Pittsburg State Gorillas football
Encyclopedia
The Pittsburg State Gorillas football team represents Pittsburg State University
in collegiate level
football
. The Pittsburg State football team was formed in 1908, competes in NCAA Division II and is affiliated with the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). The Gorillas play their home games at Carnie Smith Stadium
, more commonly referred to as "The Pitt", in Pittsburg, Kansas
. Pittsburg State has won more games than any other program in NCAA Division II history. It has won three national championships (1957, 1961 and 1991) and 27 conference championships, including 13 conference titles in 20 seasons under head coach Chuck Broyles
.
. McLeland compiled a record of 2-2-2 in his only season as head coach. John W. Fuhrer
succeeded McLeland and served as Pitt State's football coach from 1909 to 1914 and 1918, compiling a record of 26-22-2.
The program enjoyed several years of success in the 1920s under head coach Garfield Weede
. Weede coached the team to a 50-31-6 record from 1919 to 1928 including the school's first undefeated season in 1924. That year, his team was declared Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
champions. Weede ended his tenure at Pittsburg on a downturn, losing every game of his final season of 1928. His squad only scored in two of seven games and allowed a total of 113 points.
During the 1930s and 1940s, Pittsburg State compiled mediocre records under head coaches Blue Howell
(35-30-6) and Charles Morgan
(44-43-15).
. During Smith's 18-year tenure as head coach, the team compiled a record of 116-52-6 and won national championships (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
) in 1957 and 1961. The team completed perfect season
s at 11-0 in 1957 and 1961 with victories over Hillsdale College
in the Holiday Bowl
and Linfield College
in the Camellia Bowl
. The football stadium was later named after Smith.
took over as the Gorillas' head coach in 1967. In nine years (1967-1975), Lester's teams compiled a record of 48-38-5 and won only one conference championship, the 1970 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
championship.
From 1976 to 1981, Ron Randleman
was Pittsburg State's head football coach. Randelman was credited with turning the football program around, compiling a 36–25–2 record in six seasons. He directed the Gorillas to three Central States Conference championships and a trip to the NAIA
national finals in 1981. He received coach of the year honors from his conference and his NAIA district three times. In 1981, he was named NAIA National Coach of the Year and NAIA District Six Coach of the Year. On February 5, 1982, Randleman left Pittsburg State to take over at Sam Houston State.
, a Pittsburg State alumnus, served as head football coach for five years from 1985 to 1989. During his five seasons with the Gorillas, he led the team to a 53-6-0 record, 37-1-0 in conference, won five conference titles, and was named NAIA
National Coach of the Year twice. He tied the school record for victories in a single season three times before breaking it with the 12 victories of his 1989 team. During the 1989 season, the Gorillas moved from the NAIA to the NCAA's Division II.
in the Division II championship game. During his 20 years as Pittsburg State's head coach, Broyles compiled a record of 194-45-2. He retired at the end of the 2009 season.
in 2000, a further $2.5 million renovation to the west end in 2006 (including the addition of eight luxury box
es), and the addition of a $1.7 million Video Board in 2008 (the biggest in Division II at the time).
rival Northwest Missouri State University
. The games between the two schools, known as the Fall Classic at Arrowhead
, are played at Arrowhead Stadium
in Kansas City, Missouri
. The 2002 game had an attendance of 26,695 —- the most of any Division II game.
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University, also called Pitt State or PSU, is a public university with approximately 7,100 students located in Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. A large percentage of the student population consists of residents within the Pittsburg region; the gender proportion is relatively equal...
in collegiate level
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. The Pittsburg State football team was formed in 1908, competes in NCAA Division II and is affiliated with the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). The Gorillas play their home games at Carnie Smith Stadium
Carnie Smith Stadium
Carnie Smith Stadium is the football stadium for Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. The stadium is nicknamed "The Jungle" , or "The Pitt."...
, more commonly referred to as "The Pitt", in Pittsburg, Kansas
Pittsburg, Kansas
Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, in southeastern Kansas, United States. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and in southeastern Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,233.-History:...
. Pittsburg State has won more games than any other program in NCAA Division II history. It has won three national championships (1957, 1961 and 1991) and 27 conference championships, including 13 conference titles in 20 seasons under head coach Chuck Broyles
Chuck Broyles
Charles Leroy "Chuck" Broyles is a former American football player and coach in the United States. He served as the head football coach at Pittsburg State University from 1990 to 2009, compiling a record of 198–47–2 in 20 seasons...
.
Early years
The Pittsburg State football program began in 1908 under head coach Albert McLelandAlbert McLeland
Albert McLeland was an American football coach in the United States.-Coaching career:Coach Albert McLeland was the first head football coach for the Pittsburg State Gorillas located in Pittsburg, Kansas and he held that position for the 1908 season. His coaching record at Pitt State was 2 wins, 2...
. McLeland compiled a record of 2-2-2 in his only season as head coach. John W. Fuhrer
John W. Fuhrer
-Doane:Furher was the tenth head football coach for the Doane College Tigers located in Crete, Nebraska and he held that position for four seasons, from 1904 until 1907. His coaching record at Doane was 13 wins, 11 losses, and 0 ties...
succeeded McLeland and served as Pitt State's football coach from 1909 to 1914 and 1918, compiling a record of 26-22-2.
The program enjoyed several years of success in the 1920s under head coach Garfield Weede
Garfield Weede
Dr. Garfield W. Weede was a college football, track & field coach and athletic director in the United States. He was one of the first college coaches to "break the color line" and allow racial integration among his players.-Playing career:Garfield Weede played football at the University of...
. Weede coached the team to a 50-31-6 record from 1919 to 1928 including the school's first undefeated season in 1924. That year, his team was declared Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. It is commonly called "The Kansas Conference", and as the name implies, all members are located in Kansas...
champions. Weede ended his tenure at Pittsburg on a downturn, losing every game of his final season of 1928. His squad only scored in two of seven games and allowed a total of 113 points.
During the 1930s and 1940s, Pittsburg State compiled mediocre records under head coaches Blue Howell
Blue Howell
Edward E. "Blue" Howell was an American football player and coach in the United States.-Playing career:Howell played with the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers under head coach Ernest E. Bearg from 1926 until 1928. Weiging 185 pounds, he was the lightest member of the team but was considered one...
(35-30-6) and Charles Morgan
Charles Morgan (American football)
Charles H. Morgan was an American football coach in the United States.-Coaching career:Coach Charles H. Morgan was the sixth head football coach for the Pittsburg State Gorillas located in Pittsburg, Kansas and he held that position for 12 seasons, from 1936 until 1948. His coaching record at Pitt...
(44-43-15).
Carnie Smith era
Pittsburg State experienced a turn-around from 1949 to 1966 under head coach Carnie SmithCarnie Smith
Carnie H. Smith was an American football player and coach in the United States. His teams were declared the NAIA National Football Champions in 1957 and 1961.-Coaching career:...
. During Smith's 18-year tenure as head coach, the team compiled a record of 116-52-6 and won national championships (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
) in 1957 and 1961. The team completed perfect season
Perfect Season
A perfect season is any sports season, excluding the playoff portion of a season, in which a team remains undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, and has occurred more commonly at the collegiate level in the United States.A perfect season may...
s at 11-0 in 1957 and 1961 with victories over Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, United States, is a co-educational liberal arts college known for being the first American college to prohibit in its charter all discrimination based on race, religion, or sex; its refusal of government funding; and its monthly publication, Imprimis...
in the Holiday Bowl
NAIA national football championship
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Football National Championship is decided by a post-season playoff system featuring the best NAIA college football teams in the United States. Under sponsorship of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the championship game has...
and Linfield College
Linfield College
Linfield College is an American private institution of higher learning located in McMinnville, Oregon, United States. As a four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college with a campus in Portland, Oregon, it also has an adult degree program located in eight communities throughout the...
in the Camellia Bowl
Camellia Bowl
- 1948, Lafayette, Louisiana :The Camellia Bowl was a post-season major college football bowl game played at McNaspy Stadium in Lafayette, Louisiana, on December 30, 1948 between Hardin-Simmons University and the University of Wichita ....
. The football stadium was later named after Smith.
Lester and Randleman eras
Tom LesterTom Lester (American football)
-Coaching career:Coach Tom Lester was the eighth head football coach for the Pittsburg State Gorillas located in Pittsburg, Kansas and he held that position for nine seasons, from 1967 until 1975. His coaching record at Pitt State was 48 wins, 38 losses, and 5 ties...
took over as the Gorillas' head coach in 1967. In nine years (1967-1975), Lester's teams compiled a record of 48-38-5 and won only one conference championship, the 1970 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States, mostly in Colorado with some members in Nebraska and New Mexico...
championship.
From 1976 to 1981, Ron Randleman
Ron Randleman
Ron Randleman is a former American football coach. He served as head coach at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas from 1982–2004. Randleman retired after the 2004 season as the winningest coach in SHSU history.A native of Carlisle, Iowa, Randleman quarterbacked at William Penn...
was Pittsburg State's head football coach. Randelman was credited with turning the football program around, compiling a 36–25–2 record in six seasons. He directed the Gorillas to three Central States Conference championships and a trip to the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
national finals in 1981. He received coach of the year honors from his conference and his NAIA district three times. In 1981, he was named NAIA National Coach of the Year and NAIA District Six Coach of the Year. On February 5, 1982, Randleman left Pittsburg State to take over at Sam Houston State.
Franchione era
Dennis FranchioneDennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
, a Pittsburg State alumnus, served as head football coach for five years from 1985 to 1989. During his five seasons with the Gorillas, he led the team to a 53-6-0 record, 37-1-0 in conference, won five conference titles, and was named NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
National Coach of the Year twice. He tied the school record for victories in a single season three times before breaking it with the 12 victories of his 1989 team. During the 1989 season, the Gorillas moved from the NAIA to the NCAA's Division II.
Broyles era
In 1990, Chuck Broyles became the head football coach at Pittsburg State. In his first season, the Gorillas went 10-0 in the regular season and won two games in the Division playoffs. In 1991, the team finished 13-1-1 and won the NCAA Division II Football Championship. His teams also played in the Division II championship games in 1992, 1995 and 2004. In 2004, the Gorillas finished 14-1, losing 36-31 to Valdosta State UniversityValdosta State University
Valdosta State University, also referred to as VSU, or Valdosta State, is an American public university and is one of the two regional universities in the University System of Georgia. Valdosta State is located on a campus at the heart of the city of Valdosta...
in the Division II championship game. During his 20 years as Pittsburg State's head coach, Broyles compiled a record of 194-45-2. He retired at the end of the 2009 season.
Carnie Smith Stadium
With the success of the football program in the 1990s, Pittsburg State undertook a $5.8 million renovation of Carnie Smith StadiumCarnie Smith Stadium
Carnie Smith Stadium is the football stadium for Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. The stadium is nicknamed "The Jungle" , or "The Pitt."...
in 2000, a further $2.5 million renovation to the west end in 2006 (including the addition of eight luxury box
Luxury box
A Luxury box is a special seating section located within stadiums, arenas and other sporting and entertainment venues. They are typically located in the midsection of a stadium grandstand, usually providing the best views of the event...
es), and the addition of a $1.7 million Video Board in 2008 (the biggest in Division II at the time).
Fall Classic at Arrowhead
Pittsburg State's chief rivalry game is with MIAAMIAA
MIAA may refer to:* Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Association, defunct college athletic conference* Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association, high school athletic conference for private schools in the Baltimore Metro area...
rival Northwest Missouri State University
Northwest Missouri State University
Northwest Missouri State University is a state university in Maryville, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as a teachers college, it offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. The campus, based on the design for Forest Park at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, is the official Missouri State Arboretum....
. The games between the two schools, known as the Fall Classic at Arrowhead
Fall Classic at Arrowhead
The Fall Classic at Arrowhead is football game at Arrowhead Stadium that has been in Kansas City, Missouri since 2002 between football rivals Northwest Missouri Bearcats football and the Pittsburg State University football teams.-Overview:...
, are played at Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. The 2002 game had an attendance of 26,695 —- the most of any Division II game.