The Wartburg Knights football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Wartburg College located in Waverly, 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 4th season, 43–7 (.860) | ||
| Stadium | Walston-Hoover Stadium (capacity: 5,000) | ||
| Field surface | FieldTurf | ||
| Location | Waverly, Iowa | ||
| NCAA division | Division III | ||
| Conference | American Rivers Conference | ||
| All-time record | 498–317–7 (.610) | ||
| Playoff appearances | 17 (NCAA D-III) | ||
| Playoff record | 18–17 (NCAA D-III) | ||
| Conference titles | 20 | ||
| 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
editThe Knights have appeared in the NCAA Division III playoffs 17 times, most recently in 2024.[4] They have not had a losing season since 1988. Their combined playoff record is 18–17.
NCAA Division III playoffs
edit| Season | Coach | Playoff | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Don Canfield | First round | Bishop | L 7–32 |
| 1993 | Bob Nielson | Regionals | Wisconsin–La Crosse | L 26–55 |
| 1994 | Regionals | Central (IA) | W 22–21 | |
| Quarterfinals | Saint John's (MN) | L 14–42 | ||
| 1999 | Rick Willis | Regionals | Pacific Lutheran | L 14–49 |
| 2002 | First Round | Lake Forest | W 45–0 | |
| Second Round | Linfield | L 15–52 | ||
| 2003 | First Round | Bethel | W 21–7 | |
| Second Round | Linfield | L 20–23 | ||
| 2004 | First Round | Concordia–Moorhead | L 14–28 | |
| 2008 | First Round | Wisconsin–Stevens Point | W 26–21 | |
| Second Round | Monmouth | W 30–28 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Whitewater | L 17–34 | ||
| 2010 | First Round | Bethel | L 20–28 | |
| 2013 | First Round | Illinois Wesleyan | W 41–7 | |
| Second Round | Bethel | L 27–34 | ||
| 2014 | First Round | St. Thomas | W 37–31 | |
| Second Round | Saint John's (MN) | W 21–10 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Whitewater | L 33–37 | ||
| 2017 | First Round | Franklin | W 35–34 OT | |
| Second Round | Trine | W 49–7 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Oshkosh | L 27–41 | ||
| 2018 | First Round | Bethel | L 14–41 | |
| 2019 | First Round | Hope | W 41–3 | |
| Second Round | Wisconsin–Whitewater | L 28–41 | ||
| 2022 | Chris Winter | First Round | Wisconsin–LaCrosse | W 14–6 |
| 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 | |
| Second Round | Whitworth | W 42–20 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Whitewater | W 31–28 | ||
| Semifinals | North Central (IL) | L 27–34 | ||
| 2024 | Second Round | Wisconsin–Platteville | W 19–14 | |
| Third Round | Bethel (MN) | L 14–24 |
Championships
editConference championships
editThe Knights have won 20 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 | |
| 2024 | 10–2 | 8–0 |
† Co-champions
Individual awards
editIIAC/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 |
| 2024 | Parker Rochford | Defensive Most Valuable Player |
Cliff Harris Award
editBest 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
- Offensive line: Luke Summers
- Defensive line: Ethan Lape
- Wide receivers: Matt Buckner
- Running backs: Jawanza Holmes
- 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
editAs of the completion of 2024[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 | 4 | 43–7–0 | .860 | 3 |
| Totals | 14 coaches | 88 seasons | 498–317–7 | .610 | 20 titles |
Final rankings
editFollowing 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
editReferences
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.