Western Illinois Leathernecks football
| Western Illinois Leathernecks football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1903 | ||
| Athletic director | Danielle Surprenant | ||
| Head coach | Myers Hendrickson 1st season, 0–0 (–) | ||
| Stadium | Hanson Field (capacity: 16,368) | ||
| Field surface | Matrix Turf | ||
| Location | Macomb, Illinois | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Missouri Valley | ||
| All-time record | 509–438–38 (.536) | ||
| Bowl record | 2–1 (.667) | ||
| Playoff appearances | 10 | ||
| Playoff record | 7–9 (Div. I FCS) 0–1 (Div. II) | ||
| Conference titles | 13 1939, 1942, 1949, 1958, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1981, 1988, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002 | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 59 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Website | goleathernecks.com | ||
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.[4] The school's first football team was fielded in 1903. The team plays its home games at the 16,368 seat Hanson Field.
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. 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]
Conference affiliations
| Years | Conference | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| 1903–1914 | Independent | |
| 1915–1949 | 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 |
| 1985–1991 | Gateway Collegiate Athletic | Division I-AA |
| 1992–2005 | Gateway Football | Division I-AA |
| 2006–2007 | Gateway Football | Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) |
| 2008–present | Missouri Valley Football | 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–present | Myers Hendrickson |
† Acting head coach first seven games of 2008 season and last eight games of 2009 season.
Records
| Year | Overall Record | Conference Record | Conference Finish (Total teams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 5-5 | 2-3 | 3rd (6) |
| 1986 | 6-5 | 3-3 | 4th (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) |
Stadium
Hanson Field
Hanson Field is a 16,368-seat multi-purpose stadium in Macomb, Illinois, USA.[8] The stadium which opened in 1950 is home to the Western Illinois Leathernecks football team and track and field team. The field is named after former WIU football coach/A.D. and Marine legend Rock Hanson. A unique feature of the facility is an extensive hillside that surrounds the field allowing for additional seating for thousands of spectators. Outside the stadium, a statue of former WIU track and field coach and two time Olympic gold medalist Lee Calhoun stands and a bulldog statue is located at the main entrance.
Highest-Scoring Game
On September 11, 2004, Western Illinois defeated Division II Cheyney State 98–7.
College Football Hall of Fame members
Coaches
Notable former players
Notable alumni
- Don Beebe
- David Bowens
- Sam Clemons
- Bryan Cox
- Rodney Harrison
- Leroy Jackson
- Lance Lenoir
- Khalen Saunders
- Mike Scifres
- Rich Seubert
- Aaron Stecker
- Brett Taylor
- Mike Wagner
- Jason Williams
- Frank Winters
Western Illinois Leathernecks selected in the NFL Draft
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.
- ^ "Missouri Valley Football Conference Records" (PDF). Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
- ^ "Hanson Field". goleathernecks.com. Retrieved 2015-01-12.