Football
The first Evansville College football game on record came in 1898, and coaches such as John Harmon and Bill Slyker built the program throughout the ‘20s and ‘30s. But it wasn’t until after World War II that Evansville football thrived. The 1946 squad under the direction of first-year coach Don Ping won seven games and gave Evansville its first bowl victory, a 19-7 win over Northern Illinois in the Hoosier Bowl. One of Evansville's most memorable seasons followed three years later, when the Evansville College '49ers' compiled an 8-2-1 record and hosted the post-season Refrigerator Bowl, beating Hillsdale (Mich.) College 22-7.
Paul Beck followed Coach Ping, serving as head coach for three years, then returning after a year off to coach eight more. But the ‘49ers’ eight victories remained the most in school history until Jim Byers’ 1974 squad equaled the mark with an 8-2 record and Evansville’s first trip to the NCAA playoffs. Byers’ 1975 team was just as strong, and set a school record with 296 points on its way to a 7-3 record. Coach Randy Rodgers’ tenure was highlighted by outstanding passing teams and a 1982 squad that produced a 6-4 record. Dave Moore followed, and his 1987 team eclipsed the 1975 scoring record by putting up 312 points in 10 games. Robin Cooper coached the Aces for the final seven years, highlighted by a 7-2 record in 1992 and the play of future NFL running back Sean Bennett, an All-American in 1996 and 1997.
Head Coaching Records:
John Harmon (1923-29) 18-53-1(.343)
W.V.Slyker (1930-42) 34-60-9 (.374)
Don Ping (1946-53) 39-35-5 (.525)
Paul Beck (1954-1956, 1958-65) 46-52-0 (.469)
Forrest Page(1957) 1-6-0 (.143)
Jim Byers (1966-1976) 51-50-3 (.505)
John Moses (1977-79) 6-25-0 (.194)
Randy Rodgers (1980-1984) 17-32-3 (.356)
Dave Moore (1985-90) 20-39-1 (.342)
Robin Cooper (1991-1997) 34-35-0 (.493)
Year-By-Year Results:
1898: 0-1-0; 1899: No record.
1900: 0-1-0; 1901-08 No records. 1909: 1-0-0
1910: 0-1-0; 1911: 2-3-1; 1912: 1-3-2; 1913: 0-4-1; 1914: 0-2-0 1915-22 No records.
1923: 3-3-1; 1924: 4-5-0; 1925: 5-2-0; 1926: 2-6; 1927: 3-5; 1928: 0-7-0; 1929: 1-7-0
1930: 3-3-1; 1931: 3-5-0; 1932: 2-4-1; 1933: 2-5-1; 1934: 3-4-1; 1935: 4-5-0; 1936: 3-3-2; 1937: 0-9-0; 1938: 4-4-1; 1939: 1-6-1
1940: 5-3-0; 1941; 3-5-1; 1942: 1-4-0; 1943-45: No football--WWII. 1946: 7-1-2; 1947: 4-4-1; 1948: 6-3; 1949: 8-2-1
1950: 3-6-1; 1951: 5-5-0; 1952: 2-7-0; 1953: 3-7-0; 1954: 5-4-0; 1955: 6-3-0; 1956: 4-5-0; 1957: 1-6-0; 1958: 4-5-0; 1959: 6-3-0
1960: 5-3-0; 1961: 4-5-0; 1962: 4-5-0; 1963: 2-7-0; 1964: 5-4-0; 1965: 5-4-0; 1966: 4-4-1; 1967: 2-5-2; 1968: 3-6-0; 1969: 4-5-0
1970: 6-3-0; 1971: 3-6-0; 1972; 5-5-0; 1973: 5-5-0; 1974: 8-2-0; 1975: 7-3-0; 1976: 4-6-0; 1977: 1-9-0; 1978: 3-7-0; 1979: 2-9-0
1980: 3-8-0; 1981: 3-8-0; 1982: 6-4-0; 1983: 3-4-3; 1984: 2-8-0; 1985: 2-8-0; 1986: 2-8-0; 1987: 4-5-1; 1988: 5-5-0; 1989: 4-6-0
1990: 3-7-0; 1991: 5-5-0; 1992: 7-2-0; 1993: 6-4-0; 1994: 4-6-0; 1995: 5-5-0; 1996: 5-5-0; 1997: 2-8-0
Honors & Awards:
ALL AMERICA (COLLEGE DIVISION THROUGH 1975; DIVISION III 1976 TO 1992; DIVISION I-AA 1993 TO 1997)
1946 Bob Hawkins, T; (AP, First Team).
1954 Bob Scott, C; (AP, First Team).
1958 Larry Gates, E; (AP, First Team).
1959 Larry Gates, E; (AP, First Team).
1975 Charlie Uhde, DB; (AP, Third Team).
1991 Hanz Hoag, TE; (Champion USA, Third Team).
1992 Jerry Meade, LB; (Champion USA, Honorable Mention).
1993 Hanz Hoag, TE; (AP, First Team).
1994 Hanz Hoag, TE; (AP, First Team)(Football Gazette, First Team)(Sports Network, First Team).
1996 Sean Bennett, RB; (Football Gazette, I-AA Non Scholarship First Team).
1997 Sean Bennett, RB; (Football Gazette, I-AA Non Scholarship First Team). Vince Twedell, WR; (Football Gazette, I-AA Non Scholarship First Team).
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA
1974 David Mattingly, S; (CoSIDA, First Team).
1976 Mike Pociask, C; (CoSIDA, First Team).
1987 Jeff Willman, TE; (CoSIDA, First Team).
1997 Sean Bennett, RB; (D-I Academic All-America, First Team)(Division I-AA All America, Third Team)
BURGER KING SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD
1995 Eric Fish, QB.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
1995 Eric Fish, QB.
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
INDIANA COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE
1952 Bob Scott, RG; Ted Niemeier, RT
1953 Bill Parrish, HB
1954 Bob Scott, C. Bill Parrish, HB
1955 Chuck House, G; Bill Parrish, HB; Ken Lutterbach
1957 Larry Gates, E
1958 Larry Gates, E; Bill Harrawood, T
1959 Larry Gates, E; Jerry Denstorff, G
1961 Ron Tepool, E; John Meredith, G
1964 Paul Bullard, E; Martin Amsler, T; Bob Glaser, HB
1966 Gordon Jaffray, T; Steve Markwell, T; John Lidy, HB
1967 Gordon Jaffray, T; Bill Carrara, LB; Mike Woodard, HB
1968 Richard Dick, E; Keith McKinney, T; Gerald Seib, LB; Mike Woodard, DB, E; Craig Blackford, QB; Don Crane, HB
1969 Richard Dick, E; Tony Hargrove, T; Steve Ierardi, G; James "Spike" Bell, LB; Pete Rupp, DB, E; Paul Gerhardt, T; Craig Blackford, QB; Doug Atherton, HB
1970 Keith McKinney, T; Steve Ierardi, G; James "Spike" Bell, LB; Gerald Seib, LB; Pete Rupp, E; Mark Brewer, G; Craig Blackford, QB; Doug Atherton, HB
1971 Ben Karasiak, E; Dave Weimer, MG; Mike Forche, LB; Bill Sharpe, DB; Dave Scheu, E; Keith Reiter, C; Fernando Villarruel, G; Randy Mattingly, QB
1972 Ben Karasiak, E; Paul Koch, T; Mike Forche, LB; Don Monhaut, DB; Tony Schafer, E; Randy Mattingly QB, P; Mark Freeman HB
1973 Brand Willis, G; Charles Uhde, LB; Terry Irk, DB; Fernando Villarruel, G
1974 Dave Gossman, T; Charles Uhde, LB; Terry Irk, DB; Randy Kranwetter, T; Bill Studwell, FL
1975 Charles Uhde, LB; Bill Gauker, LB; Kevin Paschall, DB; Thom Endress, E; Randy Kranwetter, T
1976 Ray RIchmond, TE; Steve Smith, E; Mike Pociask, T; Robert Hicks, G; Esley McCung, E; Dave Gossman, T; Sam Wainman, DB
1977 Tom Halford, LB
HEARTLAND COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE
1978 Chris Loser, LB
1979 Paul Estridge, T; Charley Scott, WR; Carl Bellew, DT
1980 Joe-Greg Wright, DB
1981 Yancy Gill, OT; Tim Wolfe, DB
1982 Troy Staves, TE; Jay Barnett, WR; Craig Helfer, PK; Tim Wolfe, DB
1983 Al Baity, WR; Ty Chiesa, DB
1984 Jeff Willman, TE
1985 Karl Brown, T
1986 Jerry Johnson, WR
1987 Jeff Willman, TE; Randy Hobson, QB; Barry Goodall, DL
MID-SOUTH FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
1987 Kirk Stallings, G; John Foster, OT; Billy Joe Masters, RB; Phil Peach, WR; Randy Hobson, QB; Joe Neidig, DE; Dan Schall, DB
1988 Kevin Bice, DT; Paul Primavera, DB; Matt Ault, P
1989 Andrew Weinzapfel, OL; John Obermeier, OL; Matt Brooks, RB; Kevin Bice, LB
1990 Matt Brooks, RB(Offensive Player of the Year); John Obermeier, OL
PIONEER FOOTBALL LEAGUE
1993 Jerry Meade, LB
1994 James Duncan, FS
1995 Jim Schaefer, DE; Adam Bruggenschmidt, LB; James Duncan, FS
1996 Sean Bennett, RB; Tom Fravel, C
1997 Sean Bennett, RB; Vince Tweddell, WR; Joe Sweifel, OL
