| Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football | |||
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| First season | 1908 | ||
| Head coach | Willie Taggart | ||
| 2nd year, 2–10–0 (.167) | |||
| Home stadium | Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium | ||
| Stadium capacity | 22,000 | ||
| Stadium surface | FieldTurf | ||
| Location | Bowling Green, Kentucky | ||
| Conference | Sun Belt | ||
| All-time record | 511–349–30 (.591) | ||
| Postseason bowl record | 2–0–0 | ||
| Claimed national titles | 1 (FCS) | ||
| Conference titles | 11 (6 Division II, 4 FCS, 1 FBS) | ||
| Heisman winners | 0 | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 5 | ||
| Colors | Red and White | ||
| Fight song | Stand Up and Cheer! | ||
| Mascot | Big Red | ||
| Marching band | Big Red Marching Band | ||
| Rival | Middle Tennessee State | ||
| Website | Western Kentucky Official Athletic Site | ||
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-Americans. The team is currently coached by Willie Taggart and play their home games at Houchens Industries – L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
In 2007, led by head coach David Elson, 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.
1910-1937: Member
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
1913-1926: NCAA Independent
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
| Year | Selector | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | NCAA Division I-AA | Jack Harbaugh | 12-3-0 |
| Year | Conference | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association | 7-1-0 |
| 1952 | Ohio Valley Conference | 9-1-0 (co-champions) |
| 1963 | 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 | 12-3-0 (co-champions) |
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 | 9-3-0 | 11 | 11 |
| Season | Date | Bowl | Stadium | City | Result | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | December 7 | Refrigerator Bowl | Arad McCutchan Stadium | Evansville, Indiana | W 34-19 | Arkansas State Indians |
| 1963 | December 28 | Tangerine Bowl | Florida Citrus Bowl | Orlando, Florida | W 27-0 | Coast Guard Bears |
Active
WR Curtis Hamilton - Chicago (2008), New Orleans (2009-present)
FB Jeremi Johnson - Cincinnati (2003-present)
Former
Dale Lindsey - former LB for Cleveland (1965-1972) and New Orleans (1973).
Clarence "Jazz" Jackson, Jr. - former RB for New York Jets (1974-1976).
Virgil Livers - former DB for Chicago (1975-1979).
Darryl Drake - former WR for Washington (1979) and Cincinnati (1983).
David Carter - former C for Houston (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.
Romeo Crennel - 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
Head Coaches
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
1 - Willie Taggart
24 - Virgil Livers
44 - Dale Lindsey
66 - Jimmy Feix
Western Kentucky has fielded 64 All-Americans, with the first being named in 1952 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 has a rivalry with fellow Sun-Belt team Middle Tennessee State that stems from their basketball rivalry.
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | TBA |
| vs Austin Peay | vs Kentucky | vs Bowling Green | at Indiana | at Southern Miss | at Hawaii |
| at Alabama | at Tennessee | at Navy | at Army | at LSU | |
| at Kentucky | vs Navy | vs Army | vs Army | ||
| vs Southern Miss | at Army |
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