Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
Encyclopedia
The Western Kentucky
Hilltoppers
football
program is a college football
team that represents Western Kentucky University
. The team is currently a member of the Sun Belt Conference
, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA). The program has 1 national championship (FCS), 11 conference championships (1 SIAA
, 9 OVC
and 1 Gateway
) and 5 Consensus All-America
ns. The team is currently coached by Willie Taggart
and play their home games at Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky
.
, Western Kentucky's football program began the transition from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision. As part of the transition, they played defending national champion Florida
.
In 2008, Western Kentucky began play as a Division I FBS football team. Although they were ineligble for a bowl game, they played in a newly expanded L.T. Smith Stadium
. Teams played included #11 Alabama, #20 Virginia Tech, #25 Ball State, Indiana and Kentucky.
In 2009, Western Kentucky began play as a new, full FBS member and a new member of the Sun Belt Conference. In non-conference play, the team faced BCS programs Tennessee and South Florida.
In 2010, the Hilltoppers will be led by new head coach Willie Taggart
, who comes off coaching Toby Gerhart
as RB coach at Stanford.
1937-1973: Member, NCAA College Division
1973-1978: Member, NCAA Division II
1978-2008: Member, NCAA Division I - Football Championship Subdivision
2008-present: Member, NCAA Division I - Football Bowl Subdivision
1927-1942: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1942-1945: NCAA College Division Independent
1946-1947: Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
1948-1981: Ohio Valley Conference
1982-1998: Football Championship Subdivision Independent
1999-2000: Ohio Valley Conference
2001-2006: Gateway Football Conference
2007: Football Championship Subdivision Independent
2008: Football Bowl Subdivision Independent
2009-present: Sun Belt Conference
WR Curtis Hamilton
- Chicago (2008), New Orleans (2009-present)
FB Jeremi Johnson
- Cincinnati (2003-present)
Former
Darryl Drake
- former WR for Washington (1979) and Cincinnati (1983).
David Carter - former C for Tennessee (1977-1983) and New Orleans (1984-1985).
Carl Brazley
- former DB for San Diego (1987).
Joseph Jefferson - former CB for Indianapolis (2002-2005).
Rod Smart
- former RB for San Diego (2000), Philadelphia (2001), Carolina (2002-2005) and Oakland (2006).
Anthony Oakley
- former G for Cleveland (2004) and Chicago (2005-2007).
A total of 26 Hilltoppers have been drafted in the NFL.
- Former Head Coach of the Cleveland Browns
Joe Bugel
- Former Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders
Willie Taggart
- Current Western Kentucky Head Coach
Jimmy Feix
- Former Western Kentucky Head Coach
Eagle "Buddy" Keys
- Former Head Coach in the CFL
, Grey Cup
Champion, member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
L.T. Smith (1920-1921, Head Coach) - Namesake of L.T. Smith Stadium
E.A. Diddle
(1922-1928, Head Coach) - Former Head Coach at Western Kentucky (Basketball)
Jack Harbaugh
(1989-2002, Head Coach) - Former Head Coach at Western Michigan, 2002 AFCA Coach of the Year
(FCS), 2002 FCS National Champion
Assistants
Tommy Prothro
(1942, Assistant Coach) - Former Head Coach at Oregon State and UCLA, Former Head Coach of the Los Angeles Rams and the San Diego Chargers, member of the College Football Hall of Fame
Jerry Glanville
(1967, DC) - Former Head Coach of the Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons
Jim Harbaugh
(1994-2001, Assistant Coach) - Current NFL Head Coach at San Francisco 49ers
, was an assistant under his father while playing in the NFL
24 - Virgil Livers
44 - Dale Lindsey
66 - Jimmy Feix
and the last being named in 2005
.
5 have been designated by the NCAA as "Consensus All-Americans" (selected by the AP
, the Walter Camp Foundation and the AFCA
). They are:
James Edwards (1987)
Bobby Sippio
(2000)
Mel Mitchell
(2001)
Chris Price (2002)
Buster Ashley (2004)
WKU's total of 5 Consensus All-Americans outpaces BCS programs Duke
, Wake Forest
, Iowa State
and Oregon
.
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the name for all of the men's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Western Kentucky University. Women's teams are known as Lady Toppers...
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...
program is a college football
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...
team that represents Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
. The team is currently a member of the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA). The program has 1 national championship (FCS), 11 conference championships (1 SIAA
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS football programs were members of this conference at some point, as were at least 19 other schools...
, 9 OVC
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
and 1 Gateway
Gateway Football Conference
The Missouri Valley Football Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a football-only conference.-History:The Missouri Valley Football Conference has a convoluted history...
) and 5 Consensus All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
ns. The team is currently coached by Willie Taggart
Willie Taggart
-References:...
and play their home games at Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
.
Recent history
In 2007, led by head coach David ElsonDavid Elson
David Elson is the former head coach of the Western Kentucky University American football program. He held the position from 2003 to 2009. Elson oversaw the transition of WKU from a Football Championship Subdivision to a Football Bowl Subdivision program, the highest division in college...
, Western Kentucky's football program began the transition from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision. As part of the transition, they played defending national champion Florida
2007 Florida Gators football team
The 2007 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2007 college football season...
.
In 2008, Western Kentucky began play as a Division I FBS football team. Although they were ineligble for a bowl game, they played in a newly expanded L.T. Smith Stadium
L.T. Smith Stadium
Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium at Jimmy Feix Field is a 22,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is home to the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers football team. The facility was expanded to a seating capacity of 22,000 in a project that was completed in 2008...
. Teams played included #11 Alabama, #20 Virginia Tech, #25 Ball State, Indiana and Kentucky.
In 2009, Western Kentucky began play as a new, full FBS member and a new member of the Sun Belt Conference. In non-conference play, the team faced BCS programs Tennessee and South Florida.
In 2010, the Hilltoppers will be led by new head coach Willie Taggart
Willie Taggart
-References:...
, who comes off coaching Toby Gerhart
Toby Gerhart
Toby Gerhart is a professional football player, a running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was a consensus All-American running back at Stanford and was selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, the 51st overall pick. In 2009 Gerhart won the Doak Walker...
as RB coach at Stanford.
NCAA affiliations
1910-1937: Member1937-1973: Member, NCAA College Division
1973-1978: Member, NCAA Division II
1978-2008: Member, NCAA Division I - Football Championship Subdivision
2008-present: Member, NCAA Division I - Football Bowl Subdivision
Conference affiliations
1913-1926: NCAA Independent1927-1942: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS football programs were members of this conference at some point, as were at least 19 other schools...
1942-1945: NCAA College Division Independent
NCAA Division II independent schools
NCAA Division II independent schools are four-year institutions that field intercollegiate teams in football and other sports, but which are not formally affiliated with any athletic conference.-Full Division II member:...
1946-1947: Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference with membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics...
1948-1981: Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
1982-1998: Football Championship Subdivision Independent
1999-2000: Ohio Valley Conference
2001-2006: Gateway Football Conference
Gateway Football Conference
The Missouri Valley Football Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a football-only conference.-History:The Missouri Valley Football Conference has a convoluted history...
2007: Football Championship Subdivision Independent
2008: Football Bowl Subdivision Independent
2009-present: Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
National championships
| Year | Selector | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | NCAA Division I-AA | Jack Harbaugh Jack Harbaugh Jack Harbaugh is a former college football player and coach, and the father of NFL coaches Jim and John Harbaugh.-Playing career:... |
12-3-0 |
Conference championships
| Year | Conference | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1932 1932 college football season The 1932 college football season saw the Michigan Wolverines win the Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy as national champion under the Dickinson system. Because the "Big Nine" conference didn't permit its teams to play in the postseason, however, the Wolverines were not able to accept a bid to the Rose... |
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS football programs were members of this conference at some point, as were at least 19 other schools... |
7-1-0 |
| 1952 1952 college football season The 1952 college football season ended with the unbeaten Michigan State Spartans and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets each claiming the national championship according to different polls. Michigan State finished first according to two of the "wire service" polls which also both placed Georgia Tech... |
Ohio Valley Conference Ohio Valley Conference The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I... |
9-1-0 (co-champions) |
| 1963 1963 college football season During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA Football Guide, however, did note an "unofficial national champion" based on the top ranked teams in the "wire service" polls... |
Ohio Valley Conference | 10-0-1 |
| 1970 | Ohio Valley Conference | 8-1-1 |
| 1971 | Ohio Valley Conference | 8-2-0 |
| 1973 | Ohio Valley Conference | 12-1-0 |
| 1975 | Ohio Valley Conference | 11-2-0 (co-champions) |
| 1978 | Ohio Valley Conference | 8-2-0 |
| 1980 | Ohio Valley Conference | 9-1-0 |
| 2000 | Ohio Valley Conference | 11-2-0 |
| 2002 | Gateway Football Conference Gateway Football Conference The Missouri Valley Football Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a football-only conference.-History:The Missouri Valley Football Conference has a convoluted history... |
12-3-0 (co-champions) |
Western Kentucky in the polls
From 1978 until 2007, Western Kentucky competed in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, and as such was eligible for the post-season FCS coaches poll and the Sports Network poll, started in 1993. They have appeared in the final rankings 12 seasons.| Year | Record | Coaches | Sports Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 8-2-0 | 5 | |
| 1980 | 9-1-0 | 5 | |
| 1987 | 7-4-0 | 11 | |
| 1988 | 9-4-0 | 16 | |
| 1993 | 8-3-0 | NR | 19 |
| 1997 | 10-2-0 | 7 | 5 |
| 1998 | 7-4-0 | 22 | 17 |
| 2000 | 11-2-0 | 7 | 5 |
| 2001 | 8-4-0 | 10 | 12 |
| 2002 | 12-3-0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2003 | 9-4-0 | 8 | 7 |
| 2004 2004 NCAA Division I-AA football season -NCAA Division I-AA Playoff bracket:* Denotes host institution-References:* http://www.ncaa.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ncaa/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/FB-FCS-2004* http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_champs_records/2004/d1aa/confstat.htm... |
9-3-0 | 11 | 11 |
Bowl Games
| Season | Date | Bowl | Stadium | City | Result | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 1952 college football season The 1952 college football season ended with the unbeaten Michigan State Spartans and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets each claiming the national championship according to different polls. Michigan State finished first according to two of the "wire service" polls which also both placed Georgia Tech... |
December 7 | Refrigerator Bowl Refrigerator Bowl The Refrigerator Bowl was a college football bowl game played annually from 1948 until 1956 in Evansville, Indiana. The game was named for the local refrigerator production. With 3800 units a day being manufactured, Evansville at the time was known as the "refrigerator capital of the United... |
Arad McCutchan Stadium Arad McCutchan Stadium Arad McCutchan Stadium, located in Evansville, Indiana, is the home of the University of Evansville soccer team. It was originally built for the football team.... |
Evansville, Indiana Evansville, Indiana Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the... |
W 34-19 | Arkansas State Indians Arkansas State Red Wolves football The Arkansas State Red Wolves football team represents Arkansas State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football competition. The team was originally founded in 1911, and, since 2001, Arkansas State has competed as a member of the... |
| 1963 1963 college football season During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA Football Guide, however, did note an "unofficial national champion" based on the top ranked teams in the "wire service" polls... |
December 28 | Tangerine Bowl Capital One Bowl The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl... |
Florida Citrus Bowl | Orlando, Florida Orlando, Florida Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States... |
W 27-0 | Coast Guard Bears United States Coast Guard Academy Founded in 1876, the United States Coast Guard Academy is the military academy of the United States Coast Guard. Located in New London, Connecticut, it is the smallest of the five federal service academies... |
Notable Hilltoppers in the NFL
ActiveWR Curtis Hamilton
Curtis Hamilton
Curtis Hamilton is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed as a free agent by the Chicago Bears on April 27, 2008. Previously, he played for Western Kentucky from 2004 through 2007.-References:...
- Chicago (2008), New Orleans (2009-present)
FB Jeremi Johnson
Jeremi Johnson
Jeremi Ray Johnson is currently a free agent American football fullback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bengals in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
- Cincinnati (2003-present)
Former
Darryl Drake
Darryl Drake
Darryl Drake is the current wide receivers coach of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League.-College career:Drake played wide receiver for Western Kentucky University from 1975 to 1978.-Professional career:...
- former WR for Washington (1979) and Cincinnati (1983).
David Carter - former C for Tennessee (1977-1983) and New Orleans (1984-1985).
Carl Brazley
Carl Brazley
Carl Brazley was a football player in the Canadian Football League for thirteen years years. Brazley played defensive back for the Montreal Alouettes, Ottawa Rough Riders and Toronto Argonauts from 1980-1992. He was a CFL All-Star in 1983, the same season he won the Grey Cup with the Argonauts...
- former DB for San Diego (1987).
Joseph Jefferson - former CB for Indianapolis (2002-2005).
Rod Smart
Rod Smart
Rod Smart is a former professional American football player. He played college football for the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers, and began his professional career in the short-lived XFL league, where he played running back for the Las Vegas Outlaws and was known by the nickname "He Hate Me"...
- former RB for San Diego (2000), Philadelphia (2001), Carolina (2002-2005) and Oakland (2006).
Anthony Oakley
Anthony Oakley
Anthony Oakley is an American football guard for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2004...
- former G for Cleveland (2004) and Chicago (2005-2007).
A total of 26 Hilltoppers have been drafted in the NFL.
Notable Hilltopper players
Romeo CrennelRomeo Crennel
Romeo Crennel is the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and current defensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. Before becoming the head coach of the Browns, Crennel won three Super Bowls in four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the New England...
- Former Head Coach of the Cleveland Browns
Joe Bugel
Joe Bugel
Joseph John 'Buges' Bugel was the Offensive line coach for the Washington Redskins from 1981 to 1989 and from 2004 to 2009...
- Former Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders
Willie Taggart
Willie Taggart
-References:...
- Current Western Kentucky Head Coach
Jimmy Feix
Jimmy Feix
James Wyne "Jimmy" Feix is a former American football player and coach. Feix was head coach of the Western Kentucky University Hilltopper football team from 1968 to 1983 and remains the most successful head coach in school history.-References:...
- Former Western Kentucky Head Coach
Eagle "Buddy" Keys
Eagle Keys
Eagle Keys is a former Canadian football player and coach and is currently the fifth most winningest Head Coach in the Canadian Football League...
- Former Head Coach in the CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
, Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
Champion, member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
Notable Hilltopper coaches
Head CoachesL.T. Smith (1920-1921, Head Coach) - Namesake of L.T. Smith Stadium
L.T. Smith Stadium
Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium at Jimmy Feix Field is a 22,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is home to the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers football team. The facility was expanded to a seating capacity of 22,000 in a project that was completed in 2008...
E.A. Diddle
Edgar Diddle
Edgar Allen Diddle was a college men's basketball coach. He is known for coaching at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky from 1922 to 1964. Diddle became the first coach in history to coach 1,000 games at one school...
(1922-1928, Head Coach) - Former Head Coach at Western Kentucky (Basketball)
Jack Harbaugh
Jack Harbaugh
Jack Harbaugh is a former college football player and coach, and the father of NFL coaches Jim and John Harbaugh.-Playing career:...
(1989-2002, Head Coach) - Former Head Coach at Western Michigan, 2002 AFCA Coach of the Year
AFCA Coach of the Year
The AFCA Coach of the Year award is given annually to a college football coach by the American Football Coaches Association . The award has had several different sponors over the years, including Eastman Kodak Corporation, and thus also been named the Kodak Coach of the Year Award.-Football Bowl...
(FCS), 2002 FCS National Champion
Assistants
Tommy Prothro
Tommy Prothro
James Thompson "Tommy" Prothro, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oregon State University from 1955 to 1964 and at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1965 to 1970, compiling a career college football record of 104–55–5...
(1942, Assistant Coach) - Former Head Coach at Oregon State and UCLA, Former Head Coach of the Los Angeles Rams and the San Diego Chargers, member of the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville is a former American football player and current head coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster in the United States. He served the head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from...
(1967, DC) - Former Head Coach of the Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons
Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
(1994-2001, Assistant Coach) - Current NFL Head Coach at San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, was an assistant under his father while playing in the NFL
Retired jerseys
1 - Willie TaggartWillie Taggart
-References:...
24 - Virgil Livers
Virgil Livers
Virgil Chester Livers, Jr. is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1975 NFL Draft. He played college football at Western Kentucky.Livers has been an assistant principal at Bowling Green High School...
44 - Dale Lindsey
Dale Lindsey
Phillip Dale Lindsey is a former American football linebacker and coach in the National Football League. He also spent time as a coach in the Canadian Football League and the United States Football League...
66 - Jimmy Feix
Jimmy Feix
James Wyne "Jimmy" Feix is a former American football player and coach. Feix was head coach of the Western Kentucky University Hilltopper football team from 1968 to 1983 and remains the most successful head coach in school history.-References:...
Individual award winners
- Gateway Football ConferenceGateway Football ConferenceThe Missouri Valley Football Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a football-only conference.-History:The Missouri Valley Football Conference has a convoluted history...
Freshman of the Year
- Justin Haddix - 2003
- Division I-AA AFCA Coach of the YearAFCA Coach of the YearThe AFCA Coach of the Year award is given annually to a college football coach by the American Football Coaches Association . The award has had several different sponors over the years, including Eastman Kodak Corporation, and thus also been named the Kodak Coach of the Year Award.-Football Bowl...
- Jack HarbaughJack HarbaughJack Harbaugh is a former college football player and coach, and the father of NFL coaches Jim and John Harbaugh.-Playing career:...
- 2002
- Ohio Valley ConferenceOhio Valley ConferenceThe Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
Coach of the Year
- Nick Denes - 19631963 college football seasonDuring the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA Football Guide, however, did note an "unofficial national champion" based on the top ranked teams in the "wire service" polls...
- Jimmy FeixJimmy FeixJames Wyne "Jimmy" Feix is a former American football player and coach. Feix was head coach of the Western Kentucky University Hilltopper football team from 1968 to 1983 and remains the most successful head coach in school history.-References:...
- 1973, 1978, 1980 - Jack HarbaughJack HarbaughJack Harbaugh is a former college football player and coach, and the father of NFL coaches Jim and John Harbaugh.-Playing career:...
- 2000
All-Americans
Western Kentucky has fielded 64 All-Americans, with the first being named in 19521952 college football season
The 1952 college football season ended with the unbeaten Michigan State Spartans and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets each claiming the national championship according to different polls. Michigan State finished first according to two of the "wire service" polls which also both placed Georgia Tech...
and the last being named in 2005
2005 NCAA Division I-AA football season
The 2005 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of the college football season, began on September 1, 2005 and concluded on December 16, 2005 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the Appalachian State Mountaineers defeated the Northern Iowa Panthers to win the NCAA Division I-AA Football...
.
5 have been designated by the NCAA as "Consensus All-Americans" (selected by the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, the Walter Camp Foundation and the AFCA
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
). They are:
James Edwards (1987)
Bobby Sippio
Bobby Sippio
Robert Lee "Bobby" Sippio, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League. He was signed by the Peoria Pirates in 2002...
(2000)
Mel Mitchell
Mel Mitchell
Mel Mitchell III is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
(2001)
Chris Price (2002)
Buster Ashley (2004)
WKU's total of 5 Consensus All-Americans outpaces BCS programs Duke
Duke Blue Devils football
The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...
, Wake Forest
Wake Forest Demon Deacons football
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represents Wake Forest University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wake Forest plays its home football games at BB&T Field....
, Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones football
The Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in college football. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. ISU started playing football in 1892, however, it did not become an official sport until 1894...
and Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
.