The Lone Star Conference (LSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the South Central states, with schools in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, with two members in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon and Washington competing as affiliates for football only.
Kliff Timothy Kingsbury is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, finishing in the top three in several school passing records before being selected in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. He was a member of several other NFL and CFL teams before entering coaching in 2008.
Darrin Earl Chiaverini is an American college football coach and former wide receiver. He is the head football coach for Northeastern State University, a position he has held since 2024. He played college football at Colorado. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.
The Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions are the athletic teams that represent Texas A&M University–Commerce, located in Commerce, Texas, in NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports. The Lions compete as members of the Southland Conference for all 12 varsity sports. Texas A&M University–Commerce previously played in the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference from 1931 to 2022.
Philip Todd Whitten is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Tarleton State University, a position he held in 1996, from 2000 to 2004, and resumed before the 2016 season. Whitten was head football coach at Sam Houston State University from 2005 to 2009.
The West Texas A&M Buffaloes football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the West Texas A&M University located in the U.S. state of Texas. The team competes in Division II and are members of the Lone Star Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1910. Since 2019, the Buffaloes have played their home games at the 8,500 seat on-campus Bain–Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium. The team formerly played at the 20,000 seat Kimbrough Memorial Stadium. They are coached by Josh Lynn.
The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) located in the U.S. state of Texas. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as members of the Southland Conference, which SFA rejoins for the 2024 season after a three-year absence. SFA had played the 2023 season in the United Athletic Conference (UAC), newly formed for the 2023 season as a merger of the football leagues of SFA's previous home of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). It replaced an alliance between the two conferences that operated in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Mike Nesbitt is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach for Ottawa University in Surprise, Arizona, a position he has held since 2018. He served as the head football coach at West Texas A&M University from 2013 to 2016, compiling a record of 25–17. Nesbitt was the offensive coordinator for the Houston Cougars football team at the University of Houston at the start of the 2012 college football season. He previously served as the offensive coordinator at Stephen F. Austin State University, West Texas A&M, and Blinn College. His 2006 Blinn team won the NJCAA national championship, and his 2010 West Texas A&M team ranked second in the nation with an average of 529 yards per game in total offense.
Jacob Stephen Spavital is an American college football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Baylor Bears. He previously served as the offensive coordinator at Cal Golden Bears in 2023.
The Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team is the college football program representing Texas A&M University–Commerce. The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I FCS of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Prior to joining the Southland, they competed in the Lone Star Conference of Division II. The A&M–Commerce football team plays its home games at Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. On Dec. 16, 2017, A&M-Commerce won its first NCAA Division II national championship, by defeating West Florida, 37-27, in Kansas City. The Lions recorded a perfect record in 1934, won the NAIA National Championship in 1972, and have amassed a total of 24 LSC conference championships since joining as a charter member in 1931. On September 28, 2021, the university accepted an invitation from the Southland Conference, moving the university's athletics programs up to the NCAA Division I level. This ended a 90-year affiliation with the Lone Star Conference, as A&M-Commerce was the last founding member remaining. The football team began competing at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level starting with the 2022 season.
Colby Don Carthel is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, a position he has held since December 2018. Carthel served as the head football coach at Texas A&M University–Commerce from 2013 to 2018, leading the 2017 Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team to an NCAA Division II Football Championship title. Prior to his time as head coach, he was the defensive coordinator under his father, Don Carthel, at West Texas A&M University, from 2006 to 2012. Carthel played football at Angelo State University, where he was an all-conference linebacker.
The 2013 Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team represented Texas A&M University-Commerce in the 2013 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by head coach Colby Carthel, who was in his first season at A&M-Commerce. The Lions played their home games at Memorial Stadium and were members of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The Lions finished fifth in the LSC, and their 7–5 record was their first season above .500 since 2001. They were selected to participate in the Live United Texarkana Bowl, their first postseason appearance since the 1995 NCAA Division II playoffs.
The 2012 West Texas A&M Buffaloes football team represented West Texas A&M University in the 2012 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference. The Buffaloes ended the regular season with 9–2 record which was enough to claim a share of the Lone Star Conference title and to qualify for the NCAA tournament as a six seed in region 4. West Texas A&M went on to win the NCAA Super Region Four Tournament but ended the season with a loss to Winston-Salem State in the National semi-final. With the 57–20 win over Western State on September 8, eighth-year head coach Don Carthel tied former head coach Joe Kerbel for the most wins in school history with 68, passing him a week later with win over Texas A&M–Kingsville. The Buffaloes had multiple shutouts for first time since 2008.
The 2005 West Texas A&M Buffaloes football team represented West Texas A&M University in the 2005 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The Buffaloes were led by first-year head coach Don Carthel and played their games at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium in Canyon, Texas.
Kenneth C. Hrncir is an American college football coach and former quarterback. He is the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the University of Texas Permian Basin, positions he has held since 2024. He originally played for the East Central Tigers before transferring to the UT Permian Basin Falcons.
The 2006 West Texas A&M Buffaloes football team represented West Texas A&M University during the 2006 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The Buffaloes were led by second-year head coach Don Carthel and played their home games at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium in Canyon, Texas.
The 2014 West Texas A&M Buffaloes football team represented West Texas A&M University in the 2014 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The Buffaloes were led by second-year head coach Mike Nesbitt. Nesbitt led the Buffaloes through the 2013 season under the interim tag and was promoted to full-time head coach following the season.
The 2013 West Texas A&M Buffaloes football team represented West Texas A&M University in the 2013 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The Buffaloes were led by first-year head coach Mike Nesbitt. The team played its home games at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium in Canyon, Texas. The Buffaloes finished the season with an overall record of 11–3 with a LSC record of 4–2, finishing third in the conference.
The 2009 West Texas A&M Buffaloes football team represented West Texas A&M University during the 2009 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The Buffaloes were led by fifth-year head coach Don Carthel and played their home games at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium in Canyon, Texas.
The 2010 West Texas A&M Buffaloes football team represented West Texas A&M University during the 2010 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The Buffaloes were led by sixth-year head coach Don Carthel and played their home games at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium in Canyon, Texas.
