Charleston Golden Eagles football

Charleston Golden Eagles football
2025 Charleston Golden Eagles football team
First season	1904;121 years ago (1904)
Athletic director	Bren Stevens
Head coach	Michael Tesch 1st season, 1–0 (1.000)
Stadium	University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field (capacity: 18,500)
Field surface	Artificial Turf
Location	Charleston, West Virginia
NCAA division	Division II
Conference	Mountain East Conference
Past conferences	Independent (1904–1924, 2003–2004) WVIAC (1925–1956, 2005–2012)
All-time record	299–284–19 (.512)
Bowl record	3–1 (.750)
Playoff appearances	3 2015, 2023, 2024
Playoff record	1–3 (.250)
Conference titles	9 1938, 1942, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 2023, 2024
Division titles	1 2020
Rivalries	West Virginia State Concord
Consensus All-Americans	1
Colors	Maroon and gold [1]
Website	Charleston Golden Eagles football

The Charleston Golden Eagles football program represents University of Charleston in college football at the NCAA Division II level as a member of the Mountain East Conference (MEC). ^[2] The Golden Eagles play home games at University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field in Charleston, West Virginia.

History

The University of Charleston, located in Charleston, West Virginia, first fielded a football team in 1904 when the institution was known as Morris Harvey College until the conclusion of the 1956 season.. The program competed intermittently in its early decades and was a member of the WVIAC.

After a 47-year hiatus, the University of Charleston revived its football program in 2003, joining the WVIAC once again. The program re-established itself in NCAA Division II competition and, upon the WVIAC’s dissolution in 2012, became a charter member of the Mountain East Conference (MEC) in 2013.

Under head coach Pat Kirkland, who took over in 2011, the Golden Eagles enjoyed a historic season in 2015, finishing 10–2, claiming a share of the MEC championship, and earning the program’s first berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs. ^[3]

Championships

Conference championships

Year	Conference	Coach	Record	Conference record
1938	WVIAC	Thurman Ward	8–1–1	7–0–1
1942		Cebe Ross	6–1–2	4–0
1948		Eddie King	5–2–2	3–0–1
1950			10–0	5–0
1951			6–3–1	4–0
1953			6–4–1	4–0
1954			8–2	4–0
2023	MEC	Quinn Sanders	10–2	8–1
2024			11–1	9–0

Sources: ^[2]

Division championships

For the 2020 season, the Mountain East Conference decided to play a division format.

Year	Division	Coach	Opponent	CG Result
2020	Mountain East Conference - South	Pat Kirkland	Notre Dame (OH)	L 34-51

sources: ^[4]

Rivalries

Primary UC Golden Eagles Football Rivalries: All-Time Records

Name of rivalry	Rival	Games played	First meeting	Last meeting	UC Won	UC Lost	Ties	Streak	Latest win
Kanawha Classic [5]	West Virginia State Yellow Jackets	20	2005	2024	17	3	0	2 wins	2024, 52-17
Charleston - Concord rivalry [6]	Concord Mountain Lions	41	1922	2024	24	15	2	2 wins	2024, 42-17
Totals		61			41	18	2

Sources: ^{[7] [8]}

Awards and honors

National awards

Legend
† Consensus All-American

Morris Harvey College / University of Charleston All-Americans

Year Player Pos. 1st Team 2nd Team Ref. 1950 Leon McCoy OL — AP 2006 Blake Burr DL DH — 2011 Jordan Roberts RB — DH [9] 2012 Jordan Roberts RB — DH [10] 2015 Brett Benes P AP; AFCA D2F Torie Wagner CB — DH 2016 Brett Benes P — AFCA Ninon Washington DB — AFCA 2018 John Cominsky DL D2F — [11] Kahzin Daniels DL — D2F 2019 Mike Strachan WR — AFCA; DH [12] 2023 Chavon Wright RB — DH 2024 Donovan McCollister OL — AFCA; D2CCA [13] † Chavon Wright RB AFCA; D2CCA; WC; D2F; AP; DH — [14] [15] [16] [17]

Abbreviations:
AFCA – AFCA Division II Coaches’
D2CCA – Division II Conference Commissioners Association
AP – Associated Press
D2F – D2Football.com
DH – Don Hansen Division II All-America Team
WC – Walter Camp Division II All-America Team

Notable alumni

Players Drafted into the NFL

Morris Harvey College / University of Charleston
Players Drafted

Year	Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL team
1943	Verlin Adams	Guard	31	291	New York Giants
1951	Charlie Hubbard	Defensive End	27	326	New York Giants
2019	John Cominsky	Defensive End	4	135	Atlanta Falcons
2021	Mike Strachan	Wide Receiver	7	229	Indianapolis Colts

^{[18] [19]}

Former Players Who Played in the NFL

• Verlin Adams — Defensive end/tackle/guard/linebacker who played in the NFL from 1943 to 1945; drafted by the New York Giants in the 31st round of the 1943 NFL draft. ^[20]
• Jimmy Carr — Defensive back/linebacker/halfback who played nine NFL seasons from 1955 to 1965; starter on the 1960 Philadelphia Eagles NFL Championship team. ^[21]
• John Cominsky — Defensive end drafted in the 4th round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons. ^[22]
• Kahzin Daniels — Linebacker who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2019; played one season. ^[23]
• Billy Jones — Guard who played one NFL season in 1947. ^[24]
• Tyreik McAllister – Running back who was a member of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024; currently a free agent. ^[25]
• Rich Mostardi — Defensive back who played from 1960 to 1962; drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 12th round of the 1960 NFL draft; also played for the Oakland Raiders. ^[26]
• Harry Seltzer — Fullback who played one NFL season in 1942. ^[27]
• Mike Strachan — Wide receiver drafted in the 7th round of the 2021 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts; played from 2021 to 2023. ^[28]
• Al Thacker — Guard who played one NFL season in 1942. ^[29]
• Frank Turbert — Halfback who played one NFL season in 1944. ^[30]

Former Players Who Became Coaches

• Jimmy Carr - (1951-1954) Played nine seasons in the NFL as a defensive back for the Chicago Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Redskins, and spent one season in the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes in 1958. He was the starting left cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles during their 1960 NFL Championship season. Following his playing career, Carr served as an NFL assistant coach for 24 seasons (1966–1993) with the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, and Atlanta Falcons.
• Luke Baker - (2009–2011) Current head coach at Fairmont State University.
• Quinn Sanders – (2008–2011) Former head coach at the University of Charleston (2022–2024), current offensive coordinator at Northern Illinois University.

Seasons

Legend
† Conference champions  ‡ Division champions   Bowl game berth   Playoff berth (NCAA DII)

List of Charleston Golden Eagles football seasons

Season	Team	Head coach	Conference	Division	Regular season results							Postseason	Final ranking
					Overall			Conference					AFCA Poll	D2Football.com
					Win	Loss	Tie	Win	Loss	Tie	Finish
Charleston Golden Eagles
1904	1904	Walter O. Ropp	Independent	—	2	0		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1905	1905				0	1		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1906	1906				0	1		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1907	1907				2	3		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1908	1908	No Coach			3	0		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1909	1909				0	3		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1910	1910	Kemper Shelton			0	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1911	1911				4	3		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1912	1912				2	2		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1913	1913				2	2	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1914	1914	Diener			0	4		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1915	1915	No Coach			0	0		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1916	1916	Diener			0	2		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1917	1917	Herman R. Beckelheimer			2	4	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1918	1918				0	0		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1919	1919	W.W. Lovell			1	5		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1920	1920	Brownie Fulton			5	2		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1921	1921	Herman R. Beckelheimer			6	3		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1922	1922				4	4	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1923	1923				0	8		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1924	1924	H.J. Hindman	WVIAC		0	4						—	—	—
1925	1925				1	6		0	3		DNQ	—	—	—
1926	1926	Brownie Fulton			3	6		0	3		DNQ	—	—	—
1927	1927				3	4	1	1	2		DNQ	—	—	—
1928	1928				2	9		1	6		11th	—	—	—
1929	1929	A.E. Rezzonico			0	11		0	8		14th	—	—	—
1930	1930	Frank Arritt			2	5	2	1	3	2	8th	—	—	—
1931	1931	Gibby Welch			5	5		4	5		3rd	—	—	—
1932	1932	Red Weaver			0	9		0	4		7th
1933	1933				1	8		0	5		7th
1934	1934	Walter Walker			3	5	1	3	2	1	3rd
1935	1935				2	7		2	4		4th
1936	1936	Homer C. Martin			0	9		0	7		9th
1937	1937	Thurman Ward			5	4		3	4		4th
1938	1938†				8	1	1	7	0	1	1st
1939	1939				6	3	1	2	2	1	4th
1940	1940				5	3	1	4	1	1	3rd
1941	1941				5	3	1	3	0	1	2nd
1942	1942†	Cebe Ross			6	1	2	4	0		1st
1943	No team — World War II
1944
1945
1946	1946	Alderson Propps / Eddie King	WVIAC	—	2	5		2	3		7th
1947	1947	Eddie King			4	5		3	3		7th
1948	1948†				5	2	2	3	0	1	1st
1949	1949				7	2	2	3	1		3rd
1950	1950†				10	0		5	0		1st	1951 Tangerine Bowl: (W) Emory and Henry, 12-0
1951	1951†				6	3	1	4	0		1st	1951 Burley Bowl: (W) Lebanon Valley, 27-20
1952	1952				6	3		4	0		2nd
1953	1953†				6	4	1	4	0		1st	1954 Elks Bowl: (W) East Carolina, 12-0
1954	1954†				8	2		4	0		1st	1954 Cigar Bowl: (L) Tampa, 0-21
1955	1955				4	5		2	0		DNQ
1956	1956				5	4		1	0		DNQ
2003	2003	Mike Springston	Independent	—	2	9					—	—	—	—
2004	2004				3	7					—	—	—	—
2005	2005	Tony DeMeo	WVIAC		8	3		6	2		3rd	—	—	—
2006	2006				5	6		4	3		T–2nd	—	—	—
2007	2007				8	3		6	2		T–2nd	—	—	—
2008	2008				7	4		5	3		T–4th	—	—	—
2009	2009				9	2		6	2		T–2nd	—	23	—
2010	2010				6	5		4	4		T–5th	—	—	—
2011	2011	Pat Kirkland			5	6		5	3		T–4th	—	—	—
2012	2012				9	2		6	2		T–2nd	—	25	—
2013	2013		MEC		6	5		6	3		3rd	—	—	—
2014	2014				8	3		7	3		T–3rd	—	—	—
2015	2015				10	2		9	1		2nd	NCAA Division II Playoffs – First Round (L)	20	—
2016	2016				3	8		3	7		T–6th	—	—	—
2017	2017				4	6		4	6		T–4th	—	—	—
2018	2018				6	5		6	4		4th	—	—	—
2019	2019				8	3		7	3		2nd	—	—	—
2020	2020 ‡			South	3	1		3	0		1st(South)	—	—	—
2021	2021			—	8	2		8	2		2nd	—	—	—
2022	2022	Quinn Sanders			6	5		6	4		T–4th	—	—	—
2023	2023 †				10	2		8	1		1st	NCAA Division II Playoffs – Second Round (L)	19	18
2024	2024 †				11	1		9	0		1st	NCAA Division II Playoffs – First Round (L)	15	18
Totals (1904–2024)					All-time: 298–284–19 (.512)			Conference: 118–55 (.682)			—	Postseason: 4–4 (.500)	—	—

• • Note: The University of Charleston, then known as Morris Harvey College, discontinued its football program after the 1956 season and reinstated it in 2003.

^{[31] [32] [33]}

Undefeated regular seasons

University of Charleston Undefeated Regular Seasons

Year	Overall Record	Conference Record	Head Coach	Notes
1950	9–0	5–0	Eddie King	Won 1951 Tangerine Bowl; finished season 10–0 including postseason
2024	11–0	9-0	Quinn Sanders	Undefeated in the regular season, but lost in the first round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs

Top 25 finishes

University of Charleston football notable regular seasons

Year	Head coach	Record	AFCA	D2Football
2009	Tony DeMeo	9–2	No. 23	—
2012	Pat Kirkland	9–2	No. 25	—
2015	Pat Kirkland	10–2	No. 20	—
2023	Quinn Sanders	10–2	No. 19	No. 18
2024	Quinn Sanders	11–1	No. 15	No. 18

Sources: ^[2]

Records vs Opponents

Record vs. Current MEC Members

Charleston is a founding member of the Mountain East Conference, joining at the league’s inception in the 2013–14 academic year.

Opponent	First Meeting	Wins	Losses	Ties	Total Meetings	Ref
Concord Mountain Lions	1922	24	15	2	41	[34]
‡ Davis & Elkins Senators	1921	8	6	2	16
Fairmont State Falcons	1928	16	8	1	25	[35]
Frostburg State Bobcats	2019	2	3	0	5	[36]
Glenville State Pioneers	1920	24	16	0	40
West Virginia State Yellow Jackets	2005	17	3	0	20	[37]
West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats	1910	21	7	2	30
West Liberty Hilltoppers	1927	19	14	1	34	[38]
Wheeling Cardinals	2019	4	0	0	4	[39]
Total		135	72	8	215

‡ – School is currently a member of the Mountain East Conference but no longer sponsors a football program.
^[40]

Record vs. current FBS & FCS schools

Since its inaugural season in 1904, the Charleston Golden Eagles football program has competed against numerous opponents that are now members of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The FBS, originally known as Division I-A, and the FCS, formerly Division I-AA, were established in 1978.

Year	Opponent	Result	Opponent's Conference	Opponent's Head Coach	Golden Eagles Head Coach
2019	Valparaiso Beacons	19-13	Pioneer Football League	Landon Fox	Pat Kirkland
2013	Southern Illinois Salukis	10-31	Missouri Valley	Dale Lennon	Pat Kirkland
2006	Austin Peay Governors	10-49	Independent	Carroll McCray	Tony DeMeo
2005	Austin Peay Governors	27-19	Pioneer Football League	Carroll McCray	Tony DeMeo
2004	Charleston Southern Buccaneers	21-38	Big South Conference	Jay Mills	Mike Springston
2004	Austin Peay Governors	20-28	Pioneer Football League	Carroll McCray	Mike Springston
2004	Coastal Carolina Chanticleers	13-48	Big South Conference	David Bennett	Mike Springston
2004	Morehead State Eagles	3-49	Pioneer Football League	Matt Ballard	Mike Springston
2003	Morehead State Eagles	10-48	Pioneer Football League	Matt Ballard	Mike Springston
2003	Coastal Carolina Chanticleers	0-47	Big South Conference	David Bennett	Mike Springston
1956	Marshall Thundering Herd	13-25	Mid-American Conference		Eddie King
1956	Youngstown State Penguins	6-0	Independent		Eddie King
1956	Eastern Kentucky Colonels	7-13	Ohio Valley Conference		Eddie King
1956	Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders	6-0	Ohio Valley Conference		Eddie King
1956	East Carolina Pirates	28-0	Conference Carolinas (known as the North State Conference in 1956)		Eddie King
1955	Marshall Thundering Herd	7-46	Mid-American Conference		Eddie King
1955	Morehead State Eagles	40-7	Ohio Valley Conference		Eddie King
1955	Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders	7-14	Conference Carolinas (known as the North State Conference in 1955)		Eddie King
1955	Youngstown State Penguins	14-12	Independent		Eddie King
1955	Eastern Kentucky Colonels	6-20	Ohio Valley Conference		Eddie King
1954	Marshall Thundering Herd	14-25	Mid-American Conference		Eddie King
1954	Morehead State Eagles	45-7	Ohio Valley Conference		Eddie King
1953	Appalachian State Mountaineers	6-26	Conference Carolinas (known as the North State Conference in 1953)		Eddie King
1953	Ohio Bobcats	7-38	Mid-American Conference	Carroll Widdoes	Eddie King
1953	Marshall Thundering Herd	14-14	Independent		Eddie King
1953	East Carolina Pirates (1954 Elks Bowl)	12-0	Conference Carolinas (known as the North State Conference in 1953)		Eddie King
1952	Ohio Bobcats	6-20	Mid-American Conference	Carroll Widdoes	Eddie King
1952	Marshall Thundering Herd	14-13	Independent		Eddie King
1952	Appalachian State Mountaineers	34-13	Conference Carolinas (known as the North State Conference in 1955)		Eddie King
1951	Ohio Bobcats	0-26	Mid-American Conference	Carroll Widdoes	Eddie King
1951	Kent State Golden Flashes	14-14	Mid-American Conference		Eddie King
1951	Marshall Thundering Herd	0-19	Ohio Valley Conference		Eddie King
1950	Kent State Golden Flashes	7-0	Ohio Athletic Conference		Eddie King
1949	Bowling Green Falcons	21-0	Independent		Eddie King
1949	Appalachian State Mountaineers	21-12	(known as the North State Conference in 1955)		Eddie King
1948	Bowling Green Falcons	6-48	Independent		Eddie King
1947	Marshall Thundering Herd	6-40			Eddie King
1946	Youngstown State Penguins	14-28			Eddie King
1946	Marshall Thundering Herd	0-34	West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference		Eddie King
1946	Morehead State Eagles	6-39	River States Conference		Alderson Propps

Charleston vs. in-state schools

The following table lists the University of Charleston's all-time football record against other colleges and universities located in West Virginia.

Record vs. in-state opponents

Opponent	First meeting	Wins	Losses	Ties	Total meetings	Current conference	Notes
Alderson Broaddus	2015	3	1	0	4	Discontinued its football program when the university closed after the 2022 season
Bethany	1912	5	2	0	7	Presidents' Athletic Conference
Concord	1922	24	15	2	41	Mountain East Conference	[41]
Davis & Elkins	1921	8	6	2	16	Mountain East Conference
Fairmont State	1928	16	8	1	25	Mountain East Conference	[42]
Glenville State	1920	24	16	0	40	Mountain East Conference
Marshall	1906	4	20	2	26	Sun Belt Conference
Potomac State	1937	2	3	0	5	Discontinued its football program
Salem	1923	6	8	0	14	Discontinued its football program after the 1988 season	[43]
Shepherd	1949	4	12	0	16	Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference	[44]
West Liberty	1927	19	14	1	34	Mountain East Conference	[45]
West Virginia State	2005	17	3	0	20	Mountain East Conference	[46]
West Virginia	1913	0	0	1	1	Big 12 Conference
West Virginia Tech	1921	15	12	0	27	Discontinued its football program after the 2011 season	[47]
West Virginia Wesleyan	1910	21	7	2	30	Mountain East Conference
Total		168	127	11	306

^{[48] [49]}

References

1. UC Branding Manual (PDF). Retrieved August 4, 2016.
2. "UC Football Decade Page" (PDF). s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
3. https://www.ncaa.com/history/football/d2
4. "2020 Football Standings (To be Played in Spring 2021)".
5. "UC Football takes MEC South Title with Kanawha Classic win over WVSU". WOWK 13 News. April 11, 2021.
6. "UC Football takes MEC South Title with Kanawha Classic win over WVSU". WOWK 13 News. April 11, 2021.
7. "Football History vs West Virginia State University".
8. "SINCE 1998 - All-time Game Results".
9. https://static.iupathletics.com/custompages/Football/2011/FB%20GAZ%20A-ATEAM2011.pdf
10. https://static.cspbears.com/custompages/Files/Football/Releases/2012/Hansen-allamerica-team-2012.pdf
11. https://www.d2football.com/2018-d2football.com-all-america-team/
12. https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2019-12-03/2019-dii-football-afca-all-americans
13. "Wright Named to AFCA, D2 CAA All-America Teams". December 19, 2024.
14. "Wright Named to AFCA, D2 CAA All-America Teams". December 19, 2024.
15. https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/nsuwolvesathletics.com/documents/2025/1/8/EMBARGOED_-_2024_Walter_Camp_Division_II_All-America_Team.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
16. "Central Missouri's Zach Zebrowski among 4 repeat first-team picks on AP Division II All-America team". Associated Press News . December 18, 2024.
17. https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/hsu.sidearmsports.com/documents/2025/1/5/allamerica-team-2024.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
18. "NFL Draft - Players from Charleston | the Football Database".
19. "Golden Eagles See Three to the National Football League". April 22, 2025.
20. Verlin Adams at Pro Football Reference
21. Jimmy Carr at Pro Football Reference
22. John Cominsky at Pro Football Reference
23. "Partially blind Kahzin Daniels signing with Buccaneers". NFL.com .
24. Billy Jones at Pro Football Reference
25. Tyreik McAllister at Pro Football Reference
26. Rich Mostardi at Pro Football Reference
27. Harry Seltzer at Pro Football Reference
28. Mike Strachan at Pro Football Reference
29. Al Thacker at Pro Football Reference
30. Frank Turbert at Pro Football Reference
31. https://ucgoldeneagles.com/documents/2014/8/27/Morris_Harvey_Football.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
32. https://ucgoldeneagles.com/documents/2016/12/13/UC%20Football%20Decade%20Page.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
33. https://www.d2football.com/d2football.com-top-25-poll17349039580709/
34. https://cumountainlions.com/documents/2024/11/11/Football_Record_Book.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
35. https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/fairmontst.sidearmsports.com/documents/2023/11/9/2023_Football_Record_Book.pdf
36. "Football History vs Frostburg State University".
37. "SINCE 1998 - All-time Game Results".
38. "Football 2024 All Time Series Records DONE 52825" (PDF).
39. "Football History vs Wheeling University".
40. Insert relevant UC or conference media guide references here
41. https://cumountainlions.com/documents/2024/11/11/Football_Record_Book.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
42. https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/fairmontst.sidearmsports.com/documents/2023/11/9/2023_Football_Record_Book.pdf
43. "Morris Harvey Team History" (PDF).
44. "2024Fbresults" (PDF).
45. "Football 2024 All Time Series Records DONE 52825" (PDF).
46. "SINCE 1998 - All-time Game Results".
47. "Morris Harvey Team History" (PDF).
48. https://ucgoldeneagles.com/documents/2014/8/27/Morris_Harvey_Football.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
49. https://ucgoldeneagles.com/documents/2016/12/13/UC%20Football%20Decade%20Page.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}

External links

• Official website