| Army Black Knights football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| First season | 1890 | ||
| Athletic director | COL Sam Johnson | ||
| Head coach | Rich Ellerson | ||
| 2nd year, 11–12 (.478) | |||
| Home stadium | Michie Stadium | ||
| Stadium capacity | 40,000[1] | ||
| Stadium surface | FieldTurf[2] | ||
| Location | West Point, NY | ||
| Conference | Independent | ||
| All-time record | 642–454–51 (.582) | ||
| Postseason bowl record | 3–2 | ||
| Claimed national titles | 3 (1944, 1945, 1946)[3] | ||
| Heisman winners | 3 | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 37 | ||
| Current uniform | |||
| Colors | Black and Gold | ||
| Fight song | On Brave Old Army Team | ||
| Mascot | Army Mule; Black Knight | ||
| Marching band | United States Military Academy Band | ||
| Rivals | Air Force Falcons Navy Midshipmen Notre Dame Fighting Irish Rutgers Scarlet Knights |
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| Website | GoArmySports.com | ||
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. They are one of the few NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent schools (not in a conference). Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946.
General of the Army George C. Marshall Chief of Staff during World War II said, "I want an officer for a secret and dangerous mission. I want a West Point football player."
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur wrote, "Upon the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that upon other fields, on other days, will bear the fruits of victory."
President of the United States and General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower and General of the Army Omar Bradley were on the 1912 Army football team.
Three players from Army have won the Heisman Trophy: Doc Blanchard (1945), Glenn Davis (1946), and Pete Dawkins (1958).
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Army football began in 1890, when Navy challenged the cadets to a game of the relatively new sport. Navy defeated Army at West Point that year, but Army avenged the loss in Annapolis the following year.[4] The academies still clash every December in what is traditionally the last regular-season Division I college-football game. The 2011 football season marked Army's tenth consecutive loss to Navy. From 1944 to 1950, the Cadets had 57 wins, 3 losses and 4 ties. During this time span, Army won three national championships.[5]
Army's football team reached its pinnacle of success under coach Earl Blaik when Army won three consecutive national championships in 1944, 1945 and 1946, and produced three Heisman trophy winners: Doc Blanchard (1945), Glenn Davis (1946) and Pete Dawkins (1958).[6] Past NFL coaches Vince Lombardi[7] and Bill Parcells[8] were Army assistant coaches early in their careers.
The football team plays its home games at Michie Stadium, where the playing field is named after Earl Blaik. Cadets' attendance is mandatory at football games and the Corps stands for the duration of the game. At all home games, one of the four regiments marches onto the field in formation before the team takes the field and leads the crowd in traditional Army cheers.[9]
Between the 1998 and 2004 seasons, Army's football program was a member of Conference USA, but has since reverted to its former independent status.[10] West Point competes with Navy and Air Force for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.
The annual contest between the Black Knights of Army and the Midshipmen of the Naval Academy at Annapolis (Navy) is among the most storied rivalries in all of college sports.
In much of the early 20th century, Army and Notre Dame were considered football powerhouses, and met 21 times between 1925 and 1946.[11] Many media members considered the 1946 contest to be the "Game of the Century".[12] Army and Notre Dame met for the 50th time on November 20, 2010.[11]
Army and Air Force also maintain a rivalry, and the two in addition to Navy, compete for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.
This rivalry stems from Army and Rutgers being two of the only three programs (a third is Navy) to come out of the original, informal "Ivy League" that are still members of the top tier of NCAA college football (currently Division I-FBS). ("See" Before There Was An Ivy League "and" Ivy League#History of the athletic league.) Army is Rutgers' second oldest active rivalry. Rutgers has won the last six in a row and 10 of the last 12. The all-time series is tied at 18 wins each. In 2011, Rutgers won this game 27–12.
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| Season | Bowl | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Cherry Bowl | December 22, 1984 | Michigan State | W 10–6 |
| 1985 | Peach Bowl | December 31, 1985 | Illinois | W 31–29 |
| 1988 | Sun Bowl | December 24, 1988 | Alabama | L 28–29 |
| 1996 | Independence Bowl | December 31, 1996 | Auburn | L 29–32 |
| 2010 | Armed Forces Bowl | December 30, 2010 | SMU | W 16–14 |
| COACH |
YEARS
|
#YEARS
|
GAMES
|
WON
|
LOST
|
TIED
|
PCT.
|
|
Dennis M. Michie |
1890–1892 |
2 |
6 |
3
|
2
|
1
|
.583
|
|
Dr. Harry Williams |
1889 |
1 |
6 |
4
|
1
|
1
|
.750
|
|
Laurence T. Bliss |
1893 |
1 |
9 |
4
|
5
|
0
|
.444
|
|
Harmon S. Graves |
1894–1895 |
2 |
12 |
8
|
4
|
0
|
.667
|
|
George P. Dyer |
1896 |
1 |
6 |
3
|
2
|
1
|
.583
|
|
Herman J. Koehler |
1897–1900 |
4 |
34 |
20
|
11
|
3
|
.632
|
|
Leon B. Kromer |
1901 |
1 |
8 |
5
|
1
|
2
|
.750
|
|
Dennis E. Nolan |
1902 |
1 |
8 |
6
|
1
|
1
|
.812
|
|
Edward L. King |
1903 |
1 |
9 |
6
|
2
|
1
|
.722
|
|
Robert E. Boyers |
1904–1905 |
2 |
18 |
11
|
6
|
1
|
.639
|
|
Henry C. Smither |
1906–1907 |
2 |
10 |
7
|
2
|
1
|
.750
|
|
Ernest Graves |
1906–1912 |
2 |
16 |
7
|
8
|
1
|
.469
|
|
Harry M. Nelly |
1908–1910 |
3 |
22 |
15
|
5
|
2
|
.727
|
|
Joseph W. Beacham |
1911 |
1 |
8 |
6
|
1
|
1
|
.812
|
|
Charles D. Daly |
1913–1922 |
8 |
74 |
58
|
13
|
3
|
.804
|
|
Geoffrey Keyes |
1917 |
1 |
8 |
7
|
1
|
0
|
.875
|
|
Hugh Mitchell |
1918 |
1 |
1 |
1
|
0
|
0
|
1.000
|
|
John J. McEwan |
1923–1925 |
3 |
26 |
18
|
5
|
3
|
.750
|
|
Lawrence M. "Biff" Jones |
1926–1929 |
4 |
40 |
30
|
8
|
2
|
.775
|
|
Ralph I. Sasse |
1930–1932 |
3 |
32 |
25
|
5
|
2
|
.812
|
|
Garrison H. "Gar" Davidson |
1933–1937 |
5 |
47 |
35
|
11
|
1
|
.755
|
|
William H. Wood |
1938–1940 |
3 |
28 |
12
|
13
|
3
|
.482
|
|
Earl H. "Red" Blaik |
1941–1958 |
18 |
164 |
121
|
33
|
10
|
.768
|
|
Dale S. Hall |
1959–1961 |
3 |
29 |
16
|
11
|
2
|
.586
|
|
Paul Dietzel |
1962–1965 |
4 |
40 |
21
|
18
|
1
|
.537
|
|
Tom Cahill |
1966–1973 |
8 |
81 |
40
|
39
|
2
|
.506
|
|
Homer Smith |
1974–1978 |
5 |
55 |
21
|
33
|
1
|
.391
|
|
Louis H. "Lou" Saban |
1979 |
1 |
11 |
2
|
8
|
1
|
.227
|
|
Ed Cavanaugh |
1980–1982 |
3 |
33 |
10
|
21
|
2
|
.333
|
|
Jim Young |
1983–1990 |
8 |
91 |
51
|
39
|
1
|
.566
|
|
Bob Sutton |
1991–1999 |
9 |
100 |
44
|
55
|
1
|
.445
|
|
Todd Berry |
2000–2003 |
4 |
41 |
5
|
36
|
0
|
.122
|
|
John Mumford |
2003 |
1 |
6 |
0
|
6
|
0
|
.000
|
|
Bobby Ross |
2004–2006 |
3 |
34 |
9
|
25
|
0
|
.265
|
|
2006–2008 |
2 |
24 |
6
|
18
|
0
|
.250
|
|
|
Present |
2 |
22 |
11
|
12
|
0
|
.478
|
|
| Total (36 coaches) |
121
|
1146
|
642
|
453
|
51
|
.582
|
|
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