Randy Sanders is a former American football coach.
The East Tennessee State Buccaneers are the 16 intercollegiate athletics teams that represent East Tennessee State University (ETSU), located in Johnson City, Tennessee. ETSU's teams include men and women's basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, and track and field; women's-only softball and volleyball; and men's-only baseball and football. The Buccaneers compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon).
The East Tennessee State Buccaneers football program is the intercollegiate American football team for East Tennessee State University (ETSU) located in Johnson City, Tennessee. The team was dormant from the end of the 2003 season until being reinstated for the 2015 season. They played all of their 2015 home games and all but one of their 2016 home games at Kermit Tipton Stadium before the opening of the new William B. Greene Jr. Stadium for the 2017 season. The remaining 2016 home game, against Western Carolina on September 17, was played at nearby Bristol Motor Speedway, which was already set up for football due to a game the prior week between the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech. Before ETSU dropped football, it competed in NCAA Division I as a Southern Conference (SoCon) football program. The revived program played as an independent in 2015 before returning to the SoCon in 2016.
The 1969 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team was an American football team that East Tennessee State University (ETSU) as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in the 1969 NCAA College Division football season. East Tennessee State completed an undefeated season, going 10–0–1 and capturing the OVC championship. This is the only undefeated season and the last conference championship for the program up until 2018. The team capped off the season by defeating Louisiana Tech and future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw in the Grantland Rice Bowl.
The Smoky Mountain Conference – officially the Smoky Mountain Athletic Conference – was an intercollegiate athletic conference that existed from December 1926 to October 1966. Most teams in the league were located in Tennessee, and there were at times teams from Virginia and North Carolina. The first commissioner of the league was W. O. "Chink" Lowe, who had played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers; he served as commissioner until September 1941.
The 1996 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team represented East Tennessee State University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by Mike Cavan in his fifth and final season as head coach, the Buccaneers compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, placing second in the SoCon behind Marshall. East Tennessee State advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they beat Villanova in the first round before falling to Montana in the quarterfinals.
The 1928 East Tennessee State Teachers football team was an American football team that represented East Tennessee State Teacher's College—now known as East Tennessee State University (ETSU)—as an independent in the 1927 college football season. They were led by fourth-year coach John Robinson. He was referred to affectionately as "Robbie" and was so popular that later the 1929 yearbook was dedicated to him. Robinson was assisted by William "Willie" Flinn Rogers, who taught history and government at the school from 1925 to 1928. For the first time since the program started, the 1928 squad had 28 men come out for football with 10 returning lettermen. As a result, the 1928 team was a success with their first winning record since the 1921 season, which included wins against high school competition. This season also marked the first time the school play rival Appalacchian State, which was then known as Appalachian Training School of Boone.
The 1935 East Tennessee State Teachers Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented State Teachers College, Johnson City—now known as East Tennessee State University (ETSU)—as a member of the Smoky Mountain Conference in the 1935 college football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Gene McMurray. The 1935 team marks the first time the football team was called the Buccaneers, which McMurray is credited with coining.
The 1937 East Tennessee State Teachers Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented State Teachers College, Johnson City—now known as East Tennessee State University (ETSU)—as a member of the Smoky Mountain Conference in the 1937 college football season. They were led by sixth-year head coach Gene McMurray. The 1937 team had their first losing season in six years.
The 1981 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented East Tennessee State University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Jack Carlisle, the Buccaneers compiled and overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 4–2 in conference play, placing third in the SoCon.
The 1946 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented East Tennessee State College (ETSC)—now known as East Tennessee State University—as an independent during the 1946 college football season. In their eleventh, non-consecutive year under head coach Gene McMurray, the team compiled a 7–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 125 to 56. It would be McMurray's last year as head coach, as he would take over the Physical Education Department at University of Mississippi in 1947. The win total from this season would not be equaled for 16 years and was a high-water mark for the program. The team would be dubbed "The Barefoot Boys" because half of the 70 members trying out for the team had no shoes due to poor funding and being ill-equipped. It took until only three days prior to the game against Brevard that enough shoes had been acquired to outfit the entire team.
The 1980 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented East Tennessee State University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by third-year head coach Jack Carlisle, the Buccaneers compiled and overall record of 2–9, with a mark of 1–4 in conference play, placing seventh in the SoCon.
The 1939 East Tennessee State Teachers Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented State Teachers College, Johnson City—now known as East Tennessee State University (ETSU)—as a member of the Smoky Mountain Conference in the 1939 college football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Gene McMurray, the Buccaneers compiled an overall record of 5–3 with a mark of 4–2 in conference play, tying for second place in the Smoky Mountain Conference. King's 19–7 win over East Tennessee State was forfeited to the Buccaneers in December 1939 when the Smokey Mountain Conference commissioner, William O. Lowe, determined that King had used 14 ineligible players in the game.
The 1947 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented East Tennessee State College (ETSC)—now known as East Tennessee State University—as an independent during the 1947 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Loyd Roberts the Buccaneers compiled a record of 5–4. The team was co-captained by Clyde Holsclaw and Joe Green. Roberts's only assistant coach was A. W."Bud" Carpenter, a former Buccaneer player and co-captain of the 1940 team. Funding and equipping the team was still a difficult issue with the total team budget including salaries at only $6,400.
The 1948 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented East Tennessee State College (ETSC)—now known as East Tennessee State University—as an independent during the 1948 college football season. Led by second-year head coach Loyd Roberts, the Buccaneers compiled a record of 6–2–1.
The 1950 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented East Tennessee State College (ETSC)—now known as East Tennessee State University—as a member of the Smoky Mountain Conference and the Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC) during the 1950 college football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Loyd Roberts, the Buccaneers compiled an overall a record of 3–5–1, with marks of 1–2–1 against Smoky Mountain opponents and 0–1–1 in VSAC play. This was the program's first losing record under Roberts and the first losing season since 1941. The team's co-captains were Mark Sutherland and Bob "Snake" Evans. The 1950 squad beat local rival Tusculum. They also tied Milligan in the final meeting between the two rivals as Milligan dropped football after the season. One of the few bright spots of the year was the transfer of Hal Morrison from Tennessee, as he became a record-setting target over the next three seasons. This was the first Buccaneer football team to receive athletic scholarships after the players had gone on strike the previous year.
The 1979 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented East Tennessee State University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by second-year head coach Jack Carlisle, the Buccaneers compiled and overall record of 7–4, with a mark of 2–3 in conference play, and finished sixth in the SoCon.
The 1982 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented East Tennessee State University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1982 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Jack Carlisle, the Buccaneers compiled and overall record of 2–9, with a mark of 2–5 in conference play, and finished seventh in the SoCon.
The 1951 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented East Tennessee State College (ETSC)—now known as East Tennessee State University—as a member of the Smoky Mountain Conference and the Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC) during the 1951 college football season. Led by Loyd Roberts in his fifth and final season as head coach, the Buccaneers compiled an overall a record of 4–5, with marks of 1–1 against Smoky Mountain opponents and in VSAC play. The team's co-captains were Kenneth "Birdlegs" Bryan and Gene "Shadow" Hall. The 1951 season was East Tennessee State's last as a member of the Smoky Mountain Conference.
The 1952 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented East Tennessee State College (ETSC)—now known as East Tennessee State University—as a member of the Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC) during the 1952 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Star Wood, the Buccaneers compiled an overall record of 6–1–2. East Tennessee State's made the program first bowl game appearance a with victory in the Burley Bowl over the Emory and Henry by the score of 34–16. The team captains were Hal Morrison and Cecil Maddux.
