# List of Idaho Vandals football seasons

This is a list of seasons completed by the Idaho Vandals football team. The Vandals compete in the Big Sky Conference in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Representing the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, the Vandals play home games on campus at the 16,000-seat Kibbie Dome; it opened as an outdoor venue in 1971 and was enclosed in 1975.
Idaho began playing football 130 years ago in 1894 as an independent, and was a member of the Pacific Coast Conference from 1922 through 1958; the PCC disbanded the following spring. After playing for six years as a University Division independent, the Vandals joined the Big Sky for football in 1965, where they remained for over thirty years. The Big Sky moved up to the new Division I-AA in 1978; Idaho moved down and often made the I-AA postseason playoffs for over a decade.
In 1996, Idaho moved back to Division I-A as a member of the Big West Conference, and went to the Sun Belt Conference (football only) when the Big West stopped sponsoring football after 2000. After four seasons in the Sun Belt, Idaho joined the Western Athletic Conference in 2005, only to return to the Sun Belt nine years later when the WAC dropped football. The Sun Belt dropped Idaho as a football member after 2017, and rather than attempt to exist as an isolated FBS independent, as they had in 2013, Vandal football became the first FBS program to voluntarily drop to FCS in 2018 and returned to the Big Sky, where Idaho's other teams had rejoined in 2014.
The Vandals are led by head coach Thomas Ford, who was hired after the 2024 season in mid-December.

## Seasons

Legend :
* †National champions
* $^†$ Conference champions
* $^‡$ Division champions
* ^Bowl game berth / playoff result
List of Idaho Vandals football seasons :
| Season | Team | Head coach | Conference | Regular season results | Regular season results | Regular season results | Regular season results | Regular season results | Regular season results | Regular season results | Postseason results | Final ranking | Final ranking |
| Season | Team | Head coach | Conference | Overall | Overall | Overall | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Bowl game/Playoff result | NCAA/TSN Poll | AP/Coaches' Poll |
| Season | Team | Head coach | Conference | Win | Loss | Tie | Win | Loss | Tie | Finish | Bowl game/Playoff result | NCAA/TSN Poll | AP/Coaches' Poll |
| Idaho Vandals ||||||||||||||
| 1894 | 1894 | G. E. Higgins | Independent | 0 | 2 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | 1895 | G. E. Higgins | Independent | 0 | 1 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1896 | 1896 | G. E. Higgins | Independent | No team | No team | No team | No team | No team | No team | No team | No team | No team | No team |
| 1897 | 1897 | G. E. Higgins | Independent | 0 | 1 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1898 | 1898 | G. E. Higgins | Independent | No games were played | No games were played | No games were played | No games were played | No games were played | No games were played | No games were played | No games were played | No games were played | No games were played |
| 1899 | 1899 | Morse | Independent | 0 | 4 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | 1900 | Fred Herbold | Independent | 1 | 0 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1901 | 1901 | Fred Herbold | Independent | 3 | 2 | 1 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1902 | 1902 | John G. Griffith | Independent | 1 | 3 | 1 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1903 | 1903 | John G. Griffith | Independent | 3 | 1 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1904 | 1904 | John G. Griffith | Independent | 2 | 1 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | 1905 | John G. Griffith | Independent | 5 | 0 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1906 | 1906 | John G. Griffith | Independent | 2 | 4 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1907 | 1907 | John R. Middleton | Independent | 4 | 1 | 1 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1908 | 1908 | John R. Middleton | Independent | 2 | 2 | 2 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1909 | 1909 | John S. Grogan | Independent | 3 | 4 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | 1910 | John G. Griffith | Independent | 4 | 2 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1911 | 1911 | John G. Griffith | Independent | 4 | 3 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1912 | 1912 | John G. Griffith | Independent | 2 | 2 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1913 | 1913 | John G. Griffith | Independent | 2 | 3 | 1 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1914 | 1914 | John G. Griffith | Independent | 2 | 3 | 1 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | 1915 | Charles Rademacher | Independent | 1 | 4 | 1 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1916 | 1916 | Wilfred Bleamaster | Independent | 3 | 5 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1917 | 1917 | Wilfred Bleamaster | Independent | 2 | 3 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1918 | | Wilfred Bleamaster | Independent | Season canceled due to World War I | Season canceled due to World War I | Season canceled due to World War I | Season canceled due to World War I | Season canceled due to World War I | Season canceled due to World War I | Season canceled due to World War I | Season canceled due to World War I | Season canceled due to World War I | Season canceled due to World War I |
| 1919 | 1919 | Ralph Hutchinson | Independent | 2 | 3 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | 1920 | Thomas Kelley | Independent | 4 | 2 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1921 | 1921 | Thomas Kelley | Independent | 4 | 3 | 1 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1922 | 1922 | Matty Mathews | Pacific Coast | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8th | — | — | — |
| 1923 | 1923 | Matty Mathews | Pacific Coast | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3rd | — | — | — |
| 1924 | 1924 | Matty Mathews | Pacific Coast | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4th | — | — | — |
| 1925 | 1925 | Matty Mathews | Pacific Coast | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6th | — | — | — |
| 1926 | 1926 | Charles Erb | Pacific Coast | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | T-6th | — | — | — |
| 1927 | 1927$^†$ | Charles Erb | Pacific Coast | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | T-1st$^†$ | — | — | — |
| 1928 | 1928 | Charles Erb | Pacific Coast | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | T-6th | — | — | — |
| 1929 | 1929 | Leo Calland | Pacific Coast | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | T-7th | — | — | — |
| 1930 | 1930 | Leo Calland | Pacific Coast | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10th | — | — | — |
| 1931 | 1931 | Leo Calland | Pacific Coast | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8th | — | — | — |
| 1932 | 1932 | Leo Calland | Pacific Coast | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | T-8th | — | — | — |
| 1933 | 1933 | Leo Calland | Pacific Coast | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — |
| 1934 | 1934 | Leo Calland | Pacific Coast | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8th | — | — | — |
| 1935 | 1935 | Ted Bank | Pacific Coast | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — |
| 1936 | 1936 | Ted Bank | Pacific Coast | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10th | — | — | — |
| 1937 | 1937 | Ted Bank | Pacific Coast | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5th | — | — | — |
| 1938 | 1938 | Ted Bank | Pacific Coast | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7th | — | — | — |
| 1939 | 1939 | Ted Bank | Pacific Coast | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10th | — | — | — |
| 1940 | 1940 | Ted Bank | Pacific Coast | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10th | — | — | — |
| 1941 | 1941 | Francis Schmidt | Pacific Coast | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10th | — | — | — |
| 1942 | 1942 | Francis Schmidt | Pacific Coast | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — |
| 1943 | | Francis Schmidt | Pacific Coast | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II |
| 1944 | | No coach | Pacific Coast | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II | Seasons canceled due to World War II |
| 1945 | 1945 | Babe Brown | Pacific Coast | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 8th | — | — | — |
| 1946 | 1946 | Babe Brown | Pacific Coast | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10th | — | — | — |
| 1947 | 1947 | Dixie Howell | Pacific Coast | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — |
| 1948 | 1948 | Dixie Howell | Pacific Coast | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — |
| 1949 | 1949 | Dixie Howell | Pacific Coast | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — |
| 1950 | 1950 | Dixie Howell | Pacific Coast | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5th | — | — | — |
| 1951 | 1951 | Babe Curfman | Pacific Coast | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — |
| 1952 | 1952 | Babe Curfman | Pacific Coast | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8th | — | — | — |
| 1953 | 1953 | Babe Curfman | Pacific Coast | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — |
| 1954 | 1954 | Skip Stahley | Pacific Coast | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7th | — | — | — |
| 1955 | 1955 | Skip Stahley | Pacific Coast | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — |
| 1956 | 1956 | Skip Stahley | Pacific Coast | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — |
| 1957 | 1957 | Skip Stahley | Pacific Coast | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — |
| 1958 | 1958 | Skip Stahley | Pacific Coast | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — |
| 1959 | 1959 | Skip Stahley | Independent | 1 | 9 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | 1960 | Skip Stahley | Independent | 1 | 9 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1961 | 1961 | Skip Stahley | Independent | 2 | 7 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1962 | 1962 | Dee Andros | Independent | 2 | 6 | 1 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1963 | 1963 | Dee Andros | Independent | 5 | 4 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1964 | 1964 | Dee Andros | Independent | 4 | 6 | 0 | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 1965 | 1965$^†$ | Steve Musseau | Big Sky | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | T-1st$^†$ | — | — | — |
| 1966 | 1966 | Steve Musseau | Big Sky | 4 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2nd | — | — | — |
| 1967 | 1967 | Steve Musseau | Big Sky | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | T-2nd | — | — | — |
| 1968 | 1968$^†$ | Y C McNease | Big Sky | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | T-1st$^†$ | — | — | — |
| 1969 | 1969 | Y C McNease | Big Sky | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4th | — | — | — |
| 1970 | 1970 | Don Robbins | Big Sky | 4 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | T-3rd | — | — | — |
| 1971 | 1971$^†$ | Don Robbins | Big Sky | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1st$^†$ | — | — | — |
| 1972 | 1972 | Don Robbins | Big Sky | 4 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5th | — | — |
| 1973 | 1973 | Don Robbins | Big Sky | 4 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3rd | — | — |
| 1974 | 1974 | Ed Troxel | Big Sky | 2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3rd | — | — | — |
| 1975 | 1975 | Ed Troxel | Big Sky | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | T-4th | — | — | — |
| 1976 | 1976 | Ed Troxel | Big Sky | 7 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2nd | — | — | — |
| 1977 | 1977 | Ed Troxel | Big Sky | 3 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | T-5th | — | — | — |
| 1978 | 1978 | Jerry Davitch | Big Sky | 2 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | T-5th | — | — | — |
| 1979 | 1979 | Jerry Davitch | Big Sky | 4 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | T-5th | — | — | — |
| 1980 | 1980 | Jerry Davitch | Big Sky | 6 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | | T-2nd | — | — | — |
| 1981 | 1981 | Jerry Davitch | Big Sky | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 | | 8th | — | — | — |
| 1982 | 1982 | Dennis Erickson | Big Sky | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | | T-1st | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — Quarterfinals ^ | 11 | — |
| 1983 | 1983 | Dennis Erickson | Big Sky | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | | T-3rd | — | — | — |
| 1984 | 1984 | Dennis Erickson | Big Sky | 6 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | | T-3rd | — | — | — |
| 1985 | 1985$^†$ | Dennis Erickson | Big Sky | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | | 1st$^†$ | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 5 | — |
| 1986 | 1986 | Keith Gilbertson | Big Sky | 8 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | | 3rd | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 16 | — |
| 1987 | 1987$^†$ | Keith Gilbertson | Big Sky | 9 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | | 1st$^†$ | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 5 | — |
| 1988 | 1988$^†$ | Keith Gilbertson | Big Sky | 11 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | | 1st$^†$ | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — Semifinals ^ | 2 | — |
| 1989 | 1989$^†$ | John L. Smith | Big Sky | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | | 1st$^†$ | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 4 | — |
| 1990 | 1990 | John L. Smith | Big Sky | 9 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 2 | | 2nd | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — Quarterfinals ^ | 13 | — |
| 1991 | 1991 | John L. Smith | Big Sky | 6 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | | T-4th | — | — | — |
| 1992 | 1992$^†$ | John L. Smith | Big Sky | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | | 1st$^†$ | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 5 | — |
| 1993 | 1993 | John L. Smith | Big Sky | 11 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | | 2nd | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — Semifinals ^ | 11 | — |
| 1994 | 1994 | John L. Smith | Big Sky | 9 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | | 2nd | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 6 | — |
| 1995 | 1995 | Chris Tormey | Big Sky | 6 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | | T-2nd | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 17 | — |
| 1996 | 1996 | Chris Tormey | Big West | 6 | 5 | | 3 | 2 | | T-3rd | — | — | — |
| 1997 | 1997 | Chris Tormey | Big West | 5 | 6 | | 2 | 3 | | T-4th | — | — | — |
| 1998 | 1998$^†$ | Chris Tormey | Big West | 9 | 3 | | 4 | 1 | | 1st$^†$ | Won Humanitarian Bowl against Southern Miss Golden Eagles, 42–35 ^ | — | — |
| 1999 | 1999 | Chris Tormey | Big West | 7 | 4 | | 4 | 2 | | 2nd | — | — | — |
| 2000 | 2000 | Tom Cable | Big West | 5 | 6 | | 3 | 2 | | 3rd | — | — | — |
| 2001 | 2001 | Tom Cable | Sun Belt | 1 | 10 | | 1 | 5 | | T-6th | — | — | — |
| 2002 | 2002 | Tom Cable | Sun Belt | 2 | 10 | | 1 | 6 | | 7th | — | — | — |
| 2003 | 2003 | Tom Cable | Sun Belt | 3 | 9 | | 3 | 4 | | T-4th | — | — | — |
| 2004 | 2004 | Nick Holt | Sun Belt | 3 | 9 | | 2 | 5 | | T-5th | — | — | — |
| 2005 | 2005 | Nick Holt | WAC | 2 | 9 | | 2 | 6 | | T-6th | — | — | — |
| 2006 | 2006 | Dennis Erickson | WAC | 4 | 8 | | 3 | 5 | | T-6th | — | — | — |
| 2007 | 2007 | Robb Akey | WAC | 1 | 11 | | 0 | 8 | | 9th | — | — | — |
| 2008 | 2008 | Robb Akey | WAC | 2 | 10 | | 1 | 7 | | T-8th | — | — | — |
| 2009 | 2009 | Robb Akey | WAC | 8 | 5 | | 4 | 4 | | 4th | Won Humanitarian Bowl against Bowling Green Falcons, 43–42 ^ | — | — |
| 2010 | 2010 | Robb Akey | WAC | 6 | 7 | | 3 | 5 | | 6th | — | — | — |
| 2011 | 2011 | Robb Akey | WAC | 2 | 10 | | 1 | 7 | | 8th | — | — | — |
| 2012 | 2012 | Robb Akey Jason Gesser | WAC | 1 | 11 | | 1 | 5 | | 6th | — | — | — |
| 2013 | 2013 | Paul Petrino | Independent | 1 | 11 | | | | | — | — | — | — |
| 2014 | 2014 | Paul Petrino | Sun Belt | 1 | 10 | | 1 | 7 | | T-9th | — | — | — |
| 2015 | 2015 | Paul Petrino | Sun Belt | 4 | 8 | | 3 | 5 | | T-5th | — | — | — |
| 2016 | 2016 | Paul Petrino | Sun Belt | 9 | 4 | | 6 | 2 | | T-3rd | Won Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Colorado State Rams, 61–50 ^ | — | — |
| 2017 | 2017 | Paul Petrino | Sun Belt | 4 | 8 | | 3 | 5 | | T-8th | — | — | — |
| 2018 | 2018 | Paul Petrino | Big Sky | 4 | 7 | | 3 | 5 | | T-9th | — | — | — |
| 2019 | 2019 | Paul Petrino | Big Sky | 5 | 7 | | 3 | 5 | | T-6th | — | — | — |
| 2020 | 2020 | Paul Petrino | Big Sky | 2 | 4 | | 2 | 4 | | T-5th | — | — | — |
| 2021 | 2021 | Paul Petrino | Big Sky | 4 | 7 | | 3 | 5 | | 9th | — | — | — |
| 2022 | 2022 | Jason Eck | Big Sky | 7 | 5 | | 6 | 2 | | T-3rd | NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs — First Round ^ | 18 | — |
| 2023 | 2023 | Jason Eck | Big Sky | 9 | 4 | | 6 | 2 | | T-2nd | NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs — Quarterfinals ^ | 8 | — |
| 2024 | 2024 | Jason Eck | Big Sky | 10 | 4 | | 6 | 2 | | T-3rd | NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs — Quarterfinals ^ | 7 | — |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | All-time: 499–648–26 (.436) | All-time: 499–648–26 (.436) | All-time: 499–648–26 (.436) | Conference: 221–323–8 (.408) | Conference: 221–323–8 (.408) | Conference: 221–323–8 (.408) | | Postseason: 11–14 (.440) | | |