# Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football

The Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Texas A&M University–Kingsville located in the U.S. state of Texas. The team competes in the Division II and is a member of the Lone Star Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1929. The team plays its home games at the 15,000-seat Javelina Stadium.

## History

In 1929, the school joined the original Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association. By the time that TIAA folded, the "Fighting Javelinas" had won two football championships. Following this, the school competed independently for several years. They moved from competing with junior colleges and teachers colleges to competing against larger schools throughout the state. One highlight of this period included a football game that pitted the Javelinas against the Aggies of Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station. The Javelinas led the game until the Aggies tied the game at 14 with three minutes left to play. The game ended in a tie. However, the Javelinas demonstrated that they could hold their own with a large football powerhouse. This further substantiated the team's nickname as "the toughest little team in the nation."
In 1934, the school participated in the Lone Star Conference on a probationary period. In 1935, the school joined the Alamo Conference. By 1937, the Javelinas captured their first Alamo Conference co-championship (with St. Mary's). The next year, the Javelinas won their first outright Alamo Conference football championship. This led to a string of football championships and the school's recognition as a football powerhouse.
For the 1954 season, A&I was finally inducted into the Lone Star Conference (LSC). By 1959, the Javelinas won the first in a long string of LSC championships. Since then, the school has remained a perennial conference powerhouse, winning 27 championships. During the years that the Lone Star Conference was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the Javelinas also picked up seven national championships. During the decade of the 1970s, the Javelinas won five NAIA national championships and went undefeated from the last game of 1973 through third game of 1977.
After the Lone Star Conference joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division II in 1980, the Javelinas continued their conference, regional, and national success. The school changed its name from Texas A&I to Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1993. One year later, the Javelinas played in the 1994 NCAA Division II National Football Championship, only to lose to the University of North Alabama 16–10. The school has been in NCAA Division II since 1980, after being in the NAIA from 1955–1980.

### Conference history

* 1925–1929: Independent
* 1930-1930: Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association
* 1931–1938: Independent
* 1939–1940: Alamo Conference
* 1941–1948: Independent
* 1949–1953: Texas Collegiate Athletic Conference
* 1954–present: Lone Star Conference

### List of head coaches

From 1942 to 1945, the Javelina had no team due to World War II. Gil Steinke has the most victories coached as a Javelina. Steinke and Ron Harms are both in the College Football Hall of Fame.
* Lewis J. Smith (1925–1928): 16–10–1
* Bud McCallum (1929–1939, 1941): 65–31–9
* Dewey Mayhew (1940, 1946–1953): 46–38–1
* Gil Steinke (1954–1976): 182–61–4
* Fred Jonas (1977–1978): 14–6–1
* Ron Harms (1979–1999): 169–75
* Richard Cundiff (2000–2006): 52–28
* Bo Atterberry (2007–2012): 41–28
* David Calloway (2013–2014): 4–17
* Daren Wilkinson (2015–2019): 19–26
* Mike Salinas (2020–present): 0–0

## Championships
### National championships

While known as Texas A&I, the Javelinas won seven NAIA national championship titles.
| Year | Coach |
| 1959 | Gil Steinke |
| 1969 | Gil Steinke |
| 1970 | Gil Steinke |
| 1974 | Gil Steinke |
| 1975 | Gil Steinke |
| 1976 | Gil Steinke |
| 1979 | Ron Harms |

### Conference championships

The Javelinas have won 33 conference titles since 1936. They have also won seven Lone Star South Division titles (1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009).
* 1936: Alamo Conference Co-champions (1–1–0)
* 1937: Alamo Conference Co-champions (Unknown record)
* 1938: Alamo Conference Champions (2-0)
* 1939: Alamo Conference Co-champions (1–0–1)
* 1951: Texas Collegiate Athletic Conference Co-champions (3–0–1)
* 1953: Texas Collegiate Athletic Conference Co-champions (3–0–1)
* 1959: Lone Star Conference Co-champions (5–2–0)
* 1960: Lone Star Conference Champions (6–0–1)
* 1962: Lone Star Conference Champions (6–0–1)
* 1967: Lone Star Conference Champions (7–0–0)
* 1968: Lone Star Conference Champions (7–1–0)
* 1969: Lone Star Conference Co-champions (7–1–0)
* 1970: Lone Star Conference Champions (8–1–0)
* 1974: Lone Star Conference Champions (9–0–0)
* 1975: Lone Star Conference Champions (9–0–0)
* 1976: Lone Star Conference Champions (7–0–0)
* 1977: Lone Star Conference Co-champions (5–1–1)
* 1979: Lone Star Conference Champions (6–1–0)
* 1985: Lone Star Conference Champions (5–0–0)
* 1987: Lone Star Conference Co-champions (4–1–1)
* 1988: Lone Star Conference Champions (6–1–0)
* 1989: Lone Star Conference Champions (7–0–0)
* 1992: Lone Star Conference Champions (6–0–0)
* 1993: Lone Star Conference Champions (5–0–0)
* 1994: Lone Star Conference Champions (5–0–0)
* 1995: Lone Star Conference Champions (7–0–0)
* 1996: Lone Star Conference Champions (7–0)
* 1997: Lone Star Conference Champions (9–0)
* 2001: Lone Star Conference Co-champions (5–1)
* 2002: Lone Star Conference Champions (5–1)
* 2003: Lone Star Conference Champions (8–0)
* 2004: Lone Star Conference Champions (8–1)
* 2009: Lone Star Conference Co-champions (7–2)

## Postseason appearances
### Bowl games

| Year | Bowl Name | Coach | Record | Opponent | Result |
| November 28, 1952 | International Bowl | Dewey Mayhew | 3–8 | Herico Military Academy (Mexico) | W 49–0 |
| December 12, 1959 | NAIA Championship Game | Gil Steinke | 12–1 | Lenoir-Rhyne Bears | W 20–7 |
| December 31, 1960 | Great Southwest Bowl | Gil Steinke | 8–1–1 | Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys | W 45–14 |
| December 14, 1968 | NAIA Championship Game | Gil Steinke | 10–2 | Troy Trojans | L 35–43 |
| December 13, 1969 | NAIA Championship Game | Gil Steinke | 11–1 | Concordia-Moorhead Golden Bears | W 32–7 |
| December 12, 1970 | NAIA Championship Game | Gil Steinke | 11–1 | Wofford Terriers | W 38–7 |
| December 14, 1974 | NAIA Championship Game | Gil Steinke | 13–3 | Henderson State Reddies | W 34–23 |
| December 13, 1975 | NAIA Championship Game | Gil Steinke | 12–3 | Salem Spirits | W 37–0 |
| December 11, 1976 | NAIA Championship Game | Gil Steinke | 13–3 | Central Arkansas Bears | W 26–0 |
| December 15, 1979 | NAIA Championship Game | Ron Harms | 12–1 | Central Oklahoma Bronchos | W 20–14 |
| November 25, 2012 | Kanza Bowl | Bo Atterberry | 6–5 | Emporia State Hornets | L 38–45 |
| December 3, 2016 | Live United Texarkana Bowl | Daren Wilkinson | 9–3 | Southern Arkansas Muleriders | W 24–17 |
| December 3, 2022 | Heritage Bowl | Mike Salinas | 7–5 | East Central Tigers | L 21–38 |

## Notable former players

Notable alumni include: