Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football
The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) located in the U.S. state of Texas. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are formerly members of the Southland Conference. On July 1, 2021, SFA joined the Western Athletic Conference, which will relaunch its football league at the FCS level.[2] Stephen F. Austin's first football team was fielded in 1923. The team plays its home games at the 14,575 seat Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches, Texas.
| Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1923 | ||
| Athletic director | Ryan Ivey | ||
| Head coach | Colby Carthel 3rd season, 17–17 (.500) | ||
| Stadium | Homer Bryce Stadium (capacity: 14,575) | ||
| Field surface | Hellas Matrix Turf | ||
| Location | Nacogdoches, Texas | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | WAC | ||
| All-time record | 370–468–30 (.444) | ||
| Bowl record | 1–0 (1.000) | ||
| Conference titles | 5 (1 Gulf Star, 4 SLC) | ||
| Rivalries | Northwestern State Demons (rivalry) Sam Houston State Bearkats (rivalry) | ||
| Colors | Purple and white[1] | ||
| Website | www.sfajacks.com | ||
Conference championships
| Year | Coach | Conference | Overall record | Conference record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985† | Jim Hess | Gulf Star Conference | 9–2 | 4–1 | |
| 1989 | Lynn Graves | Southland Conference | 12–2–1 | 6–0–1 | |
| 1999† | Mike Santiago | 8–3 | 6–1 | ||
| 2009† | J. C. Harper | 10–3 | 6–1 | ||
| 2010 | 9–3 | 6–1 | |||
| Conference Championships | 4 | ||||
† Co-champions
Head coaches
- Bob Shelton (1923–1928)
- Gene White (1929–1936)
- Red Willis (1937–1940)
- Maurice A. Baumgarten (1941)
- No team (1942–1945)
- Bill Pierce (1946)
- Ted Jefferies (1947–1955)
- Harold J. Fischer (1956–1958)
- Red Conkright (1959–1961)
- Shorty Hughes (1962–1970)
- John Levra (1971–1974)
- Dick Munzinger (1975)
- Charles Simmons (1976–1981)
- Jim Hess (1982–1988)
- Lynn Graves (1989–1991)
- John Pearce (1992–1998)
- Mike Santiago (1999–2004)
- Robert McFarland (2005–2006)
- J. C. Harper (2007–2013)
- Clint Conque (2014–2017)
- Jeff Byrd (interim) (2018)
- Colby Carthel (2019–present)
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:
Postseason history
The Lumberjacks earned a berth in the FCS playoffs in 2009, the first postseason appearance for the team since 1995. The 2010 season marked the first time that the school had won an outright conference championship since 1989.
The team's only bowl game was the 1973 Poultry Bowl, in which the team defeated Gardner-Webb, 31–10, in Gainesville, Georgia.
Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs results
The Lumberjacks have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs eight times with an overall record of 7–8.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | First Round Quarterfinals | Jackson State Georgia Southern | W 24–0 L 6–27 |
| 1989 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | Grambling State Southwest Missouri State Furman Georgia Southern | W 59–56 W 55–25 W 21–19 L 34–37 |
| 1993 | First Round | Troy State | L 20–42 |
| 1995 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Eastern Illinois Appalachian State Montana | W 34–29 W 27–17 L 14–70 |
| 2009 | First Round Quarterfinals | Eastern Washington Montana | W 44–33 L 0–51 |
| 2010 | Second Round | Villanova | L 24–54 |
| 2014 | First Round | Northern Iowa | L 10–44 |
| 2021 | First Round | Incarnate Word | L 28–35 OT |
Rivalries
The Lumberjacks have active rivalries with the Northwestern State Demons and the Sam Houston State Bearkats.
References
- SFA Official University Identity Standards Manual (PDF). June 17, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- "WAC Announces Expedited Entrance for Four Texas Institutions" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.