# Saint John's Johnnies football

The Saint John's Johnnies football program represents Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. They compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). From 1953 through November 19, 2012, collegiate hall-of-fame coach John Gagliardi coached the Johnnies, posting a 489–138–11 (.775) record over 59 years. Gagliardi's 489 wins are the most all-time for any football coach across all divisions. Before John Gagliardi, Johnny "Blood" McNally coached for Saint John's. McNally stated while leaving the head coaching job that, "nobody can win at Saint John's." Gagliardi and the Johnnies went 6-2 the following season in 1953. The current coach is Gary Fasching, who was named to the position on December 28, 2012.
The Johnnies have the second highest win percentage football program in Division III history, boasting a 692–257–24 (.724) record during 2024 season.

## Championships
### National championships

| Year | Association | Division | Head coach | Record | Opponent | Result |
| 1963 | NAIA (2) | Single (2) | John Gagliardi | 10–0 (7–0 MIAC) | Prairie View A&M | W, 33–27 |
| 1965 | NAIA (2) | Single (2) | John Gagliardi | 11–0 (7–0 MIAC) | Linfield | W, 33–0 |
| 1976 | NCAA (2) | Division III (2) | John Gagliardi | 10–0–1 (7–0 MIAC) | Towson State | W, 31–28 |
| 2003 | NCAA (2) | Division III (2) | John Gagliardi | 14–0 (8–0 MIAC) | Mount Union | W, 24–6 |

## Postseason appearances
### NCAA Division III playoffs

The Johnnies have made twenty-nine appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs, with a combined record of 44–27. They finished as national champions in the NCAA Division III Championship Game (Stagg Bowl) in 1976 and 2003, and as national runner-ups in 2000.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1976 | First Round Semifinals Stagg Bowl | Augustana (IL) Buena Vista Towson State | W, 46–7 W, 61–0 W, 31–28 |
| 1977 | First Round | Wabash | L, 9–20 |
| 1985 | First Round | Occidental | L, 10–28 |
| 1987 | First Round Quarterfinals | Gustavus Adolphus Central (IA) | W, 7–3 L, 3–13 |
| 1989 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Simpson (IA) Central (IA) Dayton | W, 42–35 W, 27–24 L, 0–28 |
| 1991 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Coe Wisconsin–La Crosse Dayton | W, 75–2 W, 29–10 L, 7–19 |
| 1993 | First Round Quarterfinals | Coe Wisconsin–La Crosse | W, 32–14 L, 25–47 |
| 1994 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | La Verne Wartburg Albion | W, 51–12 W, 24–14 L, 16–19 |
| 1996 | First Round Quarterfinals | Simpson (IA) Wisconsin–La Crosse | W, 21–18 L, 30–37 |
| 1998 | First Round Quarterfinals | Pacific Lutheran Wisconsin–Eau Claire | W, 33–20 L, 3–10 |
| 1999 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Stevens Point Central (IA) Pacific Lutheran | W, 23–10 W, 10–9 L, 9–19 |
| 2000 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Stagg Bowl | Wisconsin–Stout Pacific Lutheran Central (IA) Hardin–Simmons Mount Union | W, 26–19 W, 28–21 $^{OT}$ W, 21–18 W, 38–14 L, 7–10 |
| 2001 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | St. Norbert Wisconsin–Stevens Point Pacific Lutheran Mount Union | W, 27–20 W, 9–7 W, 31–6 L, 14–35 |
| 2002 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Redlands Coe Linfield Trinity (TX) | W, 31–24 W, 45–14 W, 21–14 L, 34–41 |
| 2003 | Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Stagg Bowl | St. Norbert Linfield RPI Mount Union | W, 38–13 W, 31–25 W, 38–10 W, 24–6 |
| 2005 | First Round Second Round | Monmouth (IL) Wisconsin–Whitewater | W, 62–3 L, 7–34 |
| 2006 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Central (IA) Whitworth Wisconsin–Whitewater | W, 21–13 W, 21–3 L, 14–17 |
| 2007 | First Round Second Round | Redlands Central (IA) | W, 41–13 L, 7–37 |
| 2008 | First Round | Wisconsin–Whitewater | L, 7–37 |
| 2009 | First Round | Coe | L, 27–34 |
| 2014 | First Round Second Round | St. Scholastica Wartburg | W, 35–7 L, 10–21 |
| 2015 | First Round Second Round | Dubuque St. Thomas (MN) | W, 51–7 L, 19–38 |
| 2016 | First Round Second Round | Wisconsin–Platteville Wisconsin–Oshkosh | W, 32–31 L, 14–31 |
| 2017 | First Round | North Central (IL) | L, 7–17 |
| 2018 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Martin Luther Whitworth Mary Hardin-Baylor | W, 84–6 W, 45–24 L, 18–21 |
| 2019 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Aurora Chapman Wheaton (IL) Wisconsin–Whitewater | W, 51–47 W, 55–26 W, 34–33 L, 32–35 |
| 2021 | First Round Second Round | Lake Forest Linfield | W, 41–14 L, 28–31 |
| 2022 | First Round Second Round | Northwestern (MN) Wartburg | W, 49–0 L, 20–23 |
| 2024 | Second Round Third Round | Wisconsin–La Crosse Susquehanna | W, 24–13 L, 38–41 |

### NAIA playoffs

The Johnnies made three appearances in the NAIA playoffs and won the NAIA national championship twice, with a combined record of 4–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1963 | Semifinals Camellia Bowl | College of Emporia Prairie View A&M | W, 24–13 W, 33–27 |
| 1965 | Semifinals Championship | Fairmont State Linfield | W, 28–7 W, 33–0 |
| 1982 | Quarterfinals | Northwestern (IA) | L, 28–33 |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Year | Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
| 1949 | 12 | 113 | Red Maenhout | End | New York Bulldogs |
| 1955 | 19 | 218 | Dick Coy | T | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1957 | 19 | 222 | Chuck Froehle | G | Baltimore Colts |
| 1963 | 18 | 240 | Tom McIntyre | OT | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1964 | 9 | 125 | John McDowell | OT | Green Bay Packers |
| 1965 | 16 | 219 | Paul Labinski | DT | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1967 | 12 | 296 | Fred Cremer | G | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1972 | 12 | 304 | Steve Setzler | DE | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1974 | 15 | 389 | Kurt Wachtler | DT | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2020 | 4 | 116 | Ben Bartch | OT | Jacksonville Jaguars |