This is a list of seasons completed by the Kent State Golden Flashes football team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).[a] The Kent State fielded their first team in 1920 coached by Paul G. Chandler and are currently coached by Sean Lewis. They complete in the Mid-American Conference and the East division. They were previously a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference from 1932 through 1950.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
|
† National Champions | |
| Season | Coach | Conference | Conference Results[1][2] | Season Results[3] | Post-season result | Final Ranking | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | Wins | Losses | Ties[d] | AP[e] | Coaches'[f] | ||||
| Kent State Golden Flashes | ||||||||||||
| 1920 | Paul G. Chandler | Independent | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | ||
| 1921 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | ||||
| 1922 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 7 | — | — | ||||
| 1923 | Frank Harsh | — | — | — | — | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | |||
| 1924 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1925 | Merle E. Wagoner | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | |||
| 1926 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 6 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1927 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | ||||
| 1928 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | 2 | — | ||||
| 1929 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | ||||
| 1930 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | ||||
| 1931 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1932 | Ohio Athletic Conference | 18th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | |||
| 1933 | Joe Begala | T–9th | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | |||
| 1934 | 11th | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | ||||
| 1935 | Donald Starn | 16th | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | |||
| 1936 | 6th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1937 | 9th | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | — | ||||
| 1938 | T–8th | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1939 | 13th | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | ||||
| 1940 | 2nd | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1941 | 12th | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | ||||
| 1942 | 7th | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1943 | Kent State did not play football during the 1943, 1944 and 1945 seasons because of World War II | |||||||||||
| 1944 | ||||||||||||
| 1945 | ||||||||||||
| 1946 | Trevor J. Rees | Ohio Athletic Conference | 9th | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | ||
| 1947 | T–5th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1948 | 3rd | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | ||||
| 1949 | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1950 | 7th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1951 | Mid-American Conference | 3rd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | |||
| 1952 | T–4th | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1953 | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1954^ | 2nd | 7 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | Lost Refrigerator Bowl to Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens, 7–19 | ||||
| 1955 | T–2nd | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | ||||
| 1956 | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1957 | 7th | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1958 | 2nd | 5 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1959 | T–4th | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1960 | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1961 | 7th | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1962 | 5th | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1963 | T–6th | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | ||||
| 1964 | Leo Strang | 6th | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | |||
| 1965 | T–3rd | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | ||||
| 1966 | 5th | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1967 | 6th | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1968 | Dave Puddington | 6th | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | — | |||
| 1969 | T–5th | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1970 | T–5th | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1971 | Don James | 6th | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | — | |||
| 1972‡^ | 1st | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | Lost Tangerine Bowl to Tampa Spartans, 18–21 | ||||
| 1973 | 2nd | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1974 | T–4th | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1975 | Dennis Fitzgerald | 8th | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | — | |||
| 1976 | T–2nd | 6 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1977 | 6th | 5 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1978 | Ron Blackledge | 8th | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | — | |||
| 1979 | 10th | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1980 | T–8th | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1981 | Ed Chlebek | 7th | 3 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | — | |||
| 1982 | 10th | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1983 | Dick Scesniak | 9th | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | — | |||
| 1984 | T–8th | 3 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1985 | 9th | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1986 | Glen Mason | T–2nd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 0 | — | |||
| 1987 | T–2nd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1988 | Dick Crum | 7th | 3 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 0 | — | |||
| 1989 | 9th | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1990 | T–7th | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1991 | Pete Cordelli | 9th | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | — | |||
| 1992 | 8th | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1993 | 10th | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | — | ||||
| 1994 | Jim Corrigall | 8th | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | — | |||
| 1995 | 10th | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | — | ||||
| 1996 | 10th | 1 | 7 | — | 2 | 9 | — | — | ||||
| 1997 | T–4th (East) | 3 | 5 | — | 3 | 8 | — | — | ||||
| 1998 | Dean Pees | 6th (East) | 0 | 8 | — | 0 | 11 | — | — | |||
| 1999 | 6th (East) | 2 | 6 | — | 2 | 9 | — | — | ||||
| 2000 | 7th (East) | 1 | 7 | — | 1 | 10 | — | — | ||||
| 2001 | T–3rd (East) | 5 | 3 | — | 6 | 5 | — | — | ||||
| 2002 | 6th (East) | 1 | 7 | — | 3 | 9 | — | — | ||||
| 2003 | 4th (East) | 4 | 4 | — | 5 | 7 | — | — | ||||
| 2004 | Doug Martin | 4th (East) | 4 | 4 | — | 5 | 6 | — | — | |||
| 2005 | 6th (East) | 0 | 8 | — | 1 | 10 | — | — | ||||
| 2006 | 2nd (East) | 5 | 3 | — | 6 | 6 | — | — | ||||
| 2007 | 7th (East) | 1 | 7 | — | 3 | 9 | — | — | ||||
| 2008 | T–4th (East) | 3 | 5 | — | 4 | 8 | — | — | ||||
| 2009 | 4th (East) | 4 | 4 | — | 5 | 7 | — | — | ||||
| 2010 | 4th (East) | 4 | 4 | — | 5 | 7 | — | — | ||||
| 2011 | Darrell Hazell | 3rd (East) | 4 | 4 | — | 5 | 7 | — | — | |||
| 2012#^ | 1st (East) | 8 | 0 | — | 11 | 3 | — | Lost MAC Championship Game to Northern Illinois Huskies, 37–44 Lost GoDaddy.com Bowl to Arkansas State Red Wolves, 13–17 |
||||
| 2013 | Paul Haynes | 5th (East) | 3 | 5 | — | 4 | 8 | — | — | |||
| 2014 | 7th (East) | 1 | 6 | — | 2 | 9 | — | — | ||||
| 2015 | T-5th (East) | 2 | 6 | — | 3 | 9 | — | — | ||||
| 2016 | 5th (East) | 2 | 6 | — | 3 | 9 | — | — | ||||
| 2017 | 6th (East) | 1 | 7 | — | 2 | 10 | — | — | ||||
| 2018 | Sean Lewis | 6th (East) | 1 | 7 | — | 2 | 10 | — | — | |||
| 2019 | T-2nd (East) | 5 | 3 | — | 7 | 6 | — | Won Frisco Bowl over Utah State Aggies, 51–41 | ||||
| 2020 | T-2nd (East) | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | ||||
| 2021 | 1st (East) | 6 | 2 | — | 7 | 7 | — | Lost MAC Championship Game to Northern Illinois Huskies, 23-41 Lost Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to Wyoming Cowboys, 38-52 |
||||
| 2022 | T-4th (East) | 4 | 4 | — | 5 | 7 | — | — | ||||
| Total | — | — | — | 364 | 585 | 28 | (only includes regular season games) | |||||
| 33 | 32 | 10 | — | — | — | (only includes Ohio Athletic Conference games) | ||||||
| 180 | 325 | 4 | — | — | — | (only includes Mid-American Conference games) | ||||||
| — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 0 | (only includes post-season games; 6 appearances) | ||||||
| 200 | 350 | 14 | 349 | 559 | 28 | (all games) | ||||||
| ♦ Denotes a tie for first place and conference co-champion | ||||||||||||
