UT Permian Basin Falcons football | |||
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First season | 2016 | ||
Athletic director | Todd Dooley | ||
Head coach | Kris McCullough 2nd season, 10–2 (.833) | ||
Stadium | Ratliff Stadium (capacity: 17,931) | ||
Year built | 1982 | ||
Field surface | FieldTurf | ||
Location | Odessa, Texas | ||
NCAA division | Division II | ||
Conference | LSC | ||
All-time record | 35–38 (.479) | ||
Bowl record | 0–1 (.000) | ||
Playoff appearances | 1 | ||
Playoff record | 0–1 (.000) | ||
Conference titles | 1 LSC (2023) | ||
Colors | Falcon orange and black [1] | ||
Fight song | Fighting Falcons | ||
Mascot | Freddy Falcon | ||
Website | utpbfalcons.com |
The UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represents the University of Texas Permian Basin (abbreviated as UTPB) in college football at the NCAA Division II level. The Falcons are members of the Lone Star Conference (LSC), fielding its team in the LSC since 2016. The Falcons play their home games at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, Texas while Astound Broadband Stadium in the neighboring city of Midland, Texas serves as an alternate home stadium. [2]
Their head coach is Kris McCullough, who took over the position for the 2023 season. [3]
In December 2013, the University of Texas System Regents approved the business plan that the University of Texas Permian Basin needed to secure $9.5 million be the end of 2014 in order to support the first five years of their American football program, including start-up costs and four seasons of play. In order to help fund the required amount, the $35 student union fee was transformed into an athletic fee. [4] The school hoped to expand the school's student body up to 8,000 students by 2020, hoping that football would help expand the student population. [5]
On October 15, 2014, the UTPB announced that the school had secured the necessary $9.5 million in funding to move forward with establishing the school's football program. The team was slated to begin play for the 2016 season. The school began its search for a head coach in November 2014. [5]
On January 8, 2015, the school hired former Tarleton State offensive coordinator Justin Carrigan as the school's first head coach. [6] Carrigan played college football for Angelo State and also coached for Midwestern State and UTEP along with his stint at Tarleton State. [6]
The team's first season consisted of seven home games and four away games. The team's home games were played at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, Texas, and also hosted a game annually at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland, Texas, Starting off the season they faced Division III Sul Ross in their first-ever game. [7] The Falcons won 27–6 and the school's football program officially played, and won, its first ever game as a Division II school. [7] The team won their next game against NAIA opponent Arizona Christian before losing their remaining nine games of the season. [8]
The following three seasons, the team went 2–9 in 2017, [9] 2–9 in 2018, [10] and an improved 4–7 in 2019. [11] In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lone Star Conference announced that it would not be holding conference play. Despite the conference not officially holding in-conference play, UTPB still played fellow conference members, Western New Mexico, Texas A&M–Kingsville, and Midwestern State as the games were not counted as conference games. [12] Due to Ratliff Stadium being used as a mass COVID-19 vaccination hub, the school used Grande Communications Stadium as their home field. [13] In the shortened season, the Falcons won all five of their matchups and finished the season with a 5–0 record—their highest win total under Carrigan. [14] In 2021 and 2022, the team finished 5–6 and made it to the Heritage Bowl in 2021. [15] [16] On November 28, 2022, Carrigan announced that he was stepping down as the head coach of the school's football team after reaching the team's first-ever bowl game a year prior. [17]
On December 22, 2022, the school hired former East Central head coach Kris McCullough to be the school's second head coach. [18] McCullough previously coached for Henderson State, Old Dominion, and Fairmont State before joining East Central. He was promoted to head coach for the 2022 season and lead the team to a Heritage Bowl win. [19]
In McCullough's coaching debut he helped lead the Falcons to a 96–0 win over NAIA opponent Texas College; the 96 points scored are the most in program history. [20] Two weeks later, the Falcons would score 80-plus points again, defeating Southwest Baptist 86–7. [21] On October 16, 2023, the Falcons were ranked no. 25 in the D2 Football poll, marking the first time in program history that the Falcons were ranked in a national poll. [22] A week later, October 23, the Falcons were ranked in the AFCA poll for the first time in program history, entering the poll at no. 22. [23] The Falcons would finish the regular season at 10–1, 8–0 in LSC play, securing both the program's first winning season (outside of the amended spring 2021 season) and first conference title. [24] McCullough would be named LSC coach of the year while quarterback Kenny Hrncir was named LSC Offensive Player of the Year. [25] The Falcons received a bid for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in program history, hosting Bemidji State in the first round. [26]
General | Overall | Conference | Postseason [A 1] | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Order of coaches [A 2] | GC | Games coached | CW | Conference wins | PW | Postseason wins |
DC | Division championships | OW | Overall wins | CL | Conference losses | PL | Postseason losses |
CC | Conference championships | OL | Overall losses | CT | Conference ties | PT | Postseason ties |
NC | National championships | OT | Overall ties [A 3] | C% | Conference winning percentage | ||
† | Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame | O% | Overall winning percentage [A 4] |
No. | Name | Season(s) | GC | OW | OL | O% | CW | CL | C% | PW | PL | DC | CC | NC | Awards |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Justin Carrigan [31] | 2016–2022 | 61 | 25 | 36 | 0.410 | 11 | 28 | 0.282 | 0 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
2 | Kris McCullough [32] | 2023–present | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0.833 | 8 | 0 | 1.000 | 0 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 2023 LSC Coach of the Year |
UT Permian Basin Falcons | ||||
Name | Position | Consecutive season at UT Permian Basin in current position | Previous position | UTPB profile |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tommy Crayton | Assistant head coach / Tackles and tight ends | 1st | Western Illinois – Tight ends / fullbacks / co-special teams coordinator (2023) | [33] |
Blake Crandall | Co-offensive coordinator / wide receivers | 2nd | East Central – Running backs (2022) | [34] |
Kenny Hrncir | Co-offensive coordinator / quarterbacks | 1st | None | [35] |
Jake Shaw | Defensive coordinator | 1st | East Central – Defensive coordinator / inside linebackers (2022–2023) | [36] |
Devin Gaulden | Co-defensive coordinator / secondary | 1st | Delta State – Defensive backs (2022–2023) | [37] |
Zack Santolla | Defensive line / run game coordinator | 1st | Charleston – Defensive line / defensive run game coordinator (2016–2023) | [38] |
Spencer Region | Interior offensive line | 1st | UT Permian Basin – Assistant offensive line and tight ends (2023) | [39] |
Marquez Gollman | Safeties | 1st | Louisiana Tech – Graduate assistant (2023) | [40] |
Hayden Kelly | Linebackers | 1st | None | [41] |
Reference: [42] |
National champions | Conference champions | Bowl game berth | Playoff berth |
Season | Year | Head Coach | Association | Division | Conference | Record | Postseason | Final AFCA ranking | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | Conference | ||||||||||||
Win | Loss | Finish | Win | Loss | |||||||||
UT Permian Basin Falcons | |||||||||||||
2016 | 2016 | Justin Carrigan | NCAA | Division II | LSC | 2 | 9 | 10th | 0 | 9 | — | — | |
2017 | 2017 | 2 | 9 | T–8th | 1 | 7 | — | — | |||||
2018 | 2018 | 2 | 9 | 8th | 1 | 7 | — | — | |||||
2019 | 2019 | 4 | 7 | 7th | 2 | 6 | — | — | |||||
2020–21 | 2020 | 5 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | — | — | |||||
2021 | 2021 | 5 | 6 | T–5th | 3 | 4 | L Heritage Bowl | — | |||||
2022 | 2022 | 5 | 6 | 7th | 4 | 5 | — | — | |||||
2023 | 2023 | Kris McCullough | 10 | 2 | 1st | 7 | 0 | L NCAA Division II First Round | 18 | ||||
2024 | 2024 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — |
Year | Player name | Position | Team |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | Chris Hoad | LB | Second Team [43] |
2020 | Chris Hoad | LB | Second Team |
Year | Player name | Position |
---|---|---|
2023 | Kenny Hrncir [44] | QB |
Official record (including any NCAA imposed vacates and forfeits) against all current LSC opponents as of the completion of the 2023 season. [45]
Opponent | Won | Lost | Pct. | Streak | First meeting | Latest meeting |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Angelo State | 1 | 6 | .143 | Won 1 | 2016 | 2023 |
Central Washington | 1 | 1 | .500 | Won 1 | 2022 | 2023 |
Eastern New Mexico | 4 | 3 | .571 | Won 4 | 2016 | 2023 |
Midwestern State | 2 | 6 | .250 | Won 1 | 2016 | 2023 |
Oklahoma Panhandle State* | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost 1 | 2016 | 2016 |
Simon Fraser* | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | Won 1 | 2022 | 2022 |
Sul Ross | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost 1 | 2016 | 2017 |
Tarleton State* | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost 4 | 2016 | 2019 |
Texas A&M–Commerce* | 0 | 5 | .000 | Lost 5 | 2016 | 2021 |
Texas A&M–Kingsville | 3 | 5 | .375 | Won 1 | 2016 | 2023 |
West Texas A&M | 2 | 5 | .286 | Won 1 | 2016 | 2022 |
Western New Mexico | 6 | 2 | .750 | Won 4 | 2016 | 2023 |
Western Oregon | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | Won 2 | 2022 | 2023 |
Totals | 22 | 38 | .367 |
* Signifies former LSC members
The Falcons have an all-time bowl game record of 0–1.
Season | Event | Opponent | Result | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Heritage Bowl | Oklahoma Baptist | L 21–24 | [46] |
The Falcons have made one appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs, with a record of 0-1.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | First Round | Bemidji State | L, 3–10 |
The Lone Star Conference (LSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the South Central states, with schools in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, with two members in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon and Washington competing as affiliates for football only.
The Heartland Conference was a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division II level, which was founded in 1999. The majority of members were in Texas, with additional members in Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The conference office was located in Waco, Texas.
The University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) is a public university in Odessa, Texas. It is part of the University of Texas System. UTPB was authorized by the Texas Legislature in 1969 and founded in 1973. UTPB is now home to over 7,000 students and 250 teaching faculty.
The Astound Broadband Stadium is a 15,000-seat stadium located in Midland, Texas. The stadium plays host to the American football and soccer teams for both Legacy High School and Midland High School, plus the West Texas FC franchise in USL League Two, which is the fourth tier of American soccer. Additionally, the West Texas Drillers adult tackle football team of the Minor Professional Football League (MPFL) as well as the West Texas Pride Minor League Football team of the Rio Grande Football League (RGFL) call the stadium home. The stadium also serves as an alternate home stadium for the Texas–Permian Basin football team, serving as the team's home venue for the 2020 season as Ratliff Stadium, the team's primary home stadium, was being used as a mass COVID-19 vaccination site.
The UT Permian Basin Falcons are the athletic teams that represent the University of Texas Permian Basin, located in Odessa, Texas, United States, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in Lone Star Conference for most of their varsity sports since the 2016–17 academic year. A UTPB Falcons football team was added for the 2016 NCAA Division II football season to bring the total number of varsity teams to 16. UTPB previously competed in the D-II Heartland Conference from 2006–07 to 2015–16; in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1998–99 to 2005–06; and as an NAIA Independent from 1995–96 to 1997–98.
The Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team is the college football program representing Texas A&M University–Commerce. The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I FCS of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Prior to joining the Southland, they competed in the Lone Star Conference of Division II. The A&M–Commerce football team plays its home games at Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. On Dec. 16, 2017, A&M-Commerce won its first NCAA Division II national championship, by defeating West Florida, 37-27, in Kansas City. The Lions recorded a perfect record in 1934, won the NAIA National Championship in 1972, and have amassed a total of 24 LSC conference championships since joining as a charter member in 1931. On September 28, 2021, the university accepted an invitation from the Southland Conference, moving the university's athletics programs up to the NCAA Division I level. This ended a 90-year affiliation with the Lone Star Conference, as A&M-Commerce was the last founding member remaining. The football team began competing at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level starting with the 2022 season.
The 2017 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represented University of Texas of the Permian Basin in the 2017 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by second-year head coach Justin Carrigan. The Falcons played their home games at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, Texas, with one home game played at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland, and were members of the Lone Star Conference (LSC).
The 2022 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, began on August 31 and ended on December 17 with the Division II championship at the McKinney Independent School District Stadium in McKinney, Texas. Ferris State defeated Colorado Mines, 41–14, for its second consecutive championship.
Kris McCullough is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach for the University of Texas Permian Basin, a position he has held since 2023. He was the head football coach for East Central University in 2022. He previously coached for Henderson State, Old Dominion, and Fairmont State.
Justin Carrigan is an American athletic director and former college football coach. He is the athletic director for Liberty Hill High School, a position he has held since 2023. He was the deputy athletic director for the University of Texas Permian Basin in 2023 and the school's head football coach from its inception in 2015 until 2022. He also coached for Midwestern State, UTEP, and Tarleton State. He played college football for Angelo State as a safety.
The 2016 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represented the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) in the 2016 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference. The program's inaugural season, the Falcons were led by head coach Justin Carrigan; Carrigan previously served as the offensive coordinator at Tarleton State.
The 2020 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represented the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) in the 2020–21 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The Falcons were led by fifth-year head coach Justin Carrigan.
The 2023 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represented the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) in the 2023 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). They were led by first-year head coach Kris McCullough. The Falcons finished the regular season 10–1, going 8–0 in LSC play to win the conference title for the first time in program history. The Falcons received a bid for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in program history, being selected as the third seed in Super Region 4.
The 2021 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represented the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) in the 2021 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The Falcons were led by sixth-year head coach Justin Carrigan. The Falcons played their home games at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, Texas, with one home game played at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland.
The 2018 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represented University of Texas of the Permian Basin in the 2018 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by third-year head coach Justin Carrigan. The Falcons played their home games at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, Texas, with one home game played at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland, and were members of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The team matched its record from the previous two seasons, finishing with a record of 2–9 and went 1–7 in conference play.
The 2022 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represented the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) in the 2022 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The team played its home games at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland, Texas while Ratliff Stadium in Odessa hosted two home games. The Falcons were led by seventh-year head coach Justin Carrigan. On November 28, Carrigan announced that he would be stepping down as the program's head coach. The following day it was announced he would be stepping into an administrative role, being named the university's deputy athletic director.
The 2019 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represented the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in the 2019 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Justin Carrigan. The Falcons played their home games at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, Texas, with one home game played at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland, and were members of the Lone Star Conference (LSC).
Kenneth C. Hrncir is an American college football coach and former quarterback. He is the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the University of Texas Permian Basin, a position he has held since 2024. He originally played for the East Central Tigers before transferring to the UT Permian Basin Falcons.
The 2022 East Central Tigers football team represented East Central University (ECU) in the 2022 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Great American Conference (GAC). The Tigers were led by Kris McCullough in his first and only season as head coach. The Tigers finished the season 9–3, going 8–3 in conference play to finish tied for third place in the GAC. This was the best finish in program history since the 1993 season when the Tigers finished 10–3 and won the NAIA Championship. The team played its home games at Koi Ishto Stadium in Ada, Oklahoma.
The 2024 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team will represent the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) in the 2024 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). They will be led by second-year head coach Kris McCullough. The Falcons will play most of their home games at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland, Texas while Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, Texas will host one game. UTPB will enter the 2024 season as the defending LSC champion.