Western Carolina Catamounts football

Last updated
Western Carolina Catamounts football
AmericanFootball current event.svg 2024 Western Carolina Catamounts football team
WCU Athletics wordmark.png
First season1931
Athletic directorAlex Gary
Head coach Kerwin Bell
3rd in season, 15–13 (.536)
Stadium E. J. Whitmire Stadium
(capacity: 13,742)
FieldBob Waters Field
Location Cullowhee, North Carolina
NCAA division Division I FCS
Conference Southern Conference
All-time record341–502–23 (.407)
Bowl record0–1–0 (.000)
Playoff appearances2
Playoff record3–2
Rivalries Appalachian State - dormant (rivalry)
East Tennessee State
ColorsPurple and gold [1]
   
Fight songFight On You Catamounts
MascotPaws
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 364–540–23, have made two postseason appearances, and have played in one national championship game.

Contents

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.

TenureCoachRecordPct.
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
1989Dale Strahm3–7–1.318
1990–1996Steve Hodgin31–45.408
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 17–16.515

Postseason

Classifications

Conference memberships

†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, making it to the national championship game, with an overall record of 3–1.

YearRoundOpponentResult
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.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1974 First Round Louisiana Tech L, 7–10

Yearly results

YearCoachWinLossTie
1931 C.C. Poindexter 440
1932 C.C. Poindexter 290
1933 C.C. Poindexter 162
1934 C.C. Poindexter 370
1935 Ralph James 1100
1936 Ralph James 270
1937 Ralph James 162
1938 Ralph James 071
1939 James Whatley 161
1940 James Whatley 240
1941 James Whatley 350
1945 Marion McDonald 130
1946 Tom Young 631
1947 Tom Young 351
1948 Tom Young 730
1949 Tom Young 830
1950 Tom Young 360
1951 Tom Young 360
1952 Tom Young 280
1953 Tom Young 190
1954 Tom Young 451
1955 Tom Young 271
1956 Dan Robinson 190
1957 Dan Robinson 251
1958 Dan Robinson 181
1959 Dan Robinson 721
1960 Dan Robinson 650
1961 Dan Robinson 460
1962 Dan Robinson 351
1963 Dan Robinson 261
1964 Dan Robinson 540
1965 Dan Robinson 720
1966 Dan Robinson 550
1967 Dan Robinson 451
1968 Dan Robinson 450
1969 Bob Waters 910
1970 Bob Waters 630
1971 Bob Waters 460
1972 Bob Waters 721
1973 Bob Waters 631
1974 Bob Waters 920
1975 Bob Waters 370
1976 Bob Waters 640
1977 Bob Waters 641
1978 Bob Waters 650
1979 Bob Waters 650
1980 Bob Waters 371
1981 Bob Waters 470
1982 Bob Waters 650
1983 Bob Waters 1131
1984 Bob Waters 830
1985 Bob Waters 461
1986 Bob Waters 650
1987 Bob Waters 470
1988 Bob Waters 290
1989 Dale Strahm 371
1990 Steve Hodgin 380
1991 Steve Hodgin 290
1992 Steve Hodgin 740
1993 Steve Hodgin 650
1994 Steve Hodgin 650
1995 Steve Hodgin 370
1996 Steve Hodgin 470
1997 Bill Bleil 380
1998 Bill Bleil 650
1999 Bill Bleil 380
2000 Bill Bleil 470
2001 Bill Bleil 740
2002 Kent Briggs 560
2003 Kent Briggs 570
2004 Kent Briggs 470
2005 Kent Briggs 540
2006 Kent Briggs 290
2007 Kent Briggs 1100
2008 Dennis Wagner 390
2009 Dennis Wagner 290
2010 Dennis Wagner 290
2011 Dennis Wagner 1100
2012 Mark Speir 1100
2013 Mark Speir 2100
2014 Mark Speir 750
2015 Mark Speir 740
2016 Mark Speir 290
2017 Mark Speir 750
2018 Mark Speir 380
2019 Mark Speir 390
2020* Mark Speir 180
2021 Kerwin Bell 470
2022 Kerwin Bell 650
2023 Kerwin Bell 740
Total36454023

*2020 fall season was played in the spring of 2021 due to Covid-19 [4] [5]

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. Appalachian State's biggest win is 54-7 in 1939 and Western Carolina's biggest win is 44-14 in 1977.

East Tennessee State - Blue Ridge Border Battle

While Western Carolina and ETSU have played each other since 1932, the Blue Ridge Border Battle was started in 2018 which introduced a traveling trophy known as 'the Rock' which features a rock from the Appalachian Trail. The first Blue Ridge Border Battle game was in 2018, with ETSU winning in triple overtime 45-43. The two schools played annually from 1975-2003 as members of the Southern Conference until ETSU discontinued its football program after the 2003 season. The series resumed in 2016 when ETSU restarted its program and rejoined the Southern Conference with the game being played at Bristol Motor Speedway, which was won by ETSU 34-31. Western Carolina leads the series 26-25-1. Western Carolina's biggest win is 58-7 in 2023 and ETSU's biggest win is 49-10 in 1996.

Catamounts in the NFL

PlayerPositionYears in NFL
Steve WilliamsDE1974
Eddie McGillTE1982–1983
Dean Biasucci K1984–1995
Tiger Greene DB1985–1990
Louis Cooper LB1985–1993
Clyde Simmons DE1986–2000
Leonard WilliamsRB1987
Fred DavisDB1987
Kirk RoachK1988 -1989
Tony Jones OL1988–2000
Willie J. Williams DB1993–2005
Andrew JordanTE1994–2001
David Patten WR1997–2008
Brad Hoover FB2000–2009
Detrez Newsome RB2018–2018
Keion Crossen DB2018–2022

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of December 8, 2022. [6]

202320242025202620272028202920302031
at Arkansas at NC State Gardner–Webb at Georgia
at Eastern Kentucky Campbell at Wake Forest
Charleston Southern at Montana Elon
at Elon at Campbell

See also

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The 1977 Western Carolina Catamounts team represented Western Carolina University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. The Catamounts were led by ninth-year head coach Bob Waters and played their home games at E. J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The finished the season with an overall record of 6–4–1 and a mark of 2–2–1 in conference play, placing fifth in the SoCon.

The 2002 Western Carolina Catamounts team represented Western Carolina University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) in the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Catamounts were led by first-year head coach head coach Kent Briggs and played their home games at Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Western Carolina compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, tying for fifth place in the SoCon.

References

  1. ↑ Western Carolina University Athletic Guidelines (PDF). October 1, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Catamount Grid, Cage Schedules Are Announced" . Asheville Citizen-Times . Asheville, North Carolina. June 26, 1934. Retrieved March 26, 2017– via newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "SMOKY MOUNTAIN" . The Palm Beach Post . AP. November 30, 1936. Retrieved March 26, 2017– via newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "SoCon postpones fall conference competition". soconsports.com. 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  5. ↑ "WCU Football Record Book (2023) (PDF)" (PDF). Western Carolina University. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  6. ↑ "Western Carolina Catamounts Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
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