# West Texas A&M Buffaloes football

The West Texas A&M Buffaloes football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the West Texas A&M University located in the U.S. state of Texas. The team competes in Division II and are members of the Lone Star Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1910. Since 2019, the Buffaloes have played their home games at the 8,500 seat on-campus Bain–Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium. The team formerly played at the 20,000 seat Kimbrough Memorial Stadium. They are coached by Josh Lynn.

## Notable former players

Notable alumni include:
* Ralph Anderson
* Anthony Armstrong
* John Ayres
* Grady Benton
* Carl Birdsong
* Tully Blanchard
* Cloyce Box
* Bryan Braman
* Stephen Burton
* Eric Collins
* Ted DiBiase
* Bobby Duncum Sr.
* Dory Funk Jr.
* Terry Funk
* Frank Goodish
* Stan Hansen
* Kareem Larrimore
* Jerry Logan
* Ron Mayo
* Reggie McElroy
* Mercury Morris
* Jesse Powell
* Bo Robinson
* Khiry Robinson
* Virgil Runnels
* Eugene Sims
* Merced Solis
* Duane Thomas
* Chaun Thompson
* Rocky Thompson
* J'Marcus Webb
* Ethan Westbrooks

## Conference championships

| Season | Coach | Conference | Record |
| 1939 | Alfred Baggett | Alamo Conference (co-champions) | 5–3–1 |
| 1940 | Jack Curtice | Alamo Conference | 7–3 |
| 1950 | Frank Kimbrough | Border Conference | 10–1 |
| 1977 | Bill Yung | Missouri Valley Conference | 6–4–1 |
| 1979 | Bill Yung | Missouri Valley Conference | 5–5–1 |
| 1986 | Bill Kelly | Lone Star Conference | 7–4 |
| 2005 | Don Carthel | Lone Star Conference | 10–2 |
| 2006 | Don Carthel | Lone Star Conference | 11–2 |
| 2007 | Don Carthel | Lone Star Conference | 12–1 |
| 2012 | Don Carthel | Lone Star Conference | 12–3 |

## Classification history

* 1910–1955 – NCAA
* 1956–1972 – NCAA University Division (Major College)
* 1973–1977 – NCAA Division I
* 1978–1981 – NCAA Division I-A
* 1982–1985 – NCAA Division I-AA
* 1986–1990 – NCAA Division II
* 1991 – No team
* 1992–present – NCAA Division II

## Conference history

* 1910–1924 – Independent
* 1925–1930 – Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association
* 1931–1938 – Independent
* 1939–1940 – Alamo Conference
* 1941–1961 – Border Conference
* 1962–1971 – Independent
* 1972–1985 – Missouri Valley Conference
* 1986–1990 – Lone Star Conference
* 1992–1994 – Division II Independent
* 1995–present – Lone Star Conference

## Postseason
### Bowl appearances

West Texas A&M participated in four bowl games, all while during known as West Texas State. They went 4–0.
| Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
| 1950 | Frank Kimbrough | Sun Bowl | Cincinnati | W 14–13 |
| 1956 | Frank Kimbrough | Tangerine Bowl | Mississippi Southern | W 20–13 |
| 1962 | Joe Kerbel | Sun Bowl | Ohio | W 15–14 |
| 1967 | Joe Kerbel | Pasadena Bowl | Valley State | W 35–13 |
They have also competed in the Kanza Bowl, a Division II bowl between the Lone Star Conference and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association from 2009–2012, going 2–0.
| Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
| 2009 | Don Carthel | Kanza Bowl | Omaha | W 31–25 |
| 2011 | Don Carthel | Kanza Bowl | Central Missouri | W 26–7 |

### NCAA Division II playoffs

* Semifinals
* 2012
* Quarterfinals
* 2012, 2013
* Second Round
* 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013
* First Round
* 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013

## Rivalries
### Eastern New Mexico: Wagon Wheel

The Wagon Wheel is a traveling trophy that is given to the winner of the Eastern New Mexico–West Texas A&M football game. The trophy was introduced in 1986 by Dallan Sanders, the Housing Director at ENMU. The wheel is placed on the stadium hill of the host team with the winning team running up the hill to take possession of the wheel. Following the 2023 meeting, ENMU leads the overall series 23–19 and the trophy series 18–17.

### Texas A&M–Commerce: East Texas vs. West Texas

East Texas vs. West Texas is the name given to the Texas A&M–Commerce–West Texas A&M football rivalry game. The intensity of the rivalry grew during 2013 through 2018 as the head coach for TAMUC at the time was Colby Carthel, who previously served as the defensive coordinator at WT under head coach Don Carthel, Colby's father. A&M–Commerce leads the all-time series 21–14. The rivalry has become largely defunct as A&M–Commerce moved to the Southland Conference, which competes at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level, beginning with the 2022 season.

## Head coaches

Don Carthel has the most all-time wins for the Buffaloes, who have gone 541–536–21 through the 2023 season.
| Coach | Record | Tenure |
| Josh Lynn | 8–13 | 2023–present |
| Hunter Hughes | 32–28 | 2017–2022 |
| Mike Nesbitt | 25–17 | 2013–2016 |
| Don Carthel | 79–22 | 2005–2012 |
| Ronnie Jones | 5–27 | 2002–2004 |
| Stan McGarvey | 25–30 | 1997–2001 |
| Morris Stone | 15–17 | 1994–1996 |
| Ron Steele | 4–15 | 1992–1993 |
| Football Not Fielded | N/A | 1991 |
| Steve Graf | 6–26 | 1988–1990 |
| Bill Kelly | 18–13–1 | 1985–1987 |
| Don Davis | 6–26–1 | 1982–1984 |
| Bill Yung | 26–27–2 | 1977–1981 |
| Gene Mayfield | 24–39–2 | 1971–1976 |
| Joe Kerbel | 68–42–1 | 1960–1970 |
| Clark Jarnagin | 2–18 | 1958–1959 |
| Frank Kimbrough | 54–52–2 | 1947–1957 |
| Windy Nicklaus | 2–1 | 1946 |
| Gus Miller | 9–13 | 1944–1946 |
| World War II | N/A | 1943 |
| Gus Miller | 7–2 | 1942 |
| Jack Curtice | 15–5 | 1940–1941 |
| Alfred Baggett | 36–28–4 | 1933–1939 |
| Samuel D. Burton | 10–5–2 | 1931–1932 |
| Claude Reeds | 12–6–1 | 1929–1930 |
| W. Mitchell Jones | 3–6 | 1928 |
| Ox Eckhardt | 12–13–1 | 1925–1927 |
| Samuel D. Burton | 13–21–2 | 1921–1924 |
| Wayne McCorkle | 1–5–1 | 1920 |
| Walter Willy | 4–2 | 1919 |
| Lt. Alonzo P. George | 3–0 | 1918 |
| Douglas A. Shirley | 14–16–1 | 1913–1917 |
| Jim G. Miller | 8–6 | 1910–1911 |