1 | 4-3 | 8th (19) |
| 1927 | 6-3-1 | 4-3-1 | 9th (16) |
| 1928 | 2-3-3 | 2-3-2 | 14th (22) |
| 1929 | 3-5[Note A] | 2-5 | 18th (23) |
| 1930 | 4-4 | 3-4 | 15th (22) |
| 1931 | 2-6 | 2-4 | 18th (22) |
| 1932 | 4-2-1 | 4-2-1 | 7th (21) |
| 1933 | 3-5 | 2-4 | 16th (21) |
| 1934 | 5-3 | 4-2 | T-6th (20) |
| 1935 | 2-6 | 1-6 | 17th (20) |
| 1936 | 3-2-2 | 3-2-1 | T-7th (21) |
| 1937 | 3-4-1 | 3-1-1 | 6th (21) |
| 1938 | 6-2 | 2-1 | 4th (8) |
| 1939 | 5-1-1 | 2-0-1 | 1st (5) |
| 1940 | 1-6-1 | 0-3-1 | 4th (5) |
| 1941 | 3-4-1 | 1-2-1 | 4th (5) |
| 1942 | 5-0-2 | 3-0-1 | 1st (5) |
| 1943 | 1-6 | 0-4 | 4th (5) |
| 1944 | 0-8 | 0-4 | 4th (5) |
| 1945 | 1-5-1 | 0-3-1 | T-3rd (5) |
| 1946 | 2-6 | 0-4 | 4th (5) |
| 1947 | 4-4-1 | 0-4 | 4th (5) |
| 1948 | 4-4 | 1-3 | 3rd (5) |
| 1949 | 9-1 | 4-0 | 1st (5) |
| 1950 | 7-1 | 4-1 | 2nd (7) |
| 1951 | 7-1-1 | 4-1-1 | 2nd (7) |
| 1952 | 7-2 | 5-1 | 2nd (7) |
| 1953 | 8-2 | 5-1 | 2nd (7) |
| 1954 | 6-1-3 | 3-1-2 | 3rd (7) |
| 1955 | 5-4-1 | 2-3-1 | T-4th (7) |
| 1956 | 6-3 | 4-2 | 2nd (7) |
| 1957 | 5-4 | 4-2 | T-2nd (7) |
| 1958 | 6-1-1 | 5-1 | 1st (7) |
| 1959 | 9-0 | 6-0 | 1st (7) |
| 1960 | 6-2 | 5-1 | 2nd (7) |
| 1961 | 5-3 | 4-2 | T-2nd (7) |
| 1962 | 5-3 | 2-2 | 3rd (5) |
| 1963 | 6-3 | 3-1 | 2nd (5) |
| 1964 | 6-3 | 3-1 | T-1st (5) |
| 1965 | 4-5 | 2-2 | 3rd (5) |
| 1966 | 1-7-1 | 1-2 | 3rd (4) |
| 1967 | 2-6 | 1-2 | T-3rd (4) |
| 1968 | 2-7-1 | 1-2 | T-3rd (4) |
| 1969 | 8-2 | 3-0 | 1st (4) |
| 1970 | 7-3 | - | - |
| 1971 | 8-2 | - | - |
| 1972 | 9-2 | - | - |
| 1973 | 7-4 | - | - |
| 1974 | 7-3 | - | - |
| 1975 | 5-4-1 | - | - |
| 1976 | 7-3 | - | - |
| 1977 | 3-7 | - | - |
| 1978 | 3-6-1 | 1-3-1 | T-4th (6) |
| 1979 | 3-8 | 1-4 | 5th (6) |
| 1980 | 4-6 | 0-4 | 5th (5) |
| 1981 | 5-6 | 2-1 | 2nd (4) |
| 1982 | 2-8 | 0-3 | 4th (4) |
| 1983 | 3-8 | 0-3 | 4th (4) |
| 1984 | 6-4-1 | 0-2-1 | 4th (4) |
| 1985 | 6-5 | 2-3 | 3rd (6) |
| 1986 | 6-5 | 2-4 | 5th (7) |
| 1987 | 7-4 | 5-1 | 2nd (7) |
| 1988 | 10-2 | 6-0 | 1st (7) |
| 1989 | 4-7 | 1-5 | 6th (7) |
| 1990 | 3-8 | 3-3 | 5th (7) |
| 1991 | 7-4-1 | 4-2 | 3rd (7) |
| 1992 | 7-4 | 4-2 | 2nd (7) |
| 1993 | 4-7 | 4-2 | 3rd (7) |
| 1994 | 8-3 | 4-2 | 2nd (7) |
| 1995 | 4-7 | 2-4 | 6th (7) |
| 1996 | 9-3 | 3-2 | 2nd (6) |
| 1997 | 11-2 | 6-0 | 1st (7) |
| 1998 | 11-3 | 5-1 | 1st (7) |
| 1999 | 7-4 | 2-4 | 4th (7) |
| 2000 | 9-3 | 5-1 | 1st (7) |
| 2001 | 5-5 | 4-3 | 4th (8) |
| 2002 | 11-2 | 6-1 | 1st (8) |
| 2003 | 9-4 | 5-2 | 3rd (8) |
| 2004 | 4-7 | 2-5 | 5th (8) |
| 2005 | 5-6 | 3-4 | 5th (8) |
| 2006 | 5-6 | 2-5 | 6th (8) |
| 2007 | 6-5 | 3-3 | 4th (7) |
| 2008 | 6-5 | 4-4 | 4th (9) |
| 2009 | 1-10 | 0-8 | 9th (9) |
| 2010 | 8-5 | 5-3 | 2nd (9) |
| 2011 | 2-9 | 1-7 | 9th (9) |
| 2012 | 3-8 | 1-7 | 9th (10) |
| 2013 | 4-8 | 2-6 | 9th (10) |
| 2014 | 5-7 | 3-5 | 8th (10) |
| 2015 | 7-6 | 5-3 | 5th (10) |
| 2016 | 6-6 | 4-4 | 6th (10) |
| 2017 | 8-4 | 5-3 | 4th (10) |
| 2018 | 5-6 | 4-4 | 5th (10) |
| 2019 | 1-11 | 1-7 | 10th (10) |
| 2020 | 1-5 | 1-5 | 9th (10) |
| 2021 | 2-9 | 2-6 | 11th (11) |
| 2022 | 0-11 | 0-8 | 11th (11) |
- ^A. Adjusted record is 0–8 (3 wins vacated). After the season Western was forced to vacate their wins due to an ineligible player.
Individual accomplishments
Award winners
- Walter Payton Award finalists
- Paul Singer - 1988 . . . 2nd
- Aaron Stecker - 1997...2nd
- Charles Tharp - 2000...8th
- Russ Michna - 2003...6th
- Herb Donaldson - 2007...13th
- Herb Donaldson - 2008...3rd
- Buck Buchanan Award
- James Milton - 1998
- Edgerton Hartwell - 2000
- Buck Buchanan Award finalists
- Cyron Brown - 1997...3rd
- Edgerton Hartwell - 1999...5th
- Lee Russell - 2002...6th
- Lee Russell - 2003...5th
- Jason Williams - 2008...4th
- Kyle Glazier - 2010...T-2nd
- Brett Taylor - 2016...7th
- Brett Taylor - 2017...2nd
- Darius Joiner - 2021...6th
- Eddie Robinson Award finalists
- Randy Ball - 1997...6th
- Randy Ball - 1998...5th
- Don Patterson - 2000...13th
- Don Patterson - 2002...3rd
- Mark Hendrickson - 2010...2nd
College Football Hall of Fame members
| Name | Position | Years | Inducted | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darrell Mudra | Coach | 1969–1973 | 2000 | [10] |
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of December 9, 2022.[11]
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| at New Mexico State | at Northern Illinois | Eastern Kentucky | at Wisconsin | at Oklahoma State | at Purdue |
| Lindenwood | UT Martin | at Eastern Washington | at Lindenwood | ||
| at Southern Utah | at Eastern Kentucky | ||||
| at Illinois State |
Notable former players
Notable alumni
See also
References
- ↑ Western Illinois Leathernecks Athletics 2017–18 Branding & Style Guidelines (PDF). July 11, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- ↑ "Western Illinois Athletics Leathernecks Football". goleathernecks.com. Retrieved 2015-01-16.
- ↑ "Western Illinois Leathernecks College Football Clubhouse". espn.go.com. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
- ↑ "Western Illinois Leathernecks". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
- ↑ "Western Illinois Football Record Book" (PDF). Western Illinois University Athletics. p. 66. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
- ↑ "The Leatherneck Nickname". Western Illinois University Athletics. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
- ↑ "Leatherneck Athletics Moving to Ohio Valley Conference for All Sports," Western Illinois University Athletics, Friday, May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- ↑ "Missouri Valley Football Conference Records" (PDF). Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
- ↑ "Western Illinois Football Record Book" (PDF). goleathernecks.com. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ↑ "Darrell Mudra (2000) - Hall of Fame". National Football Foundation.
- ↑ "Western Illinois Leathernecks Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
External links
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