This is a list of seasons completed by the Penn State Nittany Lions football team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Since the team's creation in 1887, the Nittany Lions have participated in 1,368 officially sanctioned games, including 52 bowl games. [1] [2] For most of its existence, Penn State competed as an independent. In 1993, Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference, where it has been a member ever since.
| Year | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent(1881–1890) | |||||||||
| 1881 | No coach | 1–0 | |||||||
| 1882–86 | No team | ||||||||
| 1887 | No coach | 2–0 | |||||||
| 1888 | No coach | 0–2–1 | |||||||
| 1889 | No coach | 2–2 | |||||||
| 1890 | No coach | 2–2 | |||||||
| PIFA (1891) | |||||||||
| 1891 | No coach | 6–2 | 4–1 | 1st | |||||
| George W. Hoskins (Independent)(1892–1895) | |||||||||
| 1892 | George W. Hoskins | 5–1 | |||||||
| 1893 | George W. Hoskins | 4–1 | |||||||
| 1894 | George W. Hoskins | 6–0–1 | |||||||
| 1895 | George W. Hoskins | 2–2–3 | |||||||
| Samuel B. Newton (Independent)(1896–1898) | |||||||||
| 1896 | Samuel B. Newton | 3–4 | |||||||
| 1897 | Samuel B. Newton | 3–6 | |||||||
| 1898 | Samuel B. Newton | 6–4 | |||||||
| Sam Boyle (Independent)(1899) | |||||||||
| 1899 | Sam Boyle | 4–6–1 | |||||||
| Pop Golden (Independent)(1900–1902) | |||||||||
| 1900 | Pop Golden | 4–6–1 | |||||||
| 1901 | Pop Golden | 5–3 | |||||||
| 1902 | Pop Golden | 7–3 | |||||||
| Daniel A. Reed (Independent)(1903) | |||||||||
| 1903 | Daniel A. Reed | 5–3 | |||||||
| Tom Fennell (Independent)(1904–1908) | |||||||||
| 1904 | Tom Fennell | 6–4 | |||||||
| 1905 | Tom Fennell | 8–3 | |||||||
| 1906 | Tom Fennell | 8–1–1 | |||||||
| 1907 | Tom Fennell | 6–4 | |||||||
| 1908 | Tom Fennell | 5–5 | |||||||
| Bill Hollenback (Independent)(1909) | |||||||||
| 1909 | Bill Hollenback | 5–0–2 | |||||||
| Jack Hollenback (Independent)(1910) | |||||||||
| 1910 | Jack Hollenback | 5–2–1 | |||||||
| Bill Hollenback(Independent)(1911–1914) | |||||||||
| 1911 | Bill Hollenback | 8–0–1 | |||||||
| 1912 | Bill Hollenback | 8–0 | |||||||
| 1913 | Bill Hollenback | 2–6 | |||||||
| 1914 | Bill Hollenback | 5–3–1 | |||||||
| Dick Harlow (Independent)(1915–1917) | |||||||||
| 1915 | Dick Harlow | 7–2 | |||||||
| 1916 | Dick Harlow | 8–2 | |||||||
| 1917 | Dick Harlow | 5–4 | |||||||
| Hugo Bezdek (Independent)(1918–1929) | |||||||||
| 1918 | Hugo Bezdek | 1–2–1 | |||||||
| 1919 | Hugo Bezdek | 7–1 | |||||||
| 1920 | Hugo Bezdek | 7–0–2 | |||||||
| 1921 | Hugo Bezdek | 8–0–2 | |||||||
| 1922 | Hugo Bezdek | 6–4–1 | L Rose | ||||||
| 1923 | Hugo Bezdek | 6–2–1 | |||||||
| 1924 | Hugo Bezdek | 6–3–1 | |||||||
| 1925 | Hugo Bezdek | 4–4–1 | |||||||
| 1926 | Hugo Bezdek | 5–4 | |||||||
| 1927 | Hugo Bezdek | 6–2–1 | |||||||
| 1928 | Hugo Bezdek | 3–5–1 | |||||||
| 1929 | Hugo Bezdek | 6–3 | |||||||
| Bob Higgins (Independent)(1930–1948) | |||||||||
| 1930 | Bob Higgins | 3–4–2 | |||||||
| 1931 | Bob Higgins | 2–8 | |||||||
| 1932 | Bob Higgins | 2–5 | |||||||
| 1933 | Bob Higgins | 3–3–1 | |||||||
| 1934 | Bob Higgins | 4–4 | |||||||
| 1935 | Bob Higgins | 4–4 | |||||||
| 1936 | Bob Higgins | 3–5 | |||||||
| 1937 | Bob Higgins | 5–3 | |||||||
| 1938 | Bob Higgins | 3–4–1 | |||||||
| 1939 | Bob Higgins | 5–1–2 | |||||||
| 1940 | Bob Higgins | 6–1–1 | |||||||
| 1941 | Bob Higgins | 7–2 | |||||||
| 1942 | Bob Higgins | 6–1–1 | 19 | ||||||
| 1943 | Bob Higgins | 5–3–1 | |||||||
| 1944 | Bob Higgins | 6–3 | |||||||
| 1945 | Bob Higgins | 5–3 | |||||||
| 1946 | Bob Higgins | 6–2 | |||||||
| 1947 | Bob Higgins | 9–0–1 | T Cotton | 4 | |||||
| 1948 | Bob Higgins | 7–1–1 | 18 | ||||||
| Joe Bedenk (Independent)(1949) | |||||||||
| 1949 | Joe Bedenk | 5–4 | |||||||
| Rip Engle (Independent)(1950–1965) | |||||||||
| 1950 | Rip Engle | 5–3–1 | |||||||
| 1951 | Rip Engle | 5–4 | |||||||
| 1952 | Rip Engle | 7–2–1 | |||||||
| 1953 | Rip Engle | 6–3 | |||||||
| 1954 | Rip Engle | 7–2 | 16 | 20 | |||||
| 1955 | Rip Engle | 5–4 | |||||||
| 1956 | Rip Engle | 6–2–1 | |||||||
| 1957 | Rip Engle | 6–3 | |||||||
| 1958 | Rip Engle | 6–3–1 | |||||||
| 1959 | Rip Engle | 9–2 | W Liberty | 10 | 12 | ||||
| 1960 | Rip Engle | 7–3 | W Liberty | 16 | |||||
| 1961 | Rip Engle | 8–3 | W Gator | 19 | 17 | ||||
| 1962 | Rip Engle | 9–2 | L Gator | 9 | 9 | ||||
| 1963 | Rip Engle | 7–3 | 16 | ||||||
| 1964 | Rip Engle | 6–4 | 14 | ||||||
| 1965 | Rip Engle | 5–5 | |||||||
| Joe Paterno (Independent)(1966–1992) | |||||||||
| 1966 | Joe Paterno | 5–5 | |||||||
| 1967 | Joe Paterno | 8–2–1 | T Gator | 11 | 10 | ||||
| 1968 | Joe Paterno | 11–0 | W Orange | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 1969 | Joe Paterno | 11–0 | W Orange | 2 | 2 | ||||
| 1970 | Joe Paterno | 7–3 | 19 | 18 | |||||
| 1971 | Joe Paterno | 11–1 | W Cotton | 11 | 5 | ||||
| 1972 | Joe Paterno | 10–2 | L Sugar | 8 | 10 | ||||
| 1973 | Joe Paterno | 12–0 | W Orange | 5 | 5 | ||||
| 1974 | Joe Paterno | 10–2 | W Cotton | 7 | 7 | ||||
| 1975 | Joe Paterno | 9–3 | L Sugar | 10 | 10 | ||||
| 1976 | Joe Paterno | 7–5 | L Gator | ||||||
| 1977 | Joe Paterno | 11–1 | W Fiesta | 4 | 5 | ||||
| 1978 | Joe Paterno | 11–1 | L Sugar | 4 | 4 | ||||
| 1979 | Joe Paterno | 8–4 | W Liberty | 18 | 20 | ||||
| 1980 | Joe Paterno | 10–2 | W Fiesta | 8 | 8 | ||||
| 1981 | Joe Paterno | 10–2 | W Fiesta | 3 | 3 | ||||
| 1982 | Joe Paterno | 11–1 | W Sugar | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1983 | Joe Paterno | 8–4–1 | W Aloha | 17 | |||||
| 1984 | Joe Paterno | 6–5 | |||||||
| 1985 | Joe Paterno | 11–1 | L Orange | 3 | 3 | ||||
| 1986 | Joe Paterno | 12–0 | W Fiesta | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1987 | Joe Paterno | 8–4 | L Florida Citrus | ||||||
| 1988 | Joe Paterno | 5–6 | |||||||
| 1989 | Joe Paterno | 8–3–1 | W Holiday | 14 | 15 | ||||
| 1990 | Joe Paterno | 9–3 | L Blockbuster | 10 | 11 | ||||
| 1991 | Joe Paterno | 11–2 | W Fiesta | 3 | 3 | ||||
| 1992 | Joe Paterno | 7–5 | L Blockbuster † | 24 | |||||
| Joe Paterno(Big Ten Conference)(1993–2011) | |||||||||
| 1993 | Joe Paterno | 10–2 | 6–2 | 3rd | W Florida Citrus | 7 | 8 | ||
| 1994 | Joe Paterno | 12–0 | 8–0 | 1st | W Rose | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1995 | Joe Paterno | 9–3 | 5–3 | T–3rd | W Outback | 12 | 13 | ||
| 1996 | Joe Paterno | 11–2 | 6–2 | T–3rd | W Fiesta † | 7 | 7 | ||
| 1997 | Joe Paterno | 9–3 | 6–2 | T–2nd | L Florida Citrus | 17 | 16 | ||
| 1998 | Joe Paterno | 9–3 | 5–3 | 5th | W Outback | 15 | 17 | ||
| 1999 | Joe Paterno | 10–3 | 5–3 | T–4th | W Alamo | 11 | 11 | ||
| 2000 | Joe Paterno | 5–7 | 4–4 | T–6th | |||||
| 2001 | Joe Paterno | 5–6 | 4–4 | T–4th | |||||
| 2002 | Joe Paterno | 9–4 | 5–3 | 4th | L Capital One | 15 | 16 | ||
| 2003 | Joe Paterno | 3–9 | 1–7 | T–8th | |||||
| 2004 | Joe Paterno | 4–7 | 2–6 | 9th | |||||
| 2005 | Joe Paterno | 11–1 | 7–1 | T–1st | W Orange † | 3 | 3 | ||
| 2006 | Joe Paterno | 9–4 | 5–3 | T–4th | W Outback | 25 | 24 | ||
| 2007 | Joe Paterno | 9–4 | 4–4 | T–5th | W Alamo | 25 | |||
| 2008 | Joe Paterno | 11–2 | 7–1 | T–1st | L Rose † | 8 | 8 | ||
| 2009 | Joe Paterno | 11–2 | 6–2 | T–2nd | W Capital One | 8 | 9 | ||
| 2010 | Joe Paterno | 7–6 | 4–4 | T–4th | L Outback | ||||
| 2011 | Joe Paterno [n 1] | 9–4 [n 1] | 6–2 [n 1] | T–1st (Leaders) | L Ticket City | ||||
| Bill O'Brien (Big Ten Conference)(2012–2013) | |||||||||
| 2012 | Bill O'Brien | 8–4 | 6–2 | 2nd (Leaders) | Ineligible [n 2] | [n 2] | |||
| 2013 | Bill O'Brien | 7–5 | 4–4 | 3rd (Leaders) | Ineligible [n 2] | [n 2] | |||
| James Franklin (Big Ten Conference)(2014–present) | |||||||||
| 2014 | James Franklin | 7–6 | 2–6 | 6th (East) | W Pinstripe | ||||
| 2015 | James Franklin | 7–6 | 4–4 | 4th (East) | L TaxSlayer | ||||
| 2016 | James Franklin | 11–3 | 8–1 | T–1st (East) | L Rose † | 7 | 7 | ||
| 2017 | James Franklin | 11–2 | 7–2 | T–2nd (East) | W Fiesta † | 8 | 8 | ||
| 2018 | James Franklin | 9–4 | 6–3 | 3rd (East) | L Citrus | 17 | 17 | ||
| 2019 | James Franklin | 11–2 | 7–2 | 2nd (East) | W Cotton † | 9 | 9 | ||
| 2020 | James Franklin | 4–5 | 4–5 | 3rd (East) | |||||
| 2021 | James Franklin | 7–6 | 4–5 | 4th (East) | L Outback | ||||
| 2022 | James Franklin | 11–2 | 7–2 | 3rd (East) | W Rose † | 7 | 7 | ||
| 2023 | James Franklin | 10–3 | 7–2 | 3rd (East) | L Peach † | 13 | 13 | ||
| 2024 | James Franklin | 13–3 | 8–1 | T–2nd | W CFP First Round † W Fiesta †(CFP Quarterfinal) L Orange †(CFP Semifinal) | 5 | 5 | ||
| Total: | 943–412–42 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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