Lenoir–Rhyne Bears football
| Lenoir–Rhyne Bears | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| File:Lenoir-Rhyne Athletic Logo.png | |||
| First season | 1907 | ||
| Head coach | 1st season, 0–0 (–) | ||
| Stadium | Moretz Stadium (capacity: 8,500) | ||
| Location | Hickory, NC | ||
| NCAA division | NCAA Division II | ||
| All-time record | 448–434–33 (.508) | ||
| Claimed national titles | 1 (NAIA, 1960) | ||
| Conference titles | 20 (8 NSC, 7 SAC, 5 CC) | ||
| Colors | Red and Black | ||
| Fight song | [archiveorg LenoirRhyneMarchingBand1992 width=640 height=140 frameborder=0 webkitallowfullscreen=true mozallowfullscreen=true] | ||
| Mascot | Joe and Josie Bear | ||
| Marching band | Lenoir-Rhyne Marching Bears | ||
| Website | LRBears.com | ||
- For information on all Lenoir–Rhyne University sports, see Lenoir–Rhyne Bears
The Lenoir–Rhyne Bears football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Lenoir–Rhyne University located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The team competes in the NCAA Division II and are members of the South Atlantic Conference. Lenoir–Rhyne's first football team was fielded in 1907. The team plays its home games at the 8,500 seat Moretz Stadium in Hickory, North Carolina. The Bears are coached by Mike Kellar.
History
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2012) |
Conference history
- 1954–1969: NAIA
- 1970–1992: NAIA Division I-FCS
- 1989–present: NCAA Division II
Conference Affiliations
- 1907–1930: Independent
- 1931–1960: North State Conference
- 1961–1974: Carolinas Conference
- 1975–present: South Atlantic Conference
The Bears had no team from 1912–1920 and 1942–1945.
Bowl games
The Bears have participated in one notable bowl game, the Cigar Bowl.
| Year | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | December 13 | Tampa | L 12–21 | Phillips Field |
Coaches
Clarence Stasavich has the most victories as coach of the Bears.
- T. M. Warlick (1907–1908)
- B. H. Shoaf (1909)
- D. M. Williams (1910–1911)
- Phil Utley (1921)
- Norman Lamotte (1922–1923)
- Dick Gurley (1924–1931)
- Robert M. Shores (1932–1936)
- Albert Spurlock (1937)
- Robert M. Shores (1938–1941)
- D. M. Williams (1942–1945)
- Clarence Stasavich (1946–1961)
- Hanley Painter (1962–1972)
- Danny Williams (1973)
- Jack Huss (1974–1979)
- Henry Vansant (1980–1983)
- John Perry (1984–1990)
- Charles Forbes (1991–1996)
- Bill Hart (1997–2001)
- Wayne Hicks (2002–2006)
- Fred Goldsmith (2007–2010)
- Mike Houston (2011–2013)
- Ian Shields (2014–2015)
- Mike Kellar (2015–Present)
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:
- Perry Fewell, current Defensive Back coach of the Washington Redskins.
- Craig Keith, NFL player (1993–1995)
Year-by-year results
1939* (6–1–3), 1951 (10–1), 1952 (8–1), 1955 (9–0–1), 1956 (10–0), 1958 (9–1), 1959 (10–1), 1960 (12–0), 1961 (8–1–1), 1962 (11–1), 1965 (7–3), 1966* (6–3), 1967 (8–1), 1975 (7–3–1), 1988* (7–4), 1994* (8–2), 2009 (5–6), 2011* (7–3), 2012 (9–3), 2013 (13–2), 2014 (11–1), 2015 (5–5).
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2012) |
Championship appearances
The Bears made three NAIA championship appearances in their tenure.
| Year | Selector | Coach | Opponent | Record | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | NAIA Playoffs | Clarence Stasavich | Texas A&I Javelinas | 10–1 | L 20–7 |
| 1960 | NAIA Playoffs | Clarence Stasavich | Humboldt State | 12–0 | W 15–14 |
| 1962 | NAIA Playoffs | Hanley Painter | Central Oklahoma | 11–1 | L 13–28 |
| 2013 | NCAA Division II Playoffs | Mike Houston | Northwest Missouri State | 13-2 | L 28–43 |
Conference championships
1939* (6–1–3), 1951 (10–1), 1952 (8–1), 1955 (9–0–1), 1956 (10–0), 1958 (9–1), 1959 (10–1), 1960 (12–0), 1961 (8–1–1), 1962 (11–1), 1965 (7–3), 1966* (6–3), 1967 (8–1), 1975 (7–3–1), 1988* (7–4), 1994* (8–2), 2011* (7–3), 2012 (9–3), 2013 (13–2), 2014 (11–1).
- denotes co-championship. The Bears won 8 titles in the North State Conference, 5 in the Carolinas Conference, and 7 in the South Atlantic Conference.