# Memphis Tigers football

The Memphis Tigers football team represents the University of Memphis in college football in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The Tigers play in the American Athletic Conference as an all-sports member. They play home games at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. The team's head coach is Ryan Silverfield. Since their inaugural season in 1912, the Memphis Tigers have won over 500 games and have appeared in 17 bowl games.
For much of its history, the Memphis Tigers football program was subpar with occasional flashes of moderate success while being overshadowed by the university's more successful men's basketball program. However, since the tenure of former head coach Justin Fuente, the Tigers football program has been more successful. As of the end of the 2024 season, Memphis has earned bowl eligibility by winning at least six of 12 regular season games every year since 2014. This is the seventh-longest active streak in the FBS. The program has also claimed eight conference championships, most recently in 2019.

## Conference affiliations

* Independent (1912–1927, 1947–1967, 1973–1995)
* Mississippi Valley Conference (1928–1934)
* SIAA (1935–1942)
* Missouri Valley (1968–1972)
* Conference USA (1996–2012)
* American Athletic Conference (2013–present)

## Championships
### Conference championships

| Year | Conference | Coach | Record | Conference Record |
| 1929 | Mississippi Valley Conference | Zach Curlin | 8–0–2 | 5–0–1 |
| 1930 | Mississippi Valley Conference | Zach Curlin | 6–3–1 | 6–1 |
| 1938 | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Allyn McKeen | 10–0 | 7–0 |
| 1968 | Missouri Valley Conference | Billy J. Murphy | 6–4 | 4–0 |
| 1969 | Missouri Valley Conference | Billy J. Murphy | 8–2 | 4–0 |
| 1971 | Missouri Valley Conference | Billy J. Murphy | 5–6 | 2–1 |
| 2014$^†$ | American Athletic Conference | Justin Fuente | 10–3 | 7–1 |
| 2019 | American Athletic Conference | Mike Norvell | 12–1 | 7–1 |
† Co-champions

### Division championships

| Season | Division | Coach | Opponent | CG result |
| 2017 | AAC West | Mike Norvell | UCF | L 55–62$^{2OT}$ |
| 2018$^†$ | AAC West | Mike Norvell | UCF | L 41–56 |
| 2019$^†$ | AAC West | Mike Norvell | Cincinnati | W 29–24 |
† Co-champions

## Bowl games

The Memphis Tigers have received eighteen bowl invitations in their history and hold a record of 9–8 in bowl games with one cancellation. This includes the 1956 Burley Bowl, which was not an NCAA sanctioned bowl. Memphis went through a 32-year bowl game drought from 1971 to 2003, but has since had a five-year bowl streak (2003–2008) and the current eleven-year streak (since 2014). The team made its first appearance in a New Years Six bowl when they were selected to play in the 2019 Cotton Bowl Classic as the highest ranked (AP #15) Group of Five conference champion. The Tigers’ 2023 Liberty Bowl victory was the school's first over a Power 5 opponent.
| Season | Head Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
| 1956 | Ralph Hatley | Burley Bowl | East Tennessee State | W 32–12 |
| 1971 | Billy J. Murphy | Pasadena Bowl | San Jose State | W 28–9 |
| 2003 | Tommy West | New Orleans Bowl | North Texas | W 27–17 |
| 2004 | Tommy West | GMAC Bowl | Bowling Green | L 35–52 |
| 2005 | Tommy West | Motor City Bowl | Akron | W 38–31 |
| 2007 | Tommy West | New Orleans Bowl | Florida Atlantic | L 27–44 |
| 2008 | Tommy West | St. Petersburg Bowl | South Florida | L 14–41 |
| 2014 | Justin Fuente | Miami Beach Bowl | BYU | W 55–48 |
| 2015 | Darrell Dickey (interim) | Birmingham Bowl | Auburn | L 10–31 |
| 2016 | Mike Norvell | Boca Raton Bowl | Western Kentucky | L 31–51 |
| 2017 | Mike Norvell | Liberty Bowl | Iowa State | L 20–21 |
| 2018 | Mike Norvell | Birmingham Bowl | Wake Forest | L 34–37 |
| 2019 | Ryan Silverfield | Cotton Bowl Classic | Penn State | L 39–53 |
| 2020 | Ryan Silverfield | Montgomery Bowl | Florida Atlantic | W 25–10 |
| 2021 | Ryan Silverfield | Hawaii Bowl | Hawaii | Canceled |
| 2022 | Ryan Silverfield | First Responder Bowl | Utah State | W 38–10 |
| 2023 | Ryan Silverfield | Liberty Bowl | Iowa State | W 36–26 |
| 2024 | Ryan Silverfield | Frisco Bowl | West Virginia | W 42–37 |

## Head coaches

| Coach | Tenure | Seasons | Record | Pct. |
| Clyde H. Wilson | 1912–1915 | 4 | 9–12–1 | .432 |
| Tom Shea | 1916 | 1 | 2–3–1 | .417 |
| V. M. Campbell | 1917, 1919 | 2 | 6–6 | .500 |
| John Childerson | 1918 | 1 | 2–4 | .333 |
| Elmore George | 1920 | 1 | 0–5 | .000 |
| Rollin Wilson | 1921 | 1 | 4–5–1 | .450 |
| Lester Barnard | 1922–1923 | 2 | 11–5–3 | .658 |
| Zach Curlin | 1924–1936 | 13 | 43–60–14 | .427 |
| Allyn McKeen | 1937–1938 | 2 | 13–6 | .684 |
| Cecil C. Humphreys | 1939–1941 | 3 | 14–15 | .483 |
| Charlie Jamerson | 1942 | 1 | 2–7 | .222 |
| Ralph Hatley | 1947–1957 | 11 | 59–43–5 | .575 |
| Billy J. Murphy | 1958–1971 | 14 | 91–44–1 | .673 |
| Fred Pancoast | 1972–1974 | 3 | 20–12–1 | .621 |
| Richard Williamson | 1975–1980 | 6 | 31–35 | .470 |
| Rex Dockery | 1981–1983 | 3 | 8–24–1 | .258 |
| Rey Dempsey | 1984–1985 | 2 | 7–12–3 | .386 |
| Charlie Bailey | 1986–1988 | 3 | 12–20–1 | .379 |
| Chuck Stobart | 1989–1994 | 6 | 29–36–1 | .447 |
| Rip Scherer | 1995–2000 | 6 | 22–44 | .333 |
| Tommy West | 2001–2009 | 9 | 49–61 | .445 |
| Larry Porter | 2010–2011 | 2 | 3–21 | .125 |
| Justin Fuente | 2012–2015 | 4 | 26–24 | .520 |
| Mike Norvell | 2016–2019 | 4 | 38–15 | .717 |
| Ryan Silverfield | 2019–present | 4 | 32-19 | .6275 |

## Rivalries
### Arkansas State

The series with bordering-state rival Arkansas State dates to 1914. Memphis leads 31–24–5 with the last game played on September 17, 2022.

### Cincinnati

The series with Cincinnati dates to 1966. Memphis leads 23–14 with the last game played in 2020.

### Louisville

The hatred between the Louisville Cardinals and the Memphis Tigers runs strong. The Tigers' rivalry with bordering-state opponent Louisville dates back to 1948. Louisville leads 24–19 with the last game played in 2013. Both teams were at once in the American Athletic Conference Football for 1 year until Louisville joined the Atlantic Coastal Conference in 2014. Both teams are better known for their rivalry on the basketball court then on the football field, but both schools share the same hatred between each other in any sport including football.

### Ole Miss

The Tigers' football rivalry with regional and bordering-state opponent Ole Miss dates to 1921. Ole Miss leads 47–12–2 through the 2019 season. Ole Miss is Memphis' oldest football rivalry and is tied with Southern Miss as Memphis' most-played football opponent all-time while Memphis is Ole Miss' most-played football opponent who has never been a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

### Southern Miss

The Memphis Tigers' football rivalry with bordering-state opponent Southern Miss is officially named the Black and Blue Bowl and dates back to 1935. Southern Miss is tied with Ole Miss as Memphis' most-played football opponent all-time. Southern Miss leads the all-time series 40–22–1 with the last game played in 2012. The annual series between the Tigers and Golden Eagles ended after Memphis joined the American Athletic Conference in 2013. The rivalry will be renewed in 2027 and 2030 as a nonconference game after more than a decade of dormancy.

### UAB

Memphis and bordering-state opponent UAB annually play a football rivalry game called “The Battle of the Bones” where the winning team receives a 100 lb bronze statue of a rack of ribs. This pays homage to both school's cities prominence in BBQ. The rivalry temporarily ended when Memphis moved to the American Athletic Conference after the 2012 season. UAB leads the all-time series 10–5, but Memphis won the last matchup which allowed the Tigers to keep the Bones Trophy. The rivalry was rekindled in 2023 when UAB joined Memphis in the American Athletic Conference.

## Facilities
### Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, originally Memphis Memorial Stadium, is the site of the annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and is the home of the Memphis Tigers football team. It has also been the host of several attempts at professional sports in the city, as well as other local football games and other gatherings. The stadium was originally built as Memphis Memorial Stadium in 1965 for $3 million, as a part of the Mid-South Fairgrounds, then home to one of the South's most popular fairs, but now conducted in neighboring Desoto County, Mississippi. The fairgrounds also included the now-defunct Mid-South Coliseum (formerly the city's major indoor venue) as well as the now-closed Libertyland amusement park, which has been demolished and replaced with a disc golf course. It was dedicated as a memorial to the citizens of Memphis who had served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. The facility was built partially as a way to bring the Liberty Bowl to a permanent home in Memphis (the game had started in Philadelphia, but because of poor attendance as a northern bowl, it left the city, playing one year in Atlantic City before settling in Memphis). The game was such a success for Memphis that the stadium was renamed Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in 1976. As originally built, the stadium was lopsided, with the southwest side being taller than the northeast side. A 1987 expansion brought it to its current, balanced configuration, although with a much greater hospitality building topping the northeast section. Its design is similar to that of old Tampa Stadium ("The Big Sombrero"), with the endzone grandstands being much shorter than the sidelines. The field, which had been natural grass since its inception, was replaced with a FieldTurf surface before the 2005 season; this was subsequently replaced with the modern version of AstroTurf. The stadium is designed in such a way that all of its seats have a relatively good view of most of the playing surface. This is due primarily to two design factors. The stands are relatively steep for a one-tier, true bowl stadium. Also, there is little space between the side and end lines of the playing surface and the stands. In December 1983, the playing field was renamed Rex Dockery Field in honor of Rex Dockery, a former Memphis Tigers football coach who died in a plane crash.

## Traditions
### The Tiger Walk

About two and a half hours prior to kickoff at home games, Tiger fans line up outside Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium for the "Tiger Walk". The tradition involves the Mighty Sound of the South marching band, thousands of fans and the University of Memphis cheer and pom-pom squads. The coaching staff and team arrive at the stadium and walk into the stadium tunnel with the fans and cheerleaders cheering them on to victory. After the team has passed by, the Tiger cheerleaders lead the fans in the "Tiger Spellout", "T-I-G-E-R-S."

### Tiger Lane

"Tiger Lane" refers to the pre-game tailgating spots for Memphis Tigers football fans. It is equipped with electrical hookups at each spot, trees, grassy areas and all pre-game tailgating activities. Tiger Lane stretches all the way from the parking lot of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium to East Parkway in mid-town Memphis.

### School colors

The University of Memphis' official school colors of Blue and Gray were selected in the early 1900s. The colors were chosen in an effort to show unity in a nation that was still recovering from the effects of the Civil War. The student body thought that by picking the colors of the North and the South, the school would show a togetherness among all students.

## Retired numbers

Memphis has retired numbers for seven players in their history. Charles Greenhill only played one season at Memphis, but his number was retired after he died in a plane crash that also took the life of head coach Rex Dockery.
Memphis Tigers retired numbers :
| No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure |
| 8 | Charles Greenhill | DB | 1983 |
| 20 | DeAngelo Williams | RB | 2002–2005 |
| 30 | Dave Casinelli | FB | 1960–1963 |
| 59 | Danton Barto | LB | 1990–1993 |
| 64 | John Bramlett | LB | 1959–1962 |
| 79 | Harry Schuh | OT | 1962–1964 |
| 83 | Isaac Bruce | WR | 1992–1993 |

## Memphis Tigers awards and honors

Pro Football Hall of Fame
* Isaac Bruce – WR (1992–1993); HoF Class of 2020
College Football Hall of Fame
* Allyn McKeen – Head Coach (1937–1938); HoF Class of 1991
* Billy Jack "Spook" Murphy – Head Coach (1958–1971); HoF Class of 2022
* DeAngelo Williams – RB (2002–2005); HoF Class of 2023
National Coach of the Year
* 1963 – Billy Jack "Spook" Murphy (Detroit News)
Lou Groza Award
* 1992 – Joe Allison
Ray Guy Award
* 2013 – Tom Hornsey
Paul Warfield Trophy
* 2017 – Anthony Miller
Jim Brown Award
* 2018 – Darrell Henderson
William V. Campbell Trophy
* 2020 – Brady White
College Football All-America Team selections
Consensus All-Americans listed in bold
* 1963 – Charles Brooks, E (FN)
* 1963 – Harry Schuh, T (NEA-1)
* 1964 – Harry Schuh, T (AFCA-2, Time)
* 1969 – David Berrong, DB (AP-3, CP-3)
* 1971 – Mike Stark, T (AP-3)
* 1976 – Eric Harris, DB (CFN)
* 1976 – Bob Rush, C (NEA-2, TSN)
* 1977 – Keith Simpson, DB (EA-1, TSN)
* 1992 – Joe Allison, K (Consensus)
* 2004 – DeAngelo Williams, RB (PFW)
* 2005 – DeAngelo Williams, RB (AFCA, WCFF)
* 2013 – Tom Hornsey, P (Consensus)
* 2015 – Jake Elliott, K (AP-2, USAT, WCFF-2, ESPN)
* 2017 – Anthony Miller, WR (Consensus)
* 2017 – Tony Pollard, KR (FWAA, WCFF, CFN, Athlon)
* 2018 – Darrell Henderson RB (Consensus), KR (TSN)
American Athletic Conference Awards
* 2013 – Tom Hornsey, P – Special Teams Player of the Year
* 2014 – Tank Jakes, LB – Defensive Player of the Year
* 2014 – Jake Elliott, K – Special Teams Player of the Year
* 2014 – Justin Fuente – Coach of the Year
* 2015 – Jake Elliott, K – Special Teams Player of the Year
* 2016 – Tony Pollard, KR – Special Teams Player of the Year
* 2017 – Tony Pollard, KR – Special Teams Player of the Year
* 2017 – T. J. Carter, CB – Rookie of the Year
* 2019 – Antonio Gibson, KR – Special Teams Player of the Year
* 2019 – Kenneth Gainwell, RB – Rookie of the Year

## Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of February 1, 2025.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 |
| Chattanooga | Arkansas State | at Arkansas State | at Arkansas | at Arkansas State | Boise State | at Boise State |
| at Georgia State | at Boise State | Southern Miss | Mississippi State | at Mississippi State | at Southern Miss | |
| at Troy | at Arkansas | at Middle Tennessee | Arkansas State | | | |
| Arkansas | UT Martin | | | | | |