Wikipedia
Wartburg Knights football
The Wartburg Knights football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Wartburg College located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The team competes in the NCAA Division III and a member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC).[2] Wartburg's first football team was fielded in 1929 with varsity play starting in 1935.[3] The team plays its home games at Walston-Hoover stadium in Waverly, Iowa.
| Wartburg Knights football | |
|---|---|
| First season | 1935 |
| Athletic director | John Cochrane |
| Head coach | Chris Winter 3rd season, 33–5 (.868) |
| Stadium | Walston-Hoover Stadium (capacity: 5,000) |
| Field surface | FieldTurf |
| Location | Waverly, Iowa |
| NCAA division | Division III |
| Conference | American Rivers Conference |
| All-time record | 488–315–7 (.607) |
| Playoff appearances | 16 (NCAA D-III) |
| Playoff record | 17–16 (NCAA D-III) |
| Conference titles | 19 |
| Consensus All-Americans | 4 |
| Colors | Orange and Black[1] |
| Mascot | Knights |
| Website | go-knights.net |
Conference affiliations edit
- Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1936–2018)
- American Rivers Conference (2018–present)
Playoffs edit
The Knights have appeared in the Division III Playoffs 16 times, most recently in 2023.[4] They have not had a losing season since 1988. Their combined playoff record is 17–16.
NCAA Division III playoffs edit
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | First Round | Bishop | L 7–32 | 8–2 |
| 1993 | Regionals | Wisconsin–La Crosse | L 26–55 | 9–3 |
| 1994 | Regionals | Central | W 22–21 | 10–2 |
| Quarterfinals | Saint John's (MN) | L 14–42 | ||
| 1999 | Regionals | Pacific Lutheran | L 14–49 | 10–1 |
| 2002 | First Round | Lake Forest | W 45–0 | 10–2 |
| Second Round | Linfield | L 15–52 | ||
| 2003 | First Round | Bethel | W 21–7 | 11–1 |
| Second Round | Linfield | L 20–23 | ||
| 2004 | First Round | Concordia–Moorhead | L 14–28 | 8–3 |
| 2008 | First Round | Wisconsin–Stevens Point | W 26–21 | 10–3 |
| Second Round | Monmouth | W 30–28 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Whitewater | L 17–34 | ||
| 2010 | First Round | Bethel | L 20–28 | 10–1 |
| 2013 | First Round | Illinois Wesleyan | W 41–7 | 9–3 |
| Second Round | Bethel | L 27–34 | ||
| 2014 | First Round | St. Thomas | W 37–31 | 12–1 |
| Second Round | Saint John's (MN) | W 21–10 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Whitewater | L 33–37 | ||
| 2017 | First Round | Franklin | W 35–34 OT | 12–1 |
| Second Round | Trine | W 49–7 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Oshkosh | L 27–41 | ||
| 2018 | First Round | Bethel | L 14–41 | 8–3 |
| 2019 | First Round | Hope | W 41–3 | 10–2 |
| Second Round | Wisconsin–Whitewater | L 28–41 | ||
| 2022 | First Round | Wisconsin–LaCrosse | W 14–6 | 13–1 |
| Second Round | Saint John's (MN) | W 23–20 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Aurora | W 45–17 | ||
| Semifinals | Mount Union | L 31–34 | ||
| 2023 | First Round | Illinois College | W 49–14 | 13–1 |
| Second Round | Whitworth | W 42–20 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Whitewater | W 31–28 | ||
| Semifinals | North Central (IL) | L 27–34 |
Championships edit
Conference championships edit
The Knights have won 19 conference championships
| Year | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Norman Johansen | 8–0–1 | 7–0–1 |
| 1959 | 8–1 | 8–0 | |
| 1968 | Lee Bondhus | 7–1–1 | 6–0–1 |
| 1982 | Don Canfield | 8–2 | 7–0 |
| 1983† | 8–1 | 6–1 | |
| 1993 | Bob Nielson | 9–2 | 8–1 |
| 1999 | Rick Willis | 10–1 | 10–0 |
| 2002† | 10–2 | 8–1 | |
| 2003 | 11–1 | 8–0 | |
| 2004† | 8–3 | 6–2 | |
| 2008 | 10–3 | 7–1 | |
| 2010 | 10–1 | 8–0 | |
| 2013 | 9–3 | 6–1 | |
| 2014 | 12–1 | 7–0 | |
| 2017 | 12–1 | 8–0 | |
| 2018 | 8–3 | 7–1 | |
| 2019† | 10–2 | 7–1 | |
| 2022 | Chris Winter | 13–1 | 8–0 |
| 2023 | 13–1 | 8–0 |
† Co-champions
Individual awards edit
IIAC/ARC Conference Awards edit
| Year | Player | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Murray McMurray | Most Valuable Player |
| 1969 | Connie Hellerich | Most Valuable Player |
| 1982 | Mike Ward | Most Valuable Player |
| 1983 | Scott Fritz | Most Valuable Player |
| 1984 | Gary Walljasper | Most Valuable Player |
| 1995 | Vince Penningroth | Most Valuable Player |
| 1999 | Matt Wheeler | Most Valuable Player |
| 2014 | Logan Schrader Spencer Capitani | Offensive Most Valuable Player Defensive Most Valuable Player |
| 2015 | Logan Schrader | Offensive Most Valuable Player |
| 2017 | Matt Sacia | Offensive Most Valuable Player |
| 2018 | Matt Sacia | Offensive Most Valuable Player |
| 2022 | Hunter Clasen Owen Grover | Offensive Most Valuable Player Defensive Most Valuable Player |
| 2023 | Hunter Clasen Owen Grover | Offensive Most Valuable Player Defensive Most Valuable Player |
Cliff Harris Award edit
Best Defensive Player in Division III
| Year | Player |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Owen Grover |
Current coaching staff edit
- Head coach: Chris Winter
- Assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks: Matt Wheeler
- Defensive coordinator, linebackers, recruiting coordinator: Matt Tschetter
- Defensive line: Anthony Vela
- Offensive line: Luke Summers
- Wide receivers: Quinton Murphy
- Running backs: Ethan Lape
- Assistant wide receivers: Jeff Beck
- Tight ends: Paul Mugan
- Specialists: Steve Kingery
- Student coach: Jason Splitt
- Athletic Trainer: Danny Drees
- Athletic Trainer: Jess Albright
Head coaches edit
As of the completion of 2023[8]
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. | Con. Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935–1937, 1944–1945 | Elmer Hertel | 5 | 9–18–0 | .333 | 0 |
| 1938–1939 | Ralph McKinzie | 2 | 0–12–0 | .000 | 0 |
| 1940–1942 | CC Van Dyke | 3 | 6–13–0 | .316 | 0 |
| 1946 | Stanley Hall | 1 | 2–5–0 | .286 | 0 |
| 1947–1950 | Melvin Nelson | 4 | 15–18–1 | .456 | 0 |
| 1951 | Earnest Oppermann | 1 | 2–5–0 | .286 | 0 |
| 1952–1964 | Norm Johansen | 13 | 53–54–4 | .495 | 2 |
| 1965–1972 | Lee Bondhus | 8 | 24–47–1 | .340 | 1 |
| 1973–1990 | Don Canfield | 18 | 97–71–1 | .577 | 2 |
| 1991–1995 | Bob Nielson | 5 | 39–14–0 | .736 | 1 |
| 1996 | Steve Hagen | 1 | 7–3–0 | .700 | 0 |
| 2006–2007 | Eric Koehler | 2 | 16–4–0 | .800 | 0 |
| 1997–2005, 2008–2020 | Rick Willis | 21 | 185–46–0 | .801 | 11 |
| 2021-Present | Chris Winter | 3 | 33–5–0 | .868 | 2 |
| Totals | 14 coaches | 87 seasons | 488–315–7 | .607 | 19 titles |
Final rankings edit
Following the 2023 season, Wartburg has been ranked in the final D3football.com Poll 12 times and the AFCA Coaches Poll 13 times.
| Year | D3 Ranking | AFCA Ranking | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | NR | No. 12 | 10–1 |
| 2000 | NR | No. 18 | 9–1 |
| 2002 | NR | No. 15 | 10–2 |
| 2003 | No. 4 | No. 6 | 11–1 |
| 2004 | No. 24 | NR | 8–3 |
| 2007 | No. 20 | No. 25 | 8–2 |
| 2008 | No. 10 | No. 11 | 10–3 |
| 2010 | No. 12 | No. 11 | 10–1 |
| 2013 | No. 14 | No. 15 | 9–3 |
| 2014 | No. 4 | No. 4 | 12–1 |
| 2015 | No. 24 | NR | 9–1 |
| 2017 | No. 10 | No. 8 | 12–1 |
| 2019 | No. 14 | No. 13 | 10–2 |
| 2022 | No. 3 | No. 4 | 13–1 |
| 2023 | No. 3 | No. 3 | 13–1 |
Notable former players edit
References edit
- ^ "Brand Guidlines Wartburg College" (PDF). Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ "Football History Wartburg College Athletics".
- ^ "Wartburg Football Record Book" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-11-18.
- ^ "Wartburg Set to Host the First Round of the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs".
- ^ "Conference Awards - American Rivers Conference".
- ^ "Cliff Harris Award Winners - Cliff Harris Award".
- ^ "Football Coaches".
- ^ "Wartburg Knights Football Record Book" (PDF). Wartburg Knights. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
External links edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wartburg Knights football.
- Official website