List of Western Carolina Catamounts football seasons
This is a list of seasons completed by the Western Carolina Catamounts football team. Representing Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, the Catamounts compete in the Southern Conference in the NCAA Division I FCS. The school began playing football in 1931, and plays their home games out of 13,742-seat Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium. The Catamounts are currently led by head coach Mark Speir.
Historically, Western Carolina has struggled on the gridiron, amassing a .410 all-time winning percentage as of the end of the 2017 season, which ranks 113th among the 125 active FCS programs.[1] The Catamounts' first and currently only conference championship came in 1949 where they went 8–3 and participated in the now-defunct Smoky Mountain Bowl. While the program has never won a conference championship, they did make an appearance in the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA championship, winning three postseason contests before falling to Southern Illinois in the title game. The 1983 campaign was the winningest season in program history with an 11–3–1 record.
Seasons
National champions  |
Conference champions * | Division champions  |
Bowl game berth ^ |
| Season | Team | Head coach | Conference | Division | Regular season results | Postseason results | Final ranking[3][1] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Conference[4] | Bowl game/Playoff result | TSN/STATS Poll | Coaches' Poll | ||||||||||
| Win | Loss | Tie | Win | Loss | Tie | Finish | ||||||||
| Western Carolina Catamounts | ||||||||||||||
| 1931 | 1931 | C. C. Poindexter | Independent | — | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1932 | 1932 | 2 | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1933 | 1933 | North State | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1934 | 1934 | 3 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1935 | 1935 | Ralph James | 1 | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1936 | 1936 | 2 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1937 | 1937 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1938 | 1938 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1939 | 1939 | James Whatley | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1940 | 1940 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1941 | 1941 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1942 | 1942 | No team | Season cancelled due to World War II. | |||||||||||
| 1943 | 1943 | Season cancelled due to World War II. | ||||||||||||
| 1944 | 1944 | Season cancelled due to World War II. | ||||||||||||
| 1945 | 1945 | Marion McDonald | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1946 | 1946 | Tom Young | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1947 | 1947 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1948 | 1948 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1949 | 1949† | 8 | 3 | 0 | — | Lost 1949 Smoky Mountain Bowl against West Liberty State, 0–20 ^ | — | — | ||||||
| 1950 | 1950 | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1951 | 1951 | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1952 | 1952 | 2 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1953 | 1953 | 1 | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1954 | 1954 | 4 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1955 | 1955 | 2 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1956 | 1956 | Dan Robinson | 1 | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1957 | 1957 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1958 | 1958 | 1 | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1959 | 1959 | 7 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1960 | 1960 | 6 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1961 | 1961 | CIAC | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1962 | 1962 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1963 | 1963 | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1964 | 1964 | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1965 | 1965 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1966 | 1966 | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1967 | 1967 | 4 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1968 | 1968 | Independent | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1969 | 1969 | Bob Waters | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1970 | 1970 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1971 | 1971 | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1972 | 1972 | 7 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1973 | 1973 | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1974 | 1974 | 9 | 2 | 0 | — | NCAA Division II Playoffs — First Round ^ | — | — | ||||||
| 1975 | 1975 | 3 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1976 | 1976 | 6 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1977 | 1977 | Southern | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5th | — | — | — | ||
| 1978 | 1978 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | T–3rd | — | — | — | |||
| 1979 | 1979 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7th | — | — | — | |||
| 1980 | 1980 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5th | — | — | — | |||
| 1981 | 1981 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6th | — | — | — | |||
| 1982 | 1982 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3rd | — | — | — | |||
| 1983 | 1983 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2nd | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — Runner-up ^ | 9 | — | |||
| 1984 | 1984 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2nd | — | 14 | — | |||
| 1985 | 1985 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | T–5th | — | — | — | |||
| 1986 | 1986 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2nd | — | — | — | |||
| 1987 | 1987 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | T–5th | — | — | — | |||
| 1988 | 1988 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 8th | — | — | — | |||
| 1989 | 1989 | Dale Strahm | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | T–6th | — | — | — | ||
| 1990 | 1990 | Steve Hodgin | 3 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 6th | — | — | — | ||
| 1991 | 1991 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | T–6th | — | — | — | |||
| 1992 | 1992 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | T–2nd | — | — | — | |||
| 1993 | 1993 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3rd | — | — | — | |||
| 1994 | 1994 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | T–3rd | — | — | — | |||
| 1995 | 1995 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | T–7th | — | — | — | |||
| 1996[lower-alpha 1] | 1996 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 9th | — | — | — | |||||
| 1997 | 1997 | Bill Bleil | 3 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 7th | — | — | — | ||||
| 1998 | 1998 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3rd | — | — | — | |||||
| 1999 | 1999 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 7th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2000 | 2000 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 7th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2001 | 2001 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2002 | 2002 | Kent Briggs | 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 | T–5th | — | — | — | ||||
| 2003 | 2003 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 5 | T–6th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2004 | 2004 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 5 | T–5th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2005 | 2005 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2006 | 2006 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 8th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2007 | 2007 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 8th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2008 | 2008 | Dennis Wagner | 3 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 8th | — | — | — | ||||
| 2009 | 2009 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 9th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2010 | 2010 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | T–8th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2011 | 2011 | Dennis Wagner Mark Rhea |
1 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 9th | — | — | — | ||||
| 2012 | 2012 | Mark Speir | 1 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 9th | — | — | — | ||||
| 2013 | 2013 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 7 | T–8th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2014 | 2014 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 2 | T–2nd | — | — | — | |||||
| 2015 | 2015 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3rd | — | — | — | |||||
| 2016 | 2016 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 8th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2017 | 2017 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2018 | 2018 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 8th | — | — | — | |||||
| 2019 | 2019 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 8th | — | — | — | |||||
| Totals | All-time: 341–402–23 (.409) |
Conference: 111–190–5 (.371) |
— | Postseason: 3–3 (.500) |
— | — | ||||||||
Notes
- Overtime rules were added to college football in 1996, thereby eliminating ties.
References
- "2018 Football Championship Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- "Western Carolina 2018 Football Media Guide". CatamountSports.com. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- "Western Carolina In the Polls". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- "2017 SoCon Football Media Guide: History" (PDF). Southern Conference. Retrieved 26 December 2018.