Western Connecticut Wolves football

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Western Connecticut Wolves football
Western-conn-st bgd logo from NCAA.svg
First season1969;55 years ago (1969)
Athletic directorLori Mazza
Head coach Joe Loth
12th season, 71–44 (.617)
StadiumThe WAC
(capacity: 4,500)
Year built1995
Field surface FieldTurf
Location Danbury, Connecticut
NCAA division Division III
Conference MASCAC
Past conferences NAIA Independent
NEFC
Division III Independent
FFC
NJAC
All-time record230–282–4 (.450)
Bowl record2–2 (.500)
Playoff appearances4
Playoff record1–4
Conference titles4
Rivalries Framingham State [1]
ColorsDeep blue and Starbust orange [2]
   
Mascot Wolves
Website westconnathletics.com

The Western Connecticut Wolves football (often stylized as WestConn) team represents Western Connecticut State University in college football at the NCAA Division III level. The Wolves are members of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), fielding its team in the MASCAC since 2013. The Wolves play their home games at the WAC in Danbury, Connecticut. [3] The team was previously known as the Western Connecticut Colonials and Western Connecticut Indians.

Contents

Their head coach is Joe Loth, who took over the position for the 2012 season. [4]

History

Western Connecticut State College, now known as Western Connecticut State University, established its college football team in 1969, initially named the Western Connecticut Indians. The team's first head coach was Jim Krayeske, who guided them to a 2–2–1 record during their debut season in the Freedom Football League. [5] In recognition of his contributions, Krayeske was inducted into the WestConn Hall of Fame in 2013. [6] The team held their inaugural home game on October 25, 1969, at Osborne Street Field, where they faced New Haven. [7]

Conference affiliations

Championships

Conference championships

Western Connecticut claims 4 conference titles, the most recent of which came in 2023.

YearConferenceOverall RecordConference RecordCoach
1985† New England Football Conference 10–28–1 Paul Pasqualoni
1999 Freedom Football Conference 10–16–0 John Cervino
2001†8–25–1 Bob Surace
2023† Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference 10–28–1 Joe Loth

† Co-champions

Postseason games

NCAA Division III playoff games

Western Connecticut has appeared in the Division III playoffs four times, with an overall record of 1–4.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1985 First Round Montclair State L, 0–28
1999 Second Round Montclair State L, 24–32
2001 First Round
Second Round		 Westfield State
Rowan 		W, 8–7
L, 14–43
2023 First Round Johns Hopkins L, 20–62

Bowl games

Western Connecticut has participated in nine bowl games, and has a record of 2–2.

SeasonCoachBowlOpponentResult
2000 Bob Surace ECAC Bowl Nichols W 63–10
2013 Joe Loth ECAC Bowl Salve Regina W 48–35
2014 ECAC Bowl St. John Fisher L 14–28
2019 New England Bowl WPI L 6–35

List of head coaches

Key

Key to symbols in coaches list
GeneralOverallConferencePostseason [A 1]
No.Order of coaches [A 2] GCGames coachedCWConference winsPWPostseason wins
DCDivision championshipsOWOverall winsCLConference lossesPLPostseason losses
CCConference championshipsOLOverall lossesCTConference tiesPTPostseason ties
NCNational championshipsOTOverall ties [A 3] C%Conference winning percentage
†Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame O%Overall winning percentage [A 4]

Coaches

List of head football coaches showing season(s) coached, overall records, conference records, postseason records, championships and selected awards
No.NameSeason(s)GCOWOLOTO%CWCLCTC%PWPLPTDCCCNCAwards
1 Jim Krayeske [5] 196952210.500
2 Nick Cutulle [14] 1970–197181700.1251
3 Dave Rice [15] 1972–19742691700.346
4 Bill Sferro [16] 1975–19761661000.375
5 Carl Paight [17] 1977–19792632300.1151800.111
6 Steve Golden 1980–19811811610.08311510.088
7 Paul Pasqualoni [18] 1982–198651341700.667241200.6670101
8 Chris Rippon [19] 1987–19893062310.217
9 Ken Brasington [20] 1990–19912041600.200
10 John Cervino [21] 1992–199981394110.488222600.458110
11 Bob Surace [22] 2000–20012118300.85710200.8332101
12 John Burrell [23] 2002–2011100376300.370205400.270
13 Joe Loth [24] 2012–present101614000.604483200.600120

Year-by-year results

National championsConference championsBowl game berthPlayoff berth

[25]

SeasonYearHead
Coach		AssociationDivisionConferenceRecordPostseasonFinal ranking
OverallConference
WinLossTieFinishWinLossTie
Western Connecticut Indians
1969 1969 Jim Krayeske ——FFL221——————
Western Connecticut Colonials
1970 1970 Nick Cutulle NAIA Division I Independent 020——————
1971 1971 150——————
1972 1972 Dave Rice 170——————
1973 1973 450——————
1974 1974 450——————
1975 1975 Bill Sferro 260——————
1976 1976 440——————
1977 1977 Carl Paight NCAA Division III —270——————
1978 1978 080——————
1979 1979 NEFC 18010th180——
1980 1980 Steve Golden 08110th081——
1981 1981 1809th170——
1982 1982 Paul Pasqualoni 270T–8th270——
1983 1983 7304th630——
1984 1984 9102nd810——
1985 1985 1020T–1st810L NCAA Division III First Round —
1986 1986 Independent 640——————
1987 1987 Chris Rippon 181——————
1988 1988 370——————
1989 1989 280——————
1990 1990 Ken Brasington 370——————
1991 1991 190——————
1992 1992 John Cervino FFC 280T–6th240——
1993 1993 4607th240——
1994 1994 1907th150——
1995 1995 7212nd420——
1996 1996 640T–4th330——
1997 1997 460T–6th150——
1998 1998 550T–4th330——
1999 1999 10101st600L NCAA Division III Second Round 14 [26]
2000 2000 Bob Surace 10102nd510W ECAC Northeast Bowl20 [27]
2001 2001 820T–1st510L NCAA Division III Second Round —
2002 2002 John Burrell 7303rd420——
2003 2003 640T–3rd330——
2004 2004 NJAC 550T–4th240——
2005 2005 6404th330——
2006 2006 550T–5th250——
2007 2007 460T–6th250——
2008 2008 2808th270——
2009 2009 280T–8th270——
2010 2010 010010th090——
2011 2011 010010th090——
2012 2012 Joe Loth 180T–8th170——
2013 2013 MASCAC 8202nd620W ECAC Northeast Bowl [28] —
2014 2014 7402nd620L ECAC Northeast Bowl [29] —
2015 2015 550T–4th440——
2016 2016 550T–3rd440——
2017 2017 730T–3rd530——
2018 2018 820T–2nd620——
2019 2019 830T–2nd620L New England Bowl [30] —
Season canceled due to Covid-19
2021 2021 Joe Loth NCAA Division III MASCAC 5505th440——
Western Connecticut Wolves
2022 2022 Joe Loth NCAA Division III MASCAC 730T–2nd620——
2023 2023

Notes

  1. ↑ Although the first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902, it has been continuously played since the 1916 game, and is recognized as the oldest bowl game by the NCAA. "—" indicates any season prior to 1916 when postseason games were not played. [11]
  2. ↑ A running total of the number of head coaches, with coaches who served separate tenures being counted only once. Interim head coaches are represented with "Int" and are not counted in the running total. "—" indicates the team played but either without a coach or no coach is on record. "X" indicates an interim year without play.
  3. ↑ Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since. [12]
  4. ↑ When computing the win–loss percentage, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss. [13]

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References

  1. ↑ Lowenadler, Eric (October 26, 2022). "Wolves Triumph In Rivalry Game". echowcsu.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  2. ↑ "University Color Palette" . Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Western Connecticut Athletic Facilities". Western Connecticut State University. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  4. ↑ Dispatch, Mark Znidar, The Columbus. "College football: Loth leaves Otterbein for Western Connecticut State". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved April 10, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. 1 2 "1969- The Start of the Team – Celebrating 50 years of WCSU Football". www.wcsu.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Jim Krayeske – Celebrating 50 years of WCSU Football". www.wcsu.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  7. ↑ "First Scrimmage – Celebrating 50 years of WCSU Football". www.wcsu.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  8. ↑ CT), News-Times, The (Danbury (September 3, 2004). "WestConn football capsule". NewsTimes. Retrieved April 10, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ "About the NJAC". njacsports.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  10. ↑ "NEFC splits, will get two AQs". February 9, 2012.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. ↑ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2011). Bowl/All-Star Game Records (PDF). Indianapolis, Indiana: NCAA. pp. 5–10. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  12. ↑ Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  13. ↑ Finder, Chuck (September 6, 1987). "Big plays help Paterno to 200th". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  14. ↑ "Nicholas Cutulle Obituary (2005) - Albany, NY - Albany Times Union". Legacy.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  15. ↑ Shook, Scott. "Distinguished Football Career Led Dave Rice to a Life of Volunteerism on Marco Island". Coastal Breeze News. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  16. ↑ Yumpu.com. "2012 football media guide.indd - Western Connecticut State University". yumpu.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Carl Paight, 85, Former Norwalk High School Coach". Norwalk Daily Voice. September 19, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Paul Pasqualoni, the former head football coach at Western Con". AP NEWS. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Chris Rippon - Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties & Specialists Coach - Hobart Football Coaches". Hobart and William Smith College Athletics. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  20. ↑ By (September 13, 1991). "QB RYAN CATCHES ON AS STARTER AT WESTERN". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  21. ↑ By (January 28, 2000). "WESTERN FOOTBALL COACH CERVINO RESIGNS". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Surace '90 gets the call as football coach". Princeton Alumni Weekly. January 21, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  23. ↑ "WESTERN CONNECTICUT FOOTBALL: Burrell out as head coach". NewsTimes. January 29, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  24. ↑ Doyle, Paul (September 3, 2021). "WestConn football coach Joe Loth not sure what to expect as his team opens season". NewsTimes. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  25. ↑ "GAME_BY_GAME_ALL_TIME_RESULTS_THROUGH_2022.pdf" (PDF). Western Connecticut State University. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Latest news". USA Today . June 10, 2000. Archived from the original on June 10, 2000. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  27. ↑ "- Mount Union No. 1 in Final AFCA Division III Coaches' Poll of 2000". February 1, 2001. Archived from the original on February 1, 2001. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  28. ↑ Staff reports (November 19, 2013). "Western Connecticut football to play in ECAC bowl game". NewsTimes. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  29. ↑ "WCSU ROUNDUP: Colonials earn ECAC bowl berth". NewsTimes. November 18, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  30. ↑ Toland, Jennifer. "College football: WPI set to host Western Connecticut in New England Bowl Series". The Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
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