List of VMI Keydets head football coaches

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The VMI Keydets football team competes in the Southern Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Football Championship Subdivision, representing the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia. Since its inception in 1891, the program has had 30 head coaches.

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Although the origins of VMI football date back to 1873, the first organized football team did not appear until 1891. The first head coach was Walter Taylor, the son of Walter H. Taylor, a prominent banker, lawyer, and aide-de-camp to Robert E. Lee. [1] Notable coaches include Blandy Clarkson, who spent seven seasons with the Keydets and led the team to their first undefeated season in 1920; John McKenna, the school's all-time most victorious coach who compiled a record of 62–60–8 in thirteen seasons with VMI while winning four Southern Conference championships; and Bob Thalman, the second most victorious coach who led the team to the 1974 and 1977 conference titles. The most recent Keydet head coach was Sparky Woods, who coached seven seasons for the Keydets before being let go by the school in 2014.

In over 120 years of football, VMI has an all-time record of 465–657–42 (.418). The team has not had a winning season since 1981 (they had even 6–6 seasons in 2002 and 2003), and has yet to make the FCS playoffs since the subdivision's inception in 1978.

Key

Coaches

List of head football coaches showing season(s) coached, overall records, conference records, postseason records, championships and selected awards [2]
#NameSeason(s) [lower-alpha 2] GCWLTW%CWCLCTC%PWPLPTCCsNCsNational awards
1 Walter Taylor 1891430.875
2 George Bryant 1895–18961385.615
3 R. N. Groner 1897532.600
4 Samuel Boyle, Jr. 1899752.714
5 Sam Walker 1900–190221117.595
6 William Roper [3] 1903–19041156.455
7 Ira Johnson 1905–19061669.406
8 Charles Roller 1907–19081385.615
9 William C. Gloth 1909–19101476.536
10 Alpha Brummage 1911–191216142.875
11 Henry Poague 19131071.800
12 Frank Gorton 1914–1916261416.558
13 Earl Abell 1917944.500
14Earl Abell
Mose Goodman
1918413.250
15 Red Fleming 1919862.750
16 Blandy Clarkson 1920–1926674520.687.306
17 W. C. Raftery 1927–1936983855.413.361
18 Allison Hubert 1937–1946964345.490.650
19 Arthur Morton 1947–19481898.339.625
20 Tom Nugent 1949–1952391918.513.705
21 John McKenna 1953–19651306260.508.612
22 Vito Ragazzo 1966–1970511041.196.217
23 Bob Thalman 1971–19841515494.368.371
24 Eddie Williamson 1985–1988441033.239.229
25 Jim Shuck 1989–1993551440.264.191
26 Bill Stewart 1994–199633825.242.292
27 Ted Cain [lower-alpha 3] 1997–199821120.048.000
28 Cal McCombs 1999–2005791960.241.205
29 Jim Reid 2006–200722319.136.000
30 Sparky Woods 2008–2014791762.215.220
31 Scott Wachenheim 2015–2022862462.2791646.25811
32 Danny Rocco 2023–present11560.455440.500

Notes

  1. Overtimes rules were added to college football in 1996, thereby eliminating ties.
  2. From 1892 to 1894, the team had no coach.
  3. Cain was fired with one game remaining in the 1998 season, leaving Donny White to coach the final game on an interim basis. VMI lost the game to The Citadel, 36–10.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">VMI Keydets baseball</span> Baseball team of the Virginia Military Institute

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The 2014 VMI Keydets football team represented the Virginia Military Institute in the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. It was VMI's 124th football season, as the Keydets were led by seventh-year head coach Sparky Woods. They played their home games at 10,000-seat Alumni Memorial Field, as they have since 1962. This was VMI's first season returning to the Southern Conference (SoCon), following an 11-year stint in the Big South Conference.

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The Military Classic of the South is an American college football rivalry game played between The Citadel and the Virginia Military Institute. The first game between the two military schools was in 1920. The game has been played nearly continuously since World War II; since then, only five seasons have seen the game not played.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Wachenheim</span> American football player and coach (born 1962)

Scott Allen Wachenheim is an American football coach and, most recently, the head coach of the VMI Keydets football team. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Wachenheim has been an assistant coach at various positions for nine different teams, ranging from the NCAA Division I FBS and FCS to a brief stint in the National Football League (NFL). Wachenheim was most recently hired as the head coach of the VMI Keydets on December 14, 2014, replacing former bench boss Sparky Woods after seven seasons. Before that, he served as an offensive line coach at Virginia under Mike London for four seasons.

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The 2017 VMI Keydets football team represented the Virginia Military Institute in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. It was VMI's 127th football season. The Keydets were led by third-year head coach Scott Wachenheim. They played their home games at 10,000–seat Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium. This was VMI's fourth season as a member of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 0–11, 0–8 in SoCon play to finish in last place. This was VMI's fourth winless season and the first time they had gone winless since 2004.

The 2018 VMI Keydets football team represented the Virginia Military Institute in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. It was VMI's 128th football season. The Keydets were led by fourth-year head coach Scott Wachenheim. They played their home games at 10,000–seat Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium. They were a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon). They finished the season 1–10, 0–8 in SoCon play to finish in last place.

The 2020 VMI Keydets football team represented the Virginia Military Institute in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. It was VMI's 130th football season. The Keydets were led by sixth-year head coach Scott Wachenheim. They played their home games at 10,000–seat Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium. They are a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon).

References

General

Specific

  1. Miller, John A. "Lee's Famous Staff Officer Walter Taylor Jr." Emmitsburg Area Historical Society. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  2. Statistics correct as of the end of the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season.
  3. Bill Roper – Hall of Fame Biography