List of Northwestern Wildcats football seasons

Last updated

The Wildcats have played at Ryan Field since 1927. Ryan Field.jpg
The Wildcats have played at Ryan Field since 1927.

This is a list of seasons completed by the Northwestern Wildcats football team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Since the team's creation in 1882, the Wildcats have participated in more than 1,100 officially sanctioned games, including 9 bowl games.

Contents

Northwestern originally competed as a football independent. As one of the founding members, Northwestern joined the Big Ten conference, then known as the Western Conference, in 1896, where it has been a member ever since.

The Wildcats have experienced futility for much of its existence. The team has several winless seasons, including setting an NCAA Division I record for consecutive losses when it lost 34 straight games from 1979 to 1982. [1] [2] The Wildcats went 64 years without winning a bowl game after the 1949 Rose Bowl. Northwestern has also experienced success, winning eight conference titles. [2] [3]

Seasons

YearCoachOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs Coaches#AP°
Independent(1882–1890)
1882No coach 1–1
1883–85No team
1886No coach 0–1
1887No team
1888No coach 2–1
1889No coach 2–2
1890No coach 4–1–1
Knowlton Ames (Independent)(1891)
1891 Knowlton Ames 2–2–3
Knowlton Ames(IAANW)(1892)
1892Knowlton Ames 5–3–2 1–34th
Paul Noyes (IAANW)(1893)
1893 Paul Noyes 2–5–3 0–24th
A. A. Ewing (Independent)(1894)
1894 A. A. Ewing 4–5
Alvin Culver (Independent)(1895)
1895 Alvin Culver 6–5
Alvin Culver (Western Conference)(1896)
1896Alvin Culver 6–1–2 2–1–13rd
Jesse Van Doozer (Western Conference)(1897)
1897 Jesse Van Doozer 5–3 0–26th
W. H. Bannard (Western Conference)(1898)
1898 W. H. Bannard 9–4–1 0–47th
Charles Hollister (Western Conference)(1899–1902)
1899 Charles Hollister 7–6 2–23rd
1900Charles Hollister 7–2–3 2–1–25th
1901Charles Hollister 8–2–1 3–25th
1902Charles Hollister 6–6 0–4T–8th
Walter McCornack (Western Conference)(1903–1905)
1903 Walter McCornack 10–1–3 1–0–2T–1st
1904Walter McCornack 8–2 1–2T–5th
1905Walter McCornack 8–2–1 0—2T–7th
1906No team
1907No team
Alton Johnson (Western Conference)(1908)
1908 Alton Johnson 2–2 0–2T–7th
Bill Horr (Western Conference)(1908)
1909 Bill Horr 1–3–1 1–3T–5th
Charles Hammett (Western Conference)(1910–1912)
1910 Charles Hammett 1–3–1 1–2–1T–6th
1911Charles Hammett 3–4 1–47th
1912Charles Hammett 2–3–1 2–35th
Dennis Grady (Western Conference)(1913)
1913 Dennis Grady 1–6 0–69th
Fred Murphy (Western Conference)(1914–1918)
1914 Fred Murphy 1–6 0–69th
1915Fred Murphy 2–5 0–59th
1916Fred Murphy 6–1 4–12nd
1917Fred Murphy 5–2 3–2T–3rd
1918Fred Murphy 2–2–1 1–16th
Charlie Bachman (Western Conference)(1919)
1919 Charlie Bachman 2–5 1–4T–7th
Elmer McDevitt (Western Conference)(1920–1921)
1920 Elmer McDevitt 3–4 2–37th
1921Elmer McDevitt 1–6 0–510th
Glenn Thistlethwaite (Western Conference)(1922–1926)
1922 Glenn Thistlethwaite 3–3–1 1–3–18th
1923Glenn Thistlethwaite 2–6 0–610th
1924Glenn Thistlethwaite 4–4 1–3T–8th
1925Glenn Thistlethwaite 5–3 3–12nd
1926Glenn Thistlethwaite 7–1 5–0T–1st
Dick Hanley (Western Conference)(1927–1934)
1927 Dick Hanley 4–4 2–3T–6th
1928Dick Hanley 5–3 2–3T–7th
1929Dick Hanley 6–3 3–2T–3rd
1930Dick Hanley 7–1 5–0T–1st
1931Dick Hanley 7–1–1 5–1T–1st
1932Dick Hanley 3–4–1 2–3–15th
1933Dick Hanley 1–5–2 1–4–17th
1934Dick Hanley 3–5 2–3T–5th
Pappy Waldorf (Western Conference)(1935–1946)
1935 Pappy Waldorf 4–3–1 2–3–15th
1936Pappy Waldorf 7–1 6–01st7
1937Pappy Waldorf 4–4 3–3T–4th
1938Pappy Waldorf 4–2–2 2–1–24th17
1939Pappy Waldorf 3–4–1 3–2–15th
1940Pappy Waldorf 6–2 4–23rd8
1941Pappy Waldorf 5–3 4–24th11
1942Pappy Waldorf 1–9 0–69th
1943Pappy Waldorf 6–2 5–13rd9
1944Pappy Waldorf 1–7–1 0–5–18th
1945Pappy Waldorf 4–4–1 3–3–14th
1946Pappy Waldorf 4–4–1 2–3–1T–6th
Robert Voigts (Western Conference)(1947–1952)
1947 Robert Voigts 3–6 2–48th
1948Robert Voigts 8–2 5–12ndW Rose 7
1949Robert Voigts 4–5 3–47th
1950Robert Voigts 6–3 3–35th
1951Robert Voigts 5–4 2–46th
1952Robert Voigts 2–6–1 2—5T–6th
Robert Voigts (Big Ten Conference)(1953–1954)
1953Robert Voigts 3–6 0–610th
1954Robert Voigts 2–7 1–5T–8th
Lou Saban (Big Ten Conference)(1955)
1955 Lou Saban 0–8–1 0–6–110th
Ara Parseghian (Big Ten Conference)(1956–1963)
1956 Ara Parseghian 4–4–1 3–3–16th
1957Ara Parseghian 0–9 0–710th
1958Ara Parseghian 5–4 3–47th17
1959Ara Parseghian 6–3 4–35th
1960Ara Parseghian 5–4 3–4T–5th
1961Ara Parseghian 4–5 2–4T–8th
1962Ara Parseghian 7–2 4–2T–3rd16
1963Ara Parseghian 5–4 3–4T–5th
Alex Agase (Big Ten Conference)(1964–1972)
1964 Alex Agase 3–6 2–5T–7th
1965Alex Agase 4–6 3–46th
1966Alex Agase 3–6–1 2–4–1T–7th
1967Alex Agase 3–7 2–58th
1968Alex Agase 1–9 1–6T–8th
1969Alex Agase 3–7 3–4T–5th
1970Alex Agase 6–4 6–1T–2nd
1971Alex Agase 7–4 6–32nd
1972Alex Agase 2–9 1–810th
John Pont (Big Ten Conference)(1973–1977)
1973 John Pont 4–7 4–4T–4th
1974John Pont 3–8 2–6T–7th
1975John Pont 3–8 2–69th
1976John Pont 1–10 1–710th
1977John Pont 1–10 1–810th
Rick Venturi (Big Ten Conference)(1978–1980)
1978 Rick Venturi 0–10–1 0–8–110th
1979Rick Venturi 1–10 0–910th
1980Rick Venturi 0–11 0–910th
Dennis Green (Big Ten Conference)(1981–1985)
1981 Dennis Green 0–11 0–910th
1982Dennis Green 3–8 2–7T–8th
1983Dennis Green 2–9 2–7T–8th
1984Dennis Green 2–9 2–79th
1985Dennis Green 3–8 1–7T–9th
Francis Peay (Big Ten Conference)(1986–1991)
1986 Francis Peay 4–7 2–6T–8th
1987Francis Peay 2–8–1 2–69th
1988Francis Peay 2–8–1 2–5–1T–7th
1989Francis Peay 0–11 0–810th
1990Francis Peay 2–9 1–7T–8th
1991Francis Peay 3–8 2–6T–8th
Gary Barnett (Big Ten Conference)(1992–1998)
1992 Gary Barnett 3–8 3–5T–6th
1993Gary Barnett 2–9 0–8T–9th
1994Gary Barnett 3–7–1 [n 1] 2–6 [n 1] T–8th [n 1]
1995Gary Barnett 10–2 8–01stL Rose 78
1996Gary Barnett 9–3 7–1T–1stL Citrus 1615
1997Gary Barnett 5–7 3–58th
1998Gary Barnett 3–9 0–811th
Randy Walker (Big Ten Conference)(1999–2005)
1999 Randy Walker 3–8 1–710th
2000Randy Walker 8–4 6–2T–1stL Alamo
2001Randy Walker 4–7 2–6T–10th
2002Randy Walker 3–9 1–7T–10th
2003Randy Walker 6–7 4–4T–7thL Motor City
2004Randy Walker 6–6 5–34th
2005Randy Walker 7–5 5–3T–3rdL Sun
Pat Fitzgerald (Big Ten Conference)(2006–2022)
2006 Pat Fitzgerald 4–8 2–6T–8th
2007Pat Fitzgerald 6–6 3–5T–7th
2008Pat Fitzgerald 9–4 5–3T–4thL Alamo
2009Pat Fitzgerald 8–5 5–3T–4thL Outback
2010Pat Fitzgerald 7–6 3–5T–6thL TicketCity
2011Pat Fitzgerald 6–7 3–55th (Legends)L Texas
2012Pat Fitzgerald 10–3 5–33rd (Legends)W Gator 1617
2013Pat Fitzgerald 5–7 1–76th (Legends)
2014Pat Fitzgerald 5–7 3–5T–5th (West)
2015Pat Fitzgerald 10–3 6–2T–2nd (West)L Outback 2223
2016Pat Fitzgerald 7–6 5–4T–4th (West)W Pinstripe
2017Pat Fitzgerald 10–3 7–22nd (West)W Music City 1717
2018Pat Fitzgerald 9–5 8–11st (West)W Holiday 1921
2019Pat Fitzgerald 3–9 1–87th (West)
2020Pat Fitzgerald 7–2 6–21st (West)W Citrus 1010
2021Pat Fitzgerald 3–9 1–8T–6th (West)
2022Pat Fitzgerald 1–11 1–87th (West)
David Braun (Big Ten Conference)(2023–present)
2023 David Braun [n 2] 8–5 5–4T–2nd (West)W Las Vegas
Total:557–695–44
      National championship        Conference title        Conference division title or championship game berth

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Michigan State self-forfeited all wins in the 1994 season, resulting in Northwestern's 1994 loss to Michigan State being retroactively changed to a win.
  2. Prior to the 2023 season, defensive coordinator David Braun was named interim head coach at Northwestern after head coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired amid allegations of widespread hazing within the football program.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kentucky Wildcats</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 students attend the university. Historically, the women's teams and athletes were referred to as the "Lady Kats", but all athletic squads adopted the "Wildcats" nickname in 1995. Collectively, the fans of the Kentucky Wildcats are often referred to as the Big Blue Nation. Their main and most intense rival is the University of Louisville. The Wildcats are composed of 25 varsity teams that compete nationally—23 in NCAA-recognized sports, plus the cheerleading squad and dance team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwestern Wildcats football</span> Football team of Northwestern University

The Northwestern Wildcats football team represents Northwestern University as an NCAA Division I college football team and member of the Big Ten Conference based near Chicago in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern began playing football in 1882. Its football mascot is the Wildcat, a term coined by a Chicago Tribune reporter in 1924, after reporting on a football game where the players appeared as "a wall of purple wildcats". Northwestern Football is also marketed as "Chicago's Big Ten Team" with its proximity and ties to Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwestern Wildcats</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Northwestern University

The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, located in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern has eight men's and eleven women's NCAA Division I sports teams and is marketed as "Chicago's Big Ten Team". The mascot is Willie the Wildcat.

George Michael Hankwitz is a former American football coach and player. He was the defensive coordinator at Northwestern University, a position he had held from 2008 to 2020. Hankwitz has twice served as an interim head football coach, for seven games in 2003 at the University of Arizona and for one game in 2005, the Champs Sports Bowl, with the University of Colorado–Boulder, compiling a career head coaching record of 1–7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Fitzgerald</span> American football player and coach (born 1974)

Patrick William Fitzgerald Jr. is an American former football player and coach. He served as the head football coach of the Northwestern Wildcats from 2006 until he was fired in July 2023 in the aftermath of a hazing scandal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Wolverines football</span> Football team of the University of Michigan

The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its distinctive winged helmet, its fight song, its record-breaking attendance figures at Michigan Stadium, and its many rivalries, particularly its annual, regular season-ending game against Ohio State, known simply as "The Game," once voted as ESPN's best sports rivalry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Dantonio</span> American football player and coach (born 1956)

Mark Justin Dantonio is an American football coach and player. His most recent head coaching position was at Michigan State University, a position he had held from 2007 to 2019, presiding over one of the most successful eras in the program's history. He led the Michigan State Spartans to three Big Ten Conference championships, and eight victories over archrival Michigan in 13 years. In 2013, he coached Michigan State to its first 13-win season and the program's fifth trip to the Rose Bowl, where they defeated Stanford and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation. This was the second time a Big Ten team reached the 13-win mark, the previous being Ohio State's national championship season in 2002, where Dantonio was the defensive coordinator. The 2013 season also marked the first time a Big Ten team won nine conference games each by double digits. In 2015, Dantonio became the first head coach in Big Ten history to achieve at least 11 wins in five of six seasons. On December 6, 2015, Dantonio's Spartans qualified for the College Football Playoff for the first time in the program's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona Wildcats football</span> University of Arizona football team

The Arizona Wildcats football program represents the University of Arizona (UA) in the sport of American college football. Arizona competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. They play their home games at Arizona Stadium, which opened in 1929 on the university's campus in Tucson, Arizona, and has a capacity of 50,782. The Wildcats head coach is Brent Brennan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kentucky Wildcats football</span> Football team of the University of Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildcats football program represents the University of Kentucky in the sport of American football. The Wildcats compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Wildcats play their home games at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky and are led by head coach Mark Stoops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Villanova Wildcats</span> Athletic teams of Villanova University

The Villanova Wildcats are the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East for every sport; except football and women's rowing where they compete in the Coastal Athletic Association, and women's water polo where the compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. On December 15, 2012, Villanova and the other six, non-FBS schools announced that they were departing the Big East for a new conference. This conference assumed the Big East name on July 1, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davidson Wildcats</span> Sports teams of Davidson College, North Carolina, U.S.

The Davidson Wildcats are the NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics teams representing Davidson College of Davidson, North Carolina, United States. A member of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10), Davidson College sponsors teams in ten men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports. The Wildcats previously competed in the Southern Conference, and the wrestling team retains associate membership in that league since the sport is not sponsored by the A-10. The football team is a member of the Pioneer Football League, a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) conference of schools that do not offer athletic scholarships for football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas State Wildcats football</span> American college football team

The Kansas State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA Division I Bowl Subdivision (FBS), and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference.

The Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM).

The 1987 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented Indiana University Bloomington as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Bill Mallory, the Hoosiers compiled an overall record of 8–4 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, tying for second place in the Big Ten. The team played home games at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl</span> College football game

The 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on December 28, 2013 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The 25th annual Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl featured the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference and the Kansas State Wildcats of the Big 12 Conference. The game was telecast at 8:15 p.m. MST on ESPN. It is one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season. The game was sponsored by the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant franchise.

The 1982 Northwestern Wildcats team represented Northwestern University during the 1982 Big Ten Conference football season. In their second year under head coach Dennis Green, the Wildcats compiled a 3–8 record and finished in a tie for eighth place in the Big Ten Conference.

The 2018 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University during the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats played their home games at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois and competed in the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They were led by 13th-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald.

References

  1. Pomerantz, Gary (September 26, 1982). "Northwestern: Paradise Found After 34 Lost Weekends". Washington Post.
  2. 1 2 Northwestern Wildcats Index. Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  3. CFRC College Football Database - Northwestern