This is a list of seasons completed by the Montana Grizzlies football team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Since the team's creation in 1893, the Grizzlies have participated in more than 1,100 officially sanctioned games. [1]
| Year | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | TSN° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Smith(Independent)(1897) | |||||||||
| 1897 | Fred Smith | 1–2–3 | |||||||
| Benjamin F. Searight (Independent)(1898) | |||||||||
| 1898 | Benjamin F. Searight | 3–2 | |||||||
| Guy Cleveland(Independent)(1899) | |||||||||
| 1899 | Guy Cleveland | 1–2 | |||||||
| Frank Bean(Independent)(1900–1901) | |||||||||
| 1900 | Frank Bean | 0–1 | |||||||
| 1901 | Frank Bean | 2–3 | |||||||
| Dewitt Peck (Independent)(1902) | |||||||||
| 1902 | Dewitt Peck | 0–2 | |||||||
| Hiram Conibear (Independent)(1903–1904) | |||||||||
| 1903 | Hiram Conibear | 2–5 | |||||||
| 1904 | Hiram Conibear | 3–2 | |||||||
| Frederick Schule (Independent)(1905–1906) | |||||||||
| 1905 | Frederick Schule | 2–3 | |||||||
| 1905 | Frederick Schule | 2–4 | |||||||
| Albion Findlay (Independent)(1907) | |||||||||
| 1907 | Albion Findlay | 4–1–1 | |||||||
| Roy White(Independent)(1908–1909) | |||||||||
| 1908 | Roy White | 1–2–1 | |||||||
| 1909 | Roy White | 6–0–1 | |||||||
| Robert H. Cary (Independent)(1910–1911) | |||||||||
| 1910 | Robert H. Cary | 3–2–1 | |||||||
| 1911 | Robert H. Cary | 2–1 | |||||||
| Wallace Philoon (Independent)(1912) | |||||||||
| 1912 | Wallace Philoon | 4–3 | |||||||
| A.G. Heilman (Independent)(1913–1914) | |||||||||
| 1913 | A.G. Heilman | 2–4 | |||||||
| 1914 | A.G. Heilman | 7–0–1 | |||||||
| Jerry Nissen (Independent)(1915–1917) | |||||||||
| 1915 | Jerry Nissen | 2–2–2 | |||||||
| 1916 | Jerry Nissen | 4–1–1 | |||||||
| 1917 | Jerry Nissen | 1–4 | |||||||
| 1918 | No team | ||||||||
| Bernie Bierman (Independent)(1919–1921) | |||||||||
| 1919 | Bernie Bierman | 2–3–2 | |||||||
| 1920 | Bernie Bierman | 4–3 | |||||||
| 1921 | Bernie Bierman | 3–3–1 | |||||||
| J.W. Stewart (Independent)(1922–1923) | |||||||||
| 1922 | J.W. Stewart | 3–4 | |||||||
| 1923 | J.W. Stewart | 4–4 | |||||||
| Earl Clark (Pacific Coast Conference)(1924–1925) | |||||||||
| 1924 | Earl Clark | 4–4 | 0–3 | 9th | |||||
| 1925 | Earl Clark | 3–4–1 | 1–4 | 8th | |||||
| Frank W. Milburn (Pacific Coast Conference)(1926–1930) | |||||||||
| 1926 | Frank W. Milburn | 3–5 | 0–4 | 8th | |||||
| 1927 | Frank W. Milburn | 3–4–1 | 0–4 | 9th | |||||
| 1928 | Frank W. Milburn | 4–5–1 | 0–5 | 10th | |||||
| 1929 | Frank W. Milburn | 3–5–1 | 0–4–1 | 9th | |||||
| 1930 | Frank W. Milburn | 5–3 | 1–3 | 7th | |||||
| Bunny Oakes (Pacific Coast Conference)(1931–1934) | |||||||||
| 1931 | Bunny Oakes | 1–6 | 0–5 | 10th | |||||
| 1932 | Bunny Oakes | 2–7 | 0–5 | 10th | |||||
| 1933 | Bunny Oakes | 3–4 | 0–4 | 10th | |||||
| 1934 | Bunny Oakes | 2–5–1 | 0–4–1 | 10th | |||||
| Doug Fessenden (Pacific Coast Conference)(1935–1941) | |||||||||
| 1935 | Doug Fessenden | 1–5–2 | 0–5–1 | 10th | |||||
| 1936 | Doug Fessenden | 6–3 | 1–3 | 8th | |||||
| 1937 | Doug Fessenden | 7–1 | 0–1 | 10th | |||||
| 1938 | Doug Fessenden | 5–3–1 | 0–1 | 10th | |||||
| 1939 | Doug Fessenden | 3–6 | 1–2 | 7th | |||||
| 1940 | Doug Fessenden | 4–4–1 | 1–2 | 8th | |||||
| 1941 | Doug Fessenden | 6–3 | 1–3 | 9th | |||||
| Clyde Carpenter (Pacific Coast Conference)(1942) | |||||||||
| 1942 | Clyde Carpenter | 0–8 | 0–6 | 10th | |||||
| 1943 | No team | ||||||||
| 1944 | No team | ||||||||
| George Dahlberg (Pacific Coast Conference)(1945) | |||||||||
| 1945 | George Dahlberg | 1–4 | 0–1 | 9th | |||||
| Doug Fessenden(Pacific Coast Conference)(1946–1948) | |||||||||
| 1946 | Doug Fessenden | 4–4 | 1–3 | 7th | |||||
| 1947 | Doug Fessenden | 7–4 | 2–1 | 5th | |||||
| 1948 | Doug Fessenden | 3–7 | 0–3 | 10th | |||||
| Ted Shipkey (Pacific Coast Conference)(1949) | |||||||||
| 1949 | Ted Shipkey | 5–4 | 0–3 | 10th | |||||
| Ted Shipkey(Independent)(1950) | |||||||||
| 1950 | Ted Shipkey | 5–5 | |||||||
| Ted Shipkey(Mountain States Conference)(1951) | |||||||||
| 1951 | Ted Shipkey | 2–7 | 1–4 | 8th | |||||
| Ed Chinske (Mountain States Conference)(1952–1954) | |||||||||
| 1952 | Ed Chinske | 2–7–1 | 1–5 | 7th | |||||
| 1953 | Chinske | 3–5 | 2–4 | 6th | |||||
| 1954 | Chinske | 3–6 | 1–5 | 7th | |||||
| Jerry Williams (Mountain States Conference)(1955–1957) | |||||||||
| 1955 | Jerry Williams | 3–7 | 2–4 | 6th | |||||
| 1956 | Jerry Williams | 1–9 | 1–6 | 8th | |||||
| 1957 | Jerry Williams | 2–7 | 2–5 | T–6th | |||||
| Ray Jenkins (Mountain States Conference)(1958–1961) | |||||||||
| 1958 | Ray Jenkins | 0–10 | 0–7 | 8th | |||||
| 1959 | Ray Jenkins | 1–8 | 1–5 | 8th | |||||
| 1960 | Ray Jenkins | 5–5 | 2–5 | T–5th | |||||
| 1961 | Ray Jenkins | 2–6 | 2–4 | T–5th | |||||
| Ray Jenkins(Independent)(1962) | |||||||||
| 1962 | Ray Jenkins | 5–5 | |||||||
| Ray Jenkins(Big Sky Conference)(1963) | |||||||||
| 1963 | Ray Jenkins | 1–9 | 0–3 | 4th | |||||
| Hugh Davidson (Big Sky Conference)(1964–1966) | |||||||||
| 1964 | Hugh Davidson | 3–6 | 1–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1965 | Hugh Davidson | 4–6 | 2–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1966 | Hugh Davidson | 1–8 | 0–4 | 5th | |||||
| Jack Swarthout (Big Sky Conference)(1967–1975) | |||||||||
| 1967 | Jack Swarthout | 7–3 | 2–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1968 | Jack Swarthout | 2–7 | 0–4 | 5th | |||||
| 1969 | Jack Swarthout | 10–1 | 4–0 | 1st | L Camellia | ||||
| 1970 | Jack Swarthout | 10–1 | 5–0 | 1st | L Camellia | ||||
| 1971 | Jack Swarthout | 6–5 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1972 | Jack Swarthout | 3–8 | 3–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1973 | Jack Swarthout | 4–6 | 2–4 | T–4th | |||||
| 1974 | Jack Swarthout | 3–6–1 | 2–3–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1975 | Jack Swarthout | 6–4 | 3–3 | 4th | |||||
| Gene Carlson (Big Sky Conference)(1976–1979) | |||||||||
| 1976 | Gene Carlson | 4–6 | 3–3 | 5th | |||||
| 1977 | Gene Carlson | 4–6 | 1–5 | 7th | |||||
| 1978 | Gene Carlson | 5–6 | 4–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1979 | Gene Carlson | 3–7 | 2–5 | T–6th | |||||
| Larry Donovan (Big Sky Conference)(1980–1985) | |||||||||
| 1980 | Larry Donovan | 3–7 | 1–6 | 8th | |||||
| 1981 | Larry Donovan | 7–3 | 5–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1982 | Larry Donovan | 6–6 | 5–2 | T–1st | 19 | ||||
| 1983 | Larry Donovan | 4–6 | 3–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 1984 | Larry Donovan | 2–8–1 | 0–7 | 8th | |||||
| 1985 | Larry Donovan | 3–8 | 2–5 | 6th | |||||
| Don Read (Big Sky Conference)(1986–1995) | |||||||||
| 1986 | Don Read | 6–4 | 4–4 | 4th | |||||
| 1987 | Don Read | 6–5 | 5–3 | 3rd | |||||
| 1988 | Don Read | 8–4 | 6–2 | 2nd | L NCAA Division I-AA First Round | 16 | |||
| 1989 | Don Read | 11–3 | 7–1 | 2nd | L NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal | 6 | |||
| 1990 | Don Read | 7–4 | 4–4 | 4th | |||||
| 1991 | Don Read | 7–4 | 6–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1992 | Don Read | 6–5 | 4–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1993 | Don Read | 10–2 | 7–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division I-AA First Round | 3 | |||
| 1994 | Don Read | 11–3 | 5–2 | T–2nd | L NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal | 8 | |||
| 1995 | Don Read | 13–2 | 6–1 | 1st | W NCAA Division I-AA Championship | 8 | |||
| Mick Dennehy (Big Sky Conference)(1996–1999) | |||||||||
| 1996 | Mick Dennehy | 14–1 | 8–0 | 1st | L Division I-AA Championship | 2 | |||
| 1997 | Mick Dennehy | 8–4 | 6–2 | 2nd | L Division I-AA First Round | 11 | |||
| 1998 | Mick Dennehy | 8–4 | 6–2 | 1st | L Division I-AA First Round | 14 | |||
| 1999 | Mick Dennehy | 9–3 | 7–1 | 1st | L Division I-AA First Round | 8 | |||
| Joe Glenn (Big Sky Conference)(2000–2002) | |||||||||
| 2000 | Joe Glenn | 13–2 | 8–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division I-AA Championship | 2 | |||
| 2001 | Joe Glenn | 15–1 | 7–0 | 1st | W NCAA Division I-AA Championship | 1 | |||
| 2002 | Joe Glenn | 11–2 | 5–2 | T–1st | L NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal | 7 | |||
| Bobby Hauck (Big Sky Conference)(2003–2009) | |||||||||
| 2003 | Bobby Hauck | 9–4 | 5–2 | T–1st | L NCAA Division I-AA First Round | 14 | |||
| 2004 | Bobby Hauck | 12–3 | 6–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division I-AA Championship | 2 | |||
| 2005 | Bobby Hauck | 8–4 | 5–2 | T–1st | L NCAA Division I-AA First Round | 12 | |||
| 2006 | Bobby Hauck | 12–2 | 8–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division I Semifinal | 3 | |||
| 2007 | Bobby Hauck | 11–1 | 8–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division I First Round | 12 | 10 | ||
| 2008 | Bobby Hauck | 14–2 | 7–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division I Championship | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2009 | Bobby Hauck | 14–1 | 8–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division I Championship | 2 | 2 | ||
| Robin Pflugrad (Big Sky Conference)(2010–2011) | |||||||||
| 2010 | Robin Pflugrad | 7–4 | 5–3 | T–3rd | 21 | 20 | |||
| 2011 | Robin Pflugrad | 11–3 [n 1] | 7–1 [n 1] | T–1st [n 1] | L NCAA Division I Semifinal [n 1] | 5 | 5 | ||
| Mick Delaney (Big Sky Conference)(2012–2014) | |||||||||
| 2012 | Mick Delaney | 5–6 | 3–5 | T–8th | |||||
| 2013 | Mick Delaney | 10–3 | 6–2 | 3rd | L NCAA Division I Second Round | 8 | 8 | ||
| 2014 | Mick Delaney | 9–5 | 6–2 | T–2nd | L NCAA Division I Second Round | 11 | 13 | ||
| Bob Stitt (Big Sky Conference)(2015–2017) | |||||||||
| 2015 | Bob Stitt | 8–5 | 6–2 | T–2nd | L NCAA Division I Second Round | 14 | 14 | ||
| 2016 | Bob Stitt | 6–5 | 3–5 | 8th | 25 | ||||
| 2017 | Bob Stitt | 7–4 | 5–3 | T–6th | |||||
| Bobby Hauck(Big Sky Conference)(2018–present) | |||||||||
| 2018 | Bobby Hauck | 6–5 | 4–4 | T–6th | |||||
| 2019 | Bobby Hauck | 10–4 | 6–2 | T–3rd | L NCAA Division I Quarterfinal | 6 | 6 | ||
| 2020 | Bobby Hauck | 2–0 | 0–0 [n 2] | [n 2] | |||||
| 2021 | Bobby Hauck | 10–3 | 6–2 | T–3rd | L NCAA Division I Quarterfinal | 6 | 6 | ||
| 2022 | Bobby Hauck | 8–5 | 4–4 | 6th | L NCAA Division I Second Round | 14 | 14 | ||
| 2023 | Bobby Hauck | 13-2 | 7-1 | 1st | L NCAA Division I Championship | 2 | 2 | ||
| Total: | |||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
The Big Sky Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. As of 2023, full member institutions are located in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Two affiliate members from California are football–only participants.
Joseph Cassidy Glenn is a former American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at the University of South Dakota, his alma mater, from 2012 to 2015. He was named head coach on December 5, 2011, after the school's athletic director, David Sayler, fired Ed Meierkort. Glenn served as the head football coach at Doane College (1976–1979), the University of Northern Colorado (1989–1999), the University of Montana (2000–2002), and the University of Wyoming (2003–2008). He won two NCAA Division II Football Championships at Northern Colorado, in 1996 and 1997, and an NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship at Montana in 2001.
The North Dakota State Bison football program represents North Dakota State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level and competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison play in the 19,000-seat Fargodome located in Fargo. The Bison have won 17 national championships and 37 conference championships. They have won nine NCAA Division I AA FCS National Championships between 2011 and 2021. The Bison hold the record for most overall NCAA national championships and the record for the most consecutive championships with five titles between 2011 and 2015 for Division I FCS.
The Montana Grizzlies and Lady Griz are the nicknames given to the athletic teams of the University of Montana, located in Missoula. The university is a member of the Big Sky Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding six men's teams and nine women's teams. The football team has won the university's only two NCAA championships.
The Montana–Montana State football rivalry is an annual college football rivalry game between the University of Montana Grizzlies and the Montana State University Bobcats. The game is most historically and commonly known as the Cat-Griz game, and sometimes as the Griz-Cat game. Since 1997, the match has been advertised as the Brawl of the Wild. The winner receives the massive Great Divide Trophy, as the universities are on opposite sides of the continental divide.
The Montana Grizzlies football program represents the University of Montana in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of college football. The Grizzlies have competed in the Big Sky Conference since 1963, where it is a founding member. They play their home games on campus in Missoula at Washington–Grizzly Stadium, where they had an average attendance of 26,978 in 2023.
The Montana State Bobcats football program competes in the Big Sky Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision for Montana State University. The program began in 1897 and has won three national championships. It is the only college football program in the nation to win national championships on three different levels of competition, NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division I-AA. Through the 2022 season, the Bobcats had played in 1,049 games with an all-time record of 525–492–32.
The 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season, the 2008 season of college football for teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), began on August 28, 2008, and concluded on December 19, 2008, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the 2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, where the Richmond Spiders defeated the Montana Grizzlies to win the NCAA Division I Football Championship.
Washington–Grizzly Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in the western United States, located on the campus of the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana. Opened 38 years ago in 1986, it is home to the Montana Grizzlies, a member of the Big Sky Conference in Division I FCS.
The Portland State Vikings football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Portland State University located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the Big Sky Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1947. The team plays its home games at the 7,600 seat Hillsboro Stadium. Viking football practice takes place on campus at the Peter W. Stott Field.
The Sacramento State Hornets football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the California State University, Sacramento located in Sacramento, California. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Big Sky Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1954. The team plays its home games at the 21,195-seat Hornet Stadium.
The 2008 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana during the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Montana competed as a member of the Big Sky Conference and played their home games at the Washington–Grizzly Stadium.
The 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season, the 2010 season of college football for teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), began in September 2010 and concluded with the 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game on January 7, 2011. In the title game, Eastern Washington defeated Delaware, 20–19, to claim their first Division I national title in any team sport.
The 2011 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. were led by second-year head coach Robin Pflugrad and played their home games at Washington–Grizzly Stadium. They are a member of the Big Sky Conference.
The 2013 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana in the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Grizzlies were led by second-year head coach Mick Delaney and played their home games on campus at Washington–Grizzly Stadium. Montana participated as a member of the Big Sky Conference, of which they are a charter member. They finished the season 10–3, 6–2 in Big Sky play to finish in third place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they lost in the second round to Coastal Carolina.
The 2014 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana in the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Grizzlies were led by head coach Mick Delaney in his third and final year and played their home games on campus at Washington–Grizzly Stadium. Montana participated as a member of the Big Sky Conference, of which they are a charter member. They finished the season 9–5, 6–2 in Big Sky play to finish tied for second place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they lost in the second round to inter conference rival Eastern Washington.
The 2018 Montana State Bobcats football team represented Montana State University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by third-year head coach Jeff Choate, the Bobcats compiled an overall record of 8–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the Big Sky. Montana State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where they defeated Incarnate Word in the first round before losing to the eventual national champion, North Dakota State, in the second round. The Bobcats played their home games at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana.
The 2018 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Grizzlies were led by first-year coach Bobby Hauck, 8th overall as he previously was head coach from 2003–2009, and played their home games on campus at Washington–Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Montana as a charter member of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 6–5, 4–4 in Big Sky play to finish in a tie for sixth place.
The 2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Richmond Spiders and the Montana Grizzlies. It was played on December 19, 2008, at Finley Stadium, home field of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The culminating game of the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season, it was won by Richmond, 24–7.
The 2019 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Grizzlies were led by second-year head coach Bobby Hauck, ninth overall as he previously was head coach from 2003–2009, and played their home games on campus at Washington–Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Montana as a charter member of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 10–4, 6–2 in Big Sky play to finish in a three-way tie for third place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where, after a first round bye, they defeated Southeastern Louisiana in the second round before losing to Weber State in the quarterfinals.