Western Carolina Catamounts football
| Western Carolina Catamounts football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1931 | ||
| Athletic director | Alex Gary | ||
| Head coach | Kerwin Bell 1st season, 4–7 (.364) | ||
| Stadium | E. J. Whitmire Stadium (capacity: 13,742) | ||
| Field | Bob Waters Field | ||
| Location | Cullowhee, North Carolina | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Southern Conference | ||
| All-time record | 341–502–23 (.407) | ||
| Bowl record | 0–1–0 (.000) | ||
| Playoff appearances | 2 | ||
| Playoff record | 3–2 | ||
| Rivalries | Appalachian State University (dormant) East Tennessee State University | ||
| Colors | Purple and gold[1] | ||
| Fight song | Fight On You Catamounts | ||
| Mascot | Paws | ||
| Marching band | Western Carolina University Pride of the Mountains Marching Band | ||
| Website | CatamountSports.com | ||
The Western Carolina Catamounts football program represents Western Carolina University. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Southern Conference. Since the school's first football team was fielded in 1931, the Catamounts have a record of 341-502-23, have made two postseason appearances, and have played in one national championship game.
Western Carolina plays its home games at the 13,742 seat Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium located on the campus in Cullowhee, North Carolina.
History
Head coaching history
Western Carolina has had 14 head coaches since the first team was organized in 1931. Kerwin Bell, the current head coach, was hired on April 27, 2021. Bob Waters (1969–1988) holds the record for most wins (116), longest tenure (20 seasons), and highest winning percentage (.550) among all former Western Carolina coaches.
C.C. Poindexter, often called the "Father of Western Carolina Athletics", was instrumental in organizing the first football team in 1931. Then the Western Carolina Teacher's College, Poindexter was the first person hired by the college to work exclusively in athletics and became the first athletic director and football coach. He would later lead the baseball and basketball programs as well.
| Tenure | Coach | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931–1934 | C. C. Poindexter | 10–26–2 | .290 |
| 1935–1938 | Ralph James | 4–30–3 | .149 |
| 1939–1941 | Jim Whatley | 6–15–1 | .295 |
| 1945 | Marion McDonald | 1–3 | .250 |
| 1946–1955 | Tom Young | 39–55–4 | .418 |
| 1956–1968 | Dan Robinson | 51–67–6 | .435 |
| 1969–1988 | Bob Waters | 116–94–6 | .550 |
| 1989 | Dale Strahm | 3–7–1 | .318 |
| 1990–1996 | Steve Hodgin | 31–45 | .408 |
| 1997–2001 | Bill Bleil | 23–32 | .418 |
| 2002–2007 | Kent Briggs | 22–43 | .388 |
| 2008–2011 | Dennis Wagner | 8–36 | .182 |
| 2012–2021 | Mark Speir | 33–68 | .327 |
| 2021– | Kerwin Bell | 4–7 | .364 |
Postseason
- 1949 - The 1949 Western Carolina Catamounts, coached by Tom Young, completed their regular season 8–2, winning the North State Conference championship. Western Carolina was then invited to play West Liberty State in the Smokey Mountain Bowl in Bristol, Tennessee. The Catamounts fell short 20–0.
- 1974 - The 1974 Western Carolina Catamounts, coached by Bob Waters, completed their regular season 9–1, earning a birth to the 1974 NCAA Division II playoff. The Catamounts had wins over ranked opponents Indiana State and Western Kentucky during the season. They then traveled to No.1 ranked Louisiana Tech where they were defeated 10–7.
- 1983 - The 1983 Western Carolina Catamounts, coached by Bob Waters, completed their regular season 8-2-1, earning a birth to the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. The Catamounts then hosted their first ever playoff game against Colgate, winning 24–23. Western Carolina then traveled to No.2 seed Holy Cross, where they upset the Crusaders 28–21. In the semifinals, they beat No.3 seed, and Southern Conference rival, Furman 14–7. In the 1983 Division I-AA National Championship Game at Hagood Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina, the Catamounts fell to No.1 seed Southern Illinois 43–7.
Classifications
- 1973–1976: NCAA Division II
- 1977: NCAA Division I
- 1978–1981: NCAA Division I–A
- 1982–present: NCAA Division I–AA
Conference memberships
- 1931–1932: Independent
- 1933–1960: North State Conference†
- 1961–1967: Conference Carolinas
- 1968–1972: Independent
- 1973–1976: NCAA Division II Independent
- 1977–present: Southern Conference
†Also members of the Smoky Mountain Conference starting in 1934.[2][3]
Playoff appearances
NCAA Division I-AA/FCS
The Catamounts have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs one time, with an overall record of 3–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship |
Colgate (2) Holy Cross (3) Furman (1) Southern Illinois |
W 24-23 W 28-21 W 14-7 L 7-43 |
NCAA Division II
The Catamounts made one appearance in the Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 0–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | First Round | Louisiana Tech | L, 7–10 |
Rivalries
Appalachian State - Battle for the Old Mountain Jug
The main rivalry of the Catamounts was against their in-state rival Appalachian State. Western Carolina and Appalachian State played annually for the Old Mountain Jug. The two rivals first faced off in 1932, with Appalachian State winning 20–0. The Old Mountain Jug trophy was first introduced in 1976. After Appalachian State moved to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2014, the two have not met since. Appalachian State leads the series 58–19–1.
Catamounts in the NFL
| Player | Position | Years in NFL |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Williams | DE | 1974 |
| Eddie McGill | TE | 1982–1983 |
| Dean Biasucci | K | 1984–1995 |
| Tiger Greene | DB | 1985–1990 |
| Louis Cooper | LB | 1985–1993 |
| Clyde Simmons | DE | 1986–2000 |
| Leonard Williams | RB | 1987 |
| Fred Davis | DB | 1987 |
| Tony Jones | OL | 1988–2000 |
| Willie J. Williams | DB | 1993–2005 |
| Andrew Jordan | TE | 1994–2001 |
| David Patten | WR | 1997–2008 |
| Brad Hoover | FB | 2000–2009 |
| Detrez Newsome | RB | 2018–2018 |
| Keion Crossen | DB | 2018–2022 |
See also
References
- ^ Western Carolina University Athletic Guidelines (PDF). October 1, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- ^ "Catamount Grid, Cage Schedules Are Announced". Asheville Citizen-Times. Asheville, North Carolina. June 26, 1934. Retrieved March 26, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "SMOKY MOUNTAIN". The Palm Beach Post. AP. November 30, 1936. Retrieved March 26, 2017 – via newspapers.com.