Saint John's Johnnies football | |||
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First season | 1900 | ||
Athletic director | Bob Alpers | ||
Head coach | Gary Fasching 12th season, 110–20 (.846) | ||
Stadium | Clemens Stadium (capacity: 8,500) | ||
Field surface | Turf | ||
Location | Collegeville, Minnesota | ||
Conference | MIAC | ||
All-time record | 681–257–24 (.720) | ||
Claimed national titles | 4 | ||
Conference titles | 35 | ||
Rivalries | St. Thomas (MN) (former) | ||
Consensus All-Americans | 144 | ||
Colors | Red and blue [1] | ||
Mascot | Johnnies | ||
Website | gojohnnies.com |
The Saint John's Johnnies football program represents Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. They compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). [2] From 1953 through November 19, 2012, collegiate hall-of-fame coach John Gagliardi coached the Johnnies, posting a 489–138–11 (.775) record over 59 years. [3] Gagliardi's 489 wins are the most all-time for any football coach across all divisions. [4] Before John Gagliardi, Johnny "Blood" McNally coached for Saint John's. McNally stated while leaving the head coaching job that, "nobody can win at Saint John's." Gagliardi and the Johnnies went 6-2 the following season in 1953. The current coach is Gary Fasching, who was named to the position on December 28, 2012. [5]
The Johnnies have the second highest win percentage football program in Division III history, boasting a 692–257–24 (.724) record during 2024 season.
Year | Association | Division | Head coach | Record | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1963 | NAIA (2) | Single (2) | John Gagliardi | 10–0 (7–0 MIAC) | Prairie View A&M | W, 33–27 |
1965 | 11–0 (7–0 MIAC) | Linfield | W, 33–0 | |||
1976 | NCAA (2) | Division III (2) | 10–0–1 (7–0 MIAC) | Towson State | W, 31–28 | |
2003 | 14–0 (8–0 MIAC) | Mount Union | W, 24–6 |
The Johnnies have made twenty-nine appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs, with a combined record of 44–27. They finished as national champions in the NCAA Division III Championship Game (Stagg Bowl) in 1976 and 2003, and as national runner-ups in 2000.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1976 | First Round Semifinals Stagg Bowl | Augustana (IL) Buena Vista Towson State | W, 46–7 W, 61–0 W, 31–28 |
1977 | First Round | Wabash | L, 9–20 |
1985 | First Round | Occidental | L, 10–28 |
1987 | First Round Quarterfinals | Gustavus Adolphus Central (IA) | W, 7–3 L, 3–13 |
1989 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Simpson (IA) Central (IA) Dayton | W, 42–35 W, 27–24 L, 0–28 |
1991 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Coe Wisconsin–La Crosse Dayton | W, 75–2 W, 29–10 L, 7–19 |
1993 | First Round Quarterfinals | Coe Wisconsin–La Crosse | W, 32–14 L, 25–47 |
1994 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | La Verne Wartburg Albion | W, 51–12 W, 24–14 L, 16–19 |
1996 | First Round Quarterfinals | Simpson (IA) Wisconsin–La Crosse | W, 21–18 L, 30–37 |
1998 | First Round Quarterfinals | Pacific Lutheran Wisconsin–Eau Claire | W, 33–20 L, 3–10 |
1999 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Stevens Point Central (IA) Pacific Lutheran | W, 23–10 W, 10–9 L, 9–19 |
2000 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Stagg Bowl | Wisconsin–Stout Pacific Lutheran Central (IA) Hardin–Simmons Mount Union | W, 26–19 W, 28–21 OT W, 21–18 W, 38–14 L, 7–10 |
2001 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | St. Norbert Wisconsin–Stevens Point Pacific Lutheran Mount Union | W, 27–20 W, 9–7 W, 31–6 L, 14–35 |
2002 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Redlands Coe Linfield Trinity (TX) | W, 31–24 W, 45–14 W, 21–14 L, 34–41 |
2003 | Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Stagg Bowl | St. Norbert Linfield RPI Mount Union | W, 38–13 W, 31–25 W, 38–10 W, 24–6 |
2005 | First Round Second Round | Monmouth (IL) Wisconsin–Whitewater | W, 62–3 L, 7–34 |
2006 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Central (IA) Whitworth Wisconsin–Whitewater | W, 21–13 W, 21–3 L, 14–17 |
2007 | First Round Second Round | Redlands Central (IA) | W, 41–13 L, 7–37 |
2008 | First Round | Wisconsin–Whitewater | L, 7–37 |
2009 | First Round | Coe | L, 27–34 |
2014 | First Round Second Round | St. Scholastica Wartburg | W, 35–7 L, 10–21 |
2015 | First Round Second Round | Dubuque St. Thomas (MN) | W, 51–7 L, 19–38 |
2016 | First Round Second Round | Wisconsin–Platteville Wisconsin–Oshkosh | W, 32–31 L, 14–31 |
2017 | First Round | North Central (IL) | L, 7–17 |
2018 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Martin Luther Whitworth Mary Hardin-Baylor | W, 84–6 W, 45–24 L, 18–21 |
2019 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Aurora Chapman Wheaton (IL) Wisconsin–Whitewater | W, 51–47 W, 55–26 W, 34–33 L, 32–35 |
2021 | First Round Second Round | Lake Forest Linfield | W, 41–14 L, 28–31 |
2022 | First Round Second Round | Northwestern (MN) Wartburg | W, 49–0 L, 20–23 |
2024 | Second Round Third Round | Wisconsin–La Crosse Susquehanna | W, 24–13 L, 38–41 |
The Johnnies made three appearances in the NAIA playoffs and won the NAIA national championship twice, with a combined record of 4–1.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1963 | Semifinals Camellia Bowl | College of Emporia Prairie View A&M | W, 24–13 W, 33–27 |
1965 | Semifinals Championship | Fairmont State Linfield | W, 28–7 W, 33–0 |
1982 | Quarterfinals | Northwestern (IA) | L, 28–33 |
Year [6] | Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
1949 | 12 | 113 | Red Maenhout | End | New York Bulldogs |
1955 | 19 | 218 | Dick Coy | T | Chicago Cardinals |
1957 | 19 | 222 | Chuck Froehle | G | Baltimore Colts |
1963 | 18 | 240 | Tom McIntyre | OT | Minnesota Vikings |
1964 | 9 | 125 | John McDowell | OT | Green Bay Packers |
1965 | 16 | 219 | Paul Labinski | DT | Minnesota Vikings |
1967 | 12 | 296 | Fred Cremer | G | Minnesota Vikings |
1972 | 12 | 304 | Steve Setzler | DE | San Francisco 49ers |
1974 | 15 | 389 | Kurt Wachtler | DT | Minnesota Vikings |
2020 | 4 | 116 | Ben Bartch | OT | Jacksonville Jaguars |
The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are two closely related private, Benedictine liberal arts colleges in Minnesota. The College of Saint Benedict is a college for women in St. Joseph and Saint John's University is a university for men in Collegeville. Students at the institutions have a shared curriculum and access to the resources of both campuses. Together, the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University offer over 70 areas of study to undergraduate students, plus graduate programs in nursing and theology.
The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. All 13 of the member schools are located in Minnesota and are private institutions, with only two being non-sectarian.
The Gagliardi Trophy was first presented in 1993 to the Outstanding Division III college football player of the year by the Jostens Company and the J-Club of Saint John's University in Minnesota. Since that time, the award has become one of the leading collegiate football awards in Division III football, honoring excellence in athletics, academics and community service. The award is named for John Gagliardi, head football coach of Carroll College 1949 to 1952 and Saint John's University in Minnesota from 1953 to 2012. The trophy was presented by the Salem Rotary Club each year in Salem, Virginia until 2018.
John Gagliardi was an American football coach. He was the head football coach at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, from 1953 until 2012. From 1949 to 1952, he was the head football coach at Carroll College in Helena, Montana. With a career record of 489–138–11, Gagliardi has the most wins of any coach in college football history. His Saint John's Johnnies teams won four national titles: the NAIA Football National Championship in 1963 and 1965, and the NCAA Division III Football Championship in 1976 and 2003. Gagliardi was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
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Jim Smith is a college basketball head coach. As the head coach of Saint John's University in Minnesota, he has compiled 770 wins. Smith is the winningest head coach in Minnesota college basketball history, and is second among all Division III coaches in wins. Smith recorded his 700th win on November 21, 2009, against Division II school Minnesota-State Moorhead.
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The 2019 Saint John's Johnnies football team represented Saint John's University in the 2019 NCAA Division III football season. The Johnnies, led by seventh-year head coach Gary Fasching, were members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and played their home games at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville, Minnesota.
The 2018 Saint John's Johnnies football team represented Saint John's University in the 2018 NCAA Division III football season. The Johnnies, led by sixth-year head coach Gary Fasching, were members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and played their home games at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville, Minnesota.
Gary Fasching is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach for Saint John's University, a position he has held since 2013. He succeeded John Gagliardi as head coach after working as an assistant under him for 17 seasons. Fasching was the head football coach at Cathedral High School in St. Cloud, Minnesota from 1986 to 1995, winning two state championships.
The 2021 Saint John's Johnnies football team represented Saint John's University as a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) during the 2021 NCAA Division III football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Gary Fasching, the Johnnies compiled an overall record of 11–1 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play. They finished first the MIAC's Northwoods Division and beat the Bethel Royals, winners of the MIAC's Skyline Division in the MIAC Championship Game. As MIAC champion, Saint John's received and automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs, where the defeated Lake Forest in the first round before losing to Linfield in the second round. The Johnnies played home games at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville, Minnesota.
The 1976 Saint John's Johnnies football team represented Saint John's University as a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) during the 1976 NCAA Division III football season. In their 24th season under head coach John Gagliardi, the Johnnies compiled a 10–0–1 record and won the NCAA Division III national championship.
The 1963 Saint John's Johnnies football team was an American football team that compiled a perfect 10–0 record and won the NAIA Football National Championship with a victory over Prairie View A&M in the Camellia Bowl. It was the first of four national championships for the Saint John's Johnnies football program under head coach John Gagliardi.
The 1965 Saint John's Johnnies football team was an American football team that represented Saint John's University as a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) during the 1965 NAIA football season. In their 13th season under head coach John Gagliardi, the Johnnies compiled an 11–0 record and won the MIAC championship. The team advanced to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics playoff and won the NAIA national championship with a 33–0 victory over Linfield Wildcats in the Champion Bowl. It was the second of four national championships for the Saint John's Johnnies football program under head coach John Gagliardi.
The 2022 Saint John's Johnnies football team represented Saint John's University as members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) during the 2022 NCAA Division III football season. Led by ninth-year head coach Gary Fasching, the Johnnies compiled an overall record of 10–2 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, winning the MIAC Northwoods Division title. Saint John's defeated Bethel in the MIAC Championship Game to win the conference title and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs. There, the Johnnies defeated the Northwestern (MN) in the first round before losing to the Wartburg in the second round. The team played home games at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville, Minnesota.
The 1962 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football season was the season of college football played by the eight member schools of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) as part of the 1962 NCAA College Division football season.
The 2023 Saint John's Johnnies football team represented Saint John's University as a member of the Northwoods Division of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division III football season. Led by tenth-year head coach Gary Fasching, the Johnnies compiled an overall record of 8–2 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, placing second the MIAC's Northwoods Division. Saint John's failed to advanced to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs for the first time since 2013. The team played home games at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville, Minnesota.
The 2024 Saint John's Johnnies football team represents Saint John's University as a member of the Northwoods Division of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) during the 2024 NCAA Division III football season. The Johnnies are led by 11th-year head coach Gary Fasching. The team plays home games at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville, Minnesota.