List of Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football seasons

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This is a list of seasons completed by the Western Kentucky college football program. The Hilltoppers represent the Western Kentucky University (WKU) in Conference USA. WKU plays its home games at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky. [1]

Contents

Seasons

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs Coaches#AP°
M. A. Leiper & Roy C. Manchester (Independent)(1913)
1913 Leiper / Manchester1–0
Leiper / Manchester:1–0
J. L. Arthur (Independent)(1914–1916)
1914 J. L. Arthur1–2
1915 J. L. Arthur1–4–2
1916 J. L. Arthur3–2
J. L. Arthur:5–8–2
1917No team
1918No team
1919No team
L. T. Smith (Independent)(1920–1921)
1920 L. T. Smith0–1
1921 L. T. Smith2–4–1
L. T. Smith:2–5–1
Edgar Diddle (Independent)(1922–1925)
1922 Edgar Diddle9–1
1923 Edgar Diddle5–4
1924 Edgar Diddle4–5
1925 Edgar Diddle3–5–1
Edgar Diddle(Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association)(1926–1928)
1926 Edgar Diddle4–4–11–2–119th
1927 Edgar Diddle5–42–4T–18th
1928 Edgar Diddle8–15–13rd
Edgar Diddle:38–24–27–6–1
Carl Anderson (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association)(1929)
1929 Carl Anderson7–33–3T–16th
James Elam (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association)(1930–1931)
1930 James Elam8–1–16–16th
1931 James Elam8–47–14th
James Elam:16–5–113–2
Ernest R. Miller (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association)(1932)
1932 Ernest R. Miller8–16–01st
Ernest R. Miller:8–16–0
Jesse Thomas (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association)(1933)
1933 Jesse Thomas6–25–1
Carl Anderson(Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association)(1934–1937)
1934 Carl Anderson4–2–24–1–1T–6th
1935 Carl Anderson7–35–213th
1936 Carl Anderson4–43–2T–14th
1937 Carl Anderson7–1–13–0–1T–3rd
Carl Anderson:24–9–318–8–2
Gander Terry (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association)(1934–1937)
1938 Gander Terry7–24–1T–8th
1939 Gander Terry7–1–15–1–1T–5th
1940 Gander Terry7–1–14–1–1T–5th
1941 Gander Terry4–5–13–1–1T–6th
Gander Terry:25–9–316–4–3
Arnold Winkenhofer (Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)(1942)
1942 Arnold Winkenhofer3–4–12–0–1T–6th
Arnold Winkenhofer:3–4–12–0–1
1943No team
1944No team
1945No team
Jesse Thomas(Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)(1946–1947)
1946 Jesse Thomas2–61–3
1947 Jesse Thomas3–4–21–3
Jesse Thomas:11–12–27–7
Jack Clayton (Ohio Valley Conference)(1948–1956)
1948 Jack Clayton5–42–35th
1949 Jack Clayton5–42–36th
1950 Jack Clayton6–2–23–1–22nd
1951 Jack Clayton4–52–46th
1952 Jack Clayton9–14–1T–1stW Refrigerator
1953 Jack Clayton6–42–34th
1954 Jack Clayton7–33–2T–2nd
1955 Jack Clayton3–61–45th
1956 Jack Clayton5–42–3T–3rd
Jack Clayton:50–33–221–24–2
Nick Denes (Ohio Valley Conference)(1957–1967)
1957 Nick Denes5–3–11–3–1T–4th
1958 Nick Denes4–52–4T–5th
1959 Nick Denes5–43–34th
1960 Nick Denes2–6–11–4–1T–6th
1961 Nick Denes6–34–23rd
1962 Nick Denes5–33–35th
1963 Nick Denes10–0–17–01stW Tangerine 8
1964 Nick Denes6–3–13–3–1T–3rd
1965 Nick Denes2–6–21–5–17th
1966 Nick Denes5–53–46th
1967 Nick Denes7–1–15–1–12nd
Nick Denes:57–39–733–32–5
Jimmy Feix (Ohio Valley Conference)(1968–1981)
1968 Jimmy Feix7–2–15–2T–2nd1719
1969 Jimmy Feix6–3–15–22nd
1970 Jimmy Feix8–1–15–1–11st912
1971 Jimmy Feix8–26–11st126
1972 Jimmy Feix7–35–22nd
1973 Jimmy Feix12–17–01stW Grantland Rice (NCAA Division II Semifinal)
L Camellia (NCAA Division II Championship)
23
1974 Jimmy Feix7–35–2T–2nd
1975 Jimmy Feix11–26–1T–1stW Grantland Rice (NCAA Division II Semifinal)
L Camellia (NCAA Division II Championship)
33
1976 Jimmy Feix4–5–13–4T–4th
1977 Jimmy Feix1–8–11–5–18th
1978 Jimmy Feix8–26–01stT–4
1979 Jimmy Feix5–53–34th
1980 Jimmy Feix9–16–11st5
1981 Jimmy Feix6–54–4T–4th
Jimmy Feix(Division I-AA independent)(1982–1983)
1982 Jimmy Feix5–5
1983 Jimmy Feix2–8–1
Jimmy Feix:106–56–668–28–2
Dave Roberts (Division I-AA independent)(1984–1988)
1984 Dave Roberts2–9
1985 Dave Roberts4–7
1986 Dave Roberts4–6–1
1987 Dave Roberts7–4L NCAA Division I-AA First Round 11
1988 Dave Roberts9–4L NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal 13
Dave Roberts:26–30–1
Jack Harbaugh (Division I-AA independent)(1989–1998)
1989 Jack Harbaugh6–5
1990 Jack Harbaugh2–8
1991 Jack Harbaugh3–8
1992 Jack Harbaugh4–6
1993 Jack Harbaugh8–319
1994 Jack Harbaugh5–6
1995 Jack Harbaugh2–8
1996 Jack Harbaugh7–4
1997 Jack Harbaugh10–2L NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal 5
1998 Jack Harbaugh7–419
Jack Harbaugh(Ohio Valley Conference)(1999–2000)
1999 Jack Harbaugh6–54–3T–3rd
2000 Jack Harbaugh11–27–01stL NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal 5
Jack Harbaugh(Gateway Football Conference)(2001–2002)
2001 Jack Harbaugh8–45–2T–2ndL NCAA Division I-AA First Round 12
2002 Jack Harbaugh12–47–1T–1stW NCAA Division I-AA Championship 1
Jack Harbaugh:91–6822–6
David Elson (Gateway Football Conference)(2003–2006)
2003 David Elson9–45–2T–3rdL NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal 7
2004 David Elson9–36–12ndL NCAA Division I-AA First Round 11
2005 David Elson6–54–3T–4th
2006 David Elson6–54–3T–4th
David Elson(NCAA Division I FCS independent)(2007)
2007 David Elson7–5
David Elson(NCAA Division I FBS independent)(2008)
2008 David Elson2–10
David Elson(Sun Belt Conference)(2009)
2009 David Elson0–120–89th
David Elson:39–4319–17
Willie Taggart (Sun Belt Conference)(2010–2012)
2010 Willie Taggart2–102–69th
2011 Willie Taggart7–57–12nd
2012 Willie Taggart7–6 [n 1] 4–45thL Little Caesars Pizza
Willie Taggart:16–2013–11
Bobby Petrino (Sun Belt Conference)(2013)
2013 Bobby Petrino8–44–3
Bobby Petrino:8–44–3
Jeff Brohm (Conference USA)(2014–2016)
2014 Jeff Brohm8–54–4T–3rd (East)W Bahamas
2015 Jeff Brohm12–28–01st (East)W Miami Beach 24
2016 Jeff Brohm11–3 [n 2] 7–1T–1st (East)W Boca Raton
Jeff Brohm:30–1019–5
Mike Sanford Jr. (Conference USA)(2017–2018)
2017 Mike Sanford Jr.6–74–4T–3rd (East)L Cure
2018 Mike Sanford Jr.3–92–6T–6th (East)
Mike Sanford Jr.:9–166–10
Tyson Helton (Conference USA)(2019–present)
2019 Tyson Helton9–46–2T–2nd (East)W First Responder
2020 Tyson Helton5–74–33rd (East)L LendingTree
2021 Tyson Helton9–57–11st (East)W Boca Raton
2022 Tyson Helton9–56–2T–2ndW New Orleans
2023 Tyson Helton8–55–34thW Famous Toastery
2024 Tyson Helton8–66–22ndL Boca Raton
Tyson Helton:48–3234–13
Total:623–432–30(.588)
      National championship        Conference title        Conference division title or championship game berth

Notes

  1. Willie Taggart departed WKU before the bowl game, which was coached by Lance Guidry.
  2. Jeff Brohm departed WKU before the bowl game, which was coached by Nick Holt.

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References

  1. "Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Historical Data". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2023.