Indiana Hoosiers football
2011 Indiana Hoosiers football team
First season1887
Head coach
1st season, 1–11 (.083)
StadiumMemorial Stadium (Indiana)
(capacity: 52,929)
Year built1960
Field surfaceFieldTurf
LocationBloomington, Indiana
DivisionLeaders
All-time record450–616–45 (.425)
Bowl record3–6 (.333)
Conference titles2 (1945, 1967)
Consensus All-Americans7[1]
Current uniform
ColorsCream and Crimson
   
Fight song"Indiana, Our Indiana"
Marching bandMarching Hundred
RivalsPurdue Boilermakers
Illinois Fighting Illini
Michigan State Spartans
Kentucky Wildcats
WebsiteIUHoosiers.com

The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.

History

Early beginnings (1887-1897)

In the fall of 1884 the Indiana student newspaper made its first reference to football by reporting that a team was being organized. The following year, in 1885, a Yale graduate, professor Arthur B. Woodford, came to Indiana to teach political and social science and during the next year he introduced football to the school. Woodford coached the Hoosiers from 1887 to 1888.

By 1891 Billy Herod was coach. He had never played football but had seen it played in the East. The Hoosiers continued to struggle to find wins, even forfeiting a game to Purdue in the 1894 season. The first winning season came in 1895 under coach Dana Osgood, who led the team to a 4-3-1 record. This was followed by two winning seasons in 1896 and 1897 under coach Madison G. Gonterman, who was hired away from Harvard.

Joining conference play (1898-1933)

After coaching the Hoosiers to winning records in 1898 and 1899, coach James H. Horne and the football team joined the Western Conference (later the Big Ten Conference). Horne led Indiana to six .500-or-better records in his seven years. In 1905 coach James M. Sheldon took over and would have the longest tenure of a football coach at Indiana until Bo McMillin coached for 14 years (1934-1947). Sheldon proved to be one of the most successful coaches in Indiana football's early years, leading the Hoosiers to four winning seasons and as high as third in the Big Ten Conference rankings. In 1914 Indiana hired its first full-time coach, Clarence Childs, but continued to struggle to find success.

In 1922 construction began on the original Memorial Stadium. It would seat 22,000 fans and $250,000 was raised to erect the new facility. The new stadium was built on the grounds of the golf course and replaced Jordan Field, which had been the home of Indiana football since 1887.

Bo McMillin era (1934-1947)

One of Indiana's most successful coaches, Bo McMillin holds the honor of being the only coach to ever lead the Hoosiers to an outright Big Ten Championship. In 1945, he led IU to its only unbeaten record (9-0-1) and garnered Man of the Year and Coach of the Year honors by the Football Writers Association and the Football Coaches Association.

While at Indiana, McMillin guided IU to 10 seasons of .500 or better, including a stretch of six consecutive years. His 34-34-6 Big Ten mark is the best winning percentage in Big Ten play for an Indiana coach, as is his overall winning percentage (.562). On September 23, 1946 McMillin was named Indiana's athletic director.

Post-war years (1948-1972)

With the departure of McMillin as coach, Indiana once again struggled to find success on the field. Notable bright spots were in 1958 when coach Phil Dickens guided Indiana to a fifth-place finish in the Big Ten and a 3-2-1 overall record. That same year construction began on the new Memorial Stadium, which is still the home of the football team today.

In the fall of 1960 the NCAA disallowed any Indiana win during the Big Ten season because of Indiana's illegal recruiting practices. That year the Hoosiers lost seven games on their own anyway.

In 1968 Indiana made its first and only Rose Bowl appearance. Under coach John Pont that year (1967-68), the Hoosiers had a 9-2 record and a Big Ten co-championship. In the 1968 Rose Bowl Indiana lost to eventual national champion Southern California. Perhaps more remarkable than the Hoosiers' strong showing against the national champs was the fact that this same team could only muster a 1-8-1 record the previous season, thus making the 1967 Big Ten Champions a true "rags to roses" story. Pont earned unanimous national coach of the year honors that season and was selected as head coach of the East team in the 1968 Coaches All-America game.

Lee Corso era (1973-1982)

Lee Corso took over as head football coach in 1973, leading the Hoosiers to two winning seasons in 1979 and 1980. The 1979 regular season ended with 7-4 record and earned a trip to the 1979 Holiday Bowl. There the Hoosiers would beat the previously unbeaten Brigham Young Cougars. Indiana's victory over the Cougars propelled the team to 16th in the UPI poll, the Hoosiers' first top-20 ranking since 1967.

Bill Mallory era (1983-1996)

After one season under coach Sam Wyche in 1983, Bill Mallory took over as head coach. Although he finished with an 0-11 record during his first campaign at Indiana in 1984, it would take Mallory just three seasons to lead the Hoosiers to their first bowl appearance under his direction. Indiana finished with a 6-5 regular-season record in 1986 and capped its season by playing a talented Florida State team in the 1986 All-American Bowl on New Year's Eve. Despite losing 27-13, the Hoosiers put up a good fight. Indiana running back Anthony Thompson, who was playing in his first bowl game, finished with 127 rushing yards on 28 carries.

In 1987 the Hoosiers earned an 8-4 record (with wins over Ohio State and Michigan), a second-place finish in the Big Ten, and a Peach Bowl appearance. Mallory became the first Big Ten coach to be awarded back-to-back coach of the year honors. In 1988 Indiana finished the regular season with a 7-3-1 record, a 5-3 mark in the Big Ten, and a top-20 ranking. It earned the team a postseason berth for the third consecutive year with a game against South Carolina in the 1988 Liberty Bowl. The Hoosiers dominated the game and cruised to a 34-10 victory before 39,210 fans. Indiana set a Liberty Bowl record with 575 yards of total offense.

Indiana finished with a 6-4-1 regular-season record in 1990, a mark good enough to earn the Hoosiers a berth in the Peach Bowl for a game against the Auburn Tigers, which Indiana would lose 27-23. Part of Indiana's success can be attributed to star running back Anthony Thompson. In 1989 he broke the record for career touchdowns in college with 65 touchdowns. The record stood until 1998 when it was broken by Ricky Williams. Thompson finished his college career with 5,299 rushing yards, and won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football twice, becoming one of only three people to do so. In 2007 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

In 1991 Indiana played in the Copper Bowl and dominated a highly-regarded Baylor team 24-0. Led by future NFL quarterback Trent Green, it was one of the most impressive performances by any team during the 1991 bowl season. Indiana finished the 1993 season with an 8-4 record, with two of its three regular season losses by seven points or less. The team went on to play in the 1993 Independence Bowl.

Coach Mallory ended his career at Indiana with six bowl games overall in 13 seasons. He is Indiana's all-time winningest football coach with 69 wins.

Cam Cameron era (1997-2001)

Indiana alumnus Cam Cameron began coaching the Hoosiers in 1997 and in five seasons complied a record of 18-37. Cameron brought an explosive offense to Memorial Stadium and a new look to Hoosier football, including a new oval logo (it has since been discarded). With highly effective offensive players such as Antwaan Randle El Indiana averaged 23.6 points per game under Cameron's guidance. In fact, Randle El became the first player in NCAA Division I history to pass for 40 career touchdowns and score 40 career rushing touchdowns. He finished his college career as fifth on the all-time NCAA total yardage list, and became the first player in college football history to record 2,500 total yards for each of four consecutive years.[2]

The Hoosiers enjoyed success in the classroom as well, as Indiana was recognized by the American Football Coaches Association for its exemplary football graduation rates in each of Cameron's final four seasons.

Gerry DiNardo era (2002-2004)

In 2002 Gerry DiNardo took over as head coach but finished with just an 8-27 overall record.[3] He never won more than three games in a season, and was fired after the 2004 season.[4]

Terry Hoeppner legacy (2005-2010)

In 2005 Terry Hoeppner ("Coach Hep") was named head coach and made an immediate impact. In just his second season at the helm of the Hoosier program, Hoeppner brought the Hoosiers on the brink of a bowl appearance in 2006. He led the youngest team in the Big Ten (49 true or redshirt freshmen and 72 underclassmen overall), to five victories - its most since the 2001 campaign - and restored an enthusiasm in IU football. The 2006 Hoosiers picked up three Big Ten wins for the first time since 2001. Coach Hep rejuvenated an Indiana fan base and sparked a 39-percent increase in per game attendance, a 46-percent increase in overall season ticket sales and a 110-percent increase in student season ticket sales. In 2006 Hoeppner passed away following a lengthy battle with brain cancer. Despite his short tenure he is remembered as one of the most influential coaches in school history.

In 2007 Hoeppner's assistant Bill Lynch, a native and lifelong Hoosier, took over the reigns of the program. In his first season Lynch led Indiana to a 7-6 record (the most wins since 1993) and its first Old Oaken Bucket victory since 2001. The success earned the team a trip to the Insight Bowl. Lynch became the only head coach in Hoosier history to guide a team to a bowl game in his debut season. However, after four seasons, Lynch compiled just a 19–30 overall record and was let go by the school.

Kevin Wilson era (2011-present)

In 2011 Kevin Wilson was named head coach of the Hoosiers.

Big Ten Championships

Bowl games

Indiana has featured in only nine bowl games in 120 seasons, so consistently reaching the postseason is considered a primary goal of the program. An oft-spoken mantra, coined after Terry Hoeppner's death in 2007, is to "play 13," meaning to play an extra game (a bowl game) after the 12-game regular season.

Date Bowl W/L Opponent PF PA
January 1, 1968 Rose Bowl L USC 3 14
December 21, 1979 Holiday Bowl W BYU 38 37
December 31, 1986 All-American Bowl L Florida State 13 27
January 2, 1988 Peach Bowl L Tennessee 22 27
December 28, 1988 Liberty Bowl W South Carolina 34 10
December 29, 1990 Peach Bowl L Auburn 23 27
December 31, 1991 Copper Bowl W Baylor 24 0
December 31, 1993 Independence Bowl L Virginia Tech 20 45
December 31, 2007 Insight Bowl L Oklahoma State 33 49
Total 9 Bowl Games 3-6 157 187

Home stadiums

Indiana's two Memorial Stadiums are entirely distinct venues and share only the same name, though never at the same time. The current Memorial Stadium was called Seventeenth Street Football Stadium until 1971, when it was renamed Memorial Stadium and the original stadium was renamed Tenth Street Stadium. Tenth Street Stadium hosted the Little 500 bicycle race until Bill Armstrong Stadium was built in 1981. It was demolished in the same year and its former place on campus is currently occupied by the arboretum.

Coaches

Indiana athletic director Fred Glass announced the dismissal of the entire coaching staff on November 28, 2010, following a third straight season with only one conference victory. Glass announced the hiring of Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson on December 7. On December 20, Wilson hired New Mexico defensive coordinator Doug Mallory and Nebraska linebackers coach Mike Ekeler as co-defensive coordinators.[5] Mallory, the son of former Indiana head coach Bill Mallory, was Indiana's defensive backs coach from 1994-1996.

Coaching staff

Name Title Position Responsibility
Kevin Wilson Head Coach
Seth Littrell Offensive Coordinator Tight Ends & Full Backs
Kevin Johns Assistant Offensive Coordinator Quarterbacks & Wide Receivers
Mike Ekeler Co Defensive Coordinator Linebackers
Doug Mallory Co Defensive Coordinator Safeties
Mark Hagen Special Teams & Recruiting Coordinator Defensive Tackles
Greg Frey Run Game Coordinator Offensive Line
Jon Fabris Defensive Ends
Deland McCullough Running Backs
Brandon Shelby Cornerbacks

Support staff

Name Role
Billy Ray Johnson Director of Football Administration
Mark Deal Director of Alumni Relations
Linwood Ferguson Director of Player Personnel & High School Relations
Mark Hill Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Will Peoples Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
Aurmon Satchell Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
Rick Danison Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
Lyonel Anderson Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach

Head coaching history

Head Coach Years Seasons Record Pct. Conf. Record Pct. Conf. Titles Bowl Games National Titles vs Purdue
Arthur B. Woodford 1887–1888 2 0–1–1 .250 0
Evans Woollen 1889 1 0–1 .000 0
Billy Herod 1891 1 1–5 .167 0 0–1
None 1892–1893 2 3–6–1 .350 0 0–2
Ferbert and Huddleston 1894 1 0–4–1 .100 0 0–1
Dana Osgood and Wren 1895 1 4–3–1 .563 0
Madison G. Gonterman 1896–1897 2 12–3–1 .781 0 0–1
James H. Horne 1898–1904 7 33–21–5 .602 3–13–1 .206 0 0 0 3–3
James M. Sheldon 1905–1913 9 35–26–3 .570 7–25–2 .235 0 0 0 3–3–1
Clarence Childs 1914–1915 2 6–7–1 .464 2–7 .222 0 0 0 0–2
Ewald O. Stiehm 1916–1921 5 20–18–1 .526 5–10–1 .344 0 0 0 3–0–1
James P. Herron 1922 1 1–4–2 .286 0–2–1 .167 0 0 0 0–0–1
Bill Ingram 1923–1925 3 10–12–1 .457 3–8–1 .292 0 0 0 1–1–1
Harlan Page 1926–1930 5 14–23–3 .388 5–16–2 .261 0 0 0 1–4
Earle C. Hayes 1931–1933 3 8–14–4 .385 2–11–4 .235 0 0 0 0–3
Bo McMillin 1934–1947 14 63–48–11 .561 34–34–6 .500 1 0 0 9–4–1
Clyde Smith 1948–1951 4 8–27–1 .236 4–19 .424 0 0 0 0–4
Bernie Crimmins 1952–1956 5 13–32 .289 6–24 .200 0 0 0 0–5
Bob Hicks 1957 1 1–8 .111 0–6 .000 0 0 0 0–1
Phil Dickens 1958–1964 7 20–41–2 .333 8–27–2 .243 0 0 0 1–5–1
John Pont 1965–1972 8 31–51–1 .380 21–36–1 .371 1 1 0 2–7
Lee Corso 1973–1982 10 41–68–2 .378 28–52–2 .354 0 1 0 4–6
Sam Wyche 1983 1 3–8 .273 2–7 .222 0 0 0 0–1
Bill Mallory 1984–1996 13 69–77–3 .473 39–65–1 .376 0 6 0 7–6
Cam Cameron 1997–2001 5 18–37 .327 12–28 .300 0 0 0 1–4
Gerry DiNardo 2002–2004 3 8–27 .229 3–21 .125 0 0 0 0–3
Terry Hoeppner 2005–2006 2 9–14 .391 4–12 .250 0 0 0 0–2
Bill Lynch 2007–2010 4 19–30 .388 6–26 .188 0 1 0 2–2
Kevin Wilson 2011–present 1 1–11 .083 0–6 .000 0 0 0 0–1
Totals 1887–present 122 450–616–45 .425 194–455–24 .305 2 9 0 37–71–6

Rivalries

Conference Rivalries

Indiana's most intense rivalry is with in-state school Purdue University; the two compete for the Old Oaken Bucket, one of the oldest collegiate football trophies in the nation. Purdue leads both the overall (70–37–6) and trophy (56–27–3) series. Purdue currently holds the bucket after defeating the Hoosiers during the 2011 season. The Hoosiers also have a border rivalry with the University of Illinois, plus a second trophy game (for the Old Brass Spittoon) against Michigan State University. The Spartans are Indiana's dedicated cross-divisional rival. Indiana's rivalries with Purdue and Illinois remained intact, as all three schools are in the same division.

Non-conference Rivalries

The Hoosiers also have a rivalry with the University of Kentucky. The Hoosiers played the Wildcats annually from 1987 until 2005 in what was known as the "Bourbon Barrel" game. The two teams played for a trophy called the "Bourbon Barrel" from 1987 until both schools mutually agreed to retire the trophy in 1999 following the alcohol-related death of a Kentucky football player.[6] Indiana leads the series (18-17-1).

Individual awards and honors

National

Big Ten Conference

Players

Coach

Bill Mallory - 1986, 1987

Hall of Fame

School Records

Career

Season

Game

[9]

Hoosiers currently in the NFL

References

  1. ^ "NCAA Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2014. pp. 13–18. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  2. ^ Apple, Annie (2010-10-19). "Raising a Star Athlete with Jaqueline Randle El". nationalunderclassmen.com. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  3. ^ http://www.collegefootballhistory.com/hoosiers/history.htm
  4. ^ Brown, C. L. (2004-12-01). "Indiana gives DiNardo the pink slip". USA Today. The Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved 2010-08-13. ((cite news)): Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/122010aaa.html
  6. ^ http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=12909&search=golf&section=search
  7. ^ College Football Hall of Famers
  8. ^ http://www.bigten.org/genrel/022008aaa.html
  9. ^ http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ind/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/record-book-2011.pdf
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