# Wartburg Knights football

The Wartburg Knights football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Wartburg College located in Waverly, Iowa. The team competes in the NCAA Division III and a member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC). Wartburg's first football team was fielded in 1929 with varsity play starting in 1935. The team plays its home games at Walston-Hoover stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

## Conference affiliations

* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1936–2018)
* American Rivers Conference (2018–present)

## Playoffs

The Knights have appeared in the NCAA Division III playoffs 17 times, most recently in 2024. They have not had a losing season since 1988. Their combined playoff record is 18–17.

### NCAA Division III playoffs

| Season | Coach | Playoff | Opponent | Result |
| 1982 | Don Canfield | First round | Bishop | L 7–32 |
| 1993 | Bob Nielson | Regionals | Wisconsin–La Crosse | L 26–55 |
| 1994 | Bob Nielson | Regionals | Central (IA) | W 22–21 |
| 1994 | Bob Nielson | Quarterfinals | Saint John's (MN) | L 14–42 |
| 1999 | Rick Willis | Regionals | Pacific Lutheran | L 14–49 |
| 2002 | Rick Willis | First Round | Lake Forest | W 45–0 |
| 2002 | Rick Willis | Second Round | Linfield | L 15–52 |
| 2003 | Rick Willis | First Round | Bethel | W 21–7 |
| 2003 | Rick Willis | Second Round | Linfield | L 20–23 |
| 2004 | Rick Willis | First Round | Concordia–Moorhead | L 14–28 |
| 2008 | Rick Willis | First Round | Wisconsin–Stevens Point | W 26–21 |
| 2008 | Rick Willis | Second Round | Monmouth | W 30–28 |
| 2008 | Rick Willis | Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Whitewater | L 17–34 |
| 2010 | Rick Willis | First Round | Bethel | L 20–28 |
| 2013 | Rick Willis | First Round | Illinois Wesleyan | W 41–7 |
| 2013 | Rick Willis | Second Round | Bethel | L 27–34 |
| 2014 | Rick Willis | First Round | St. Thomas | W 37–31 |
| 2014 | Rick Willis | Second Round | Saint John's (MN) | W 21–10 |
| 2014 | Rick Willis | Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Whitewater | L 33–37 |
| 2017 | Rick Willis | First Round | Franklin | W 35–34 $^{OT}$ |
| 2017 | Rick Willis | Second Round | Trine | W 49–7 |
| 2017 | Rick Willis | Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Oshkosh | L 27–41 |
| 2018 | Rick Willis | First Round | Bethel | L 14–41 |
| 2019 | Rick Willis | First Round | Hope | W 41–3 |
| 2019 | Rick Willis | Second Round | Wisconsin–Whitewater | L 28–41 |
| 2022 | Chris Winter | First Round | Wisconsin–LaCrosse | W 14–6 |
| 2022 | Chris Winter | Second Round | Saint John's (MN) | W 23–20 |
| 2022 | Chris Winter | Quarterfinals | Aurora | W 45–17 |
| 2022 | Chris Winter | Semifinals | Mount Union | L 31–34 |
| 2023 | Chris Winter | First Round | Illinois College | W 49–14 |
| 2023 | Chris Winter | Second Round | Whitworth | W 42–20 |
| 2023 | Chris Winter | Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Whitewater | W 31–28 |
| 2023 | Chris Winter | Semifinals | North Central (IL) | L 27–34 |
| 2024 | Chris Winter | Second Round | Wisconsin–Platteville | W 19–14 |
| 2024 | Chris Winter | Third Round | Bethel (MN) | L 14–24 |

## Championships
### Conference championships

The Knights have won 20 conference championships
| Year | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
| 1958 | Norman Johansen | 8–0–1 | 7–0–1 |
| 1959 | Norman Johansen | 8–1 | 8–0 |
| 1968 | Lee Bondhus | 7–1–1 | 6–0–1 |
| 1982 | Don Canfield | 8–2 | 7–0 |
| 1983† | Don Canfield | 8–1 | 6–1 |
| 1993 | Bob Nielson | 9–2 | 8–1 |
| 1999 | Rick Willis | 10–1 | 10–0 |
| 2002† | Rick Willis | 10–2 | 8–1 |
| 2003 | Rick Willis | 11–1 | 8–0 |
| 2004† | Rick Willis | 8–3 | 6–2 |
| 2008 | Rick Willis | 10–3 | 7–1 |
| 2010 | Rick Willis | 10–1 | 8–0 |
| 2013 | Rick Willis | 9–3 | 6–1 |
| 2014 | Rick Willis | 12–1 | 7–0 |
| 2017 | Rick Willis | 12–1 | 8–0 |
| 2018 | Rick Willis | 8–3 | 7–1 |
| 2019† | Rick Willis | 10–2 | 7–1 |
| 2022 | Chris Winter | 13–1 | 8–0 |
| 2023 | Chris Winter | 13–1 | 8–0 |
| 2024 | Chris Winter | 10–2 | 8–0 |
† Co-champions

## Individual awards
### IIAC/ARC Conference awards

Conference awards :
| Year | Player | Type |
| 1968 | Murray McMurray | Most Valuable Player |
| 1969 | Connie Hellerich | Most Valuable Player |
| 1982 | Mike Ward | Most Valuable Player |
| 1983 | Scott Fritz | Most Valuable Player |
| 1984 | Gary Walljasper | Most Valuable Player |
| 1995 | Vince Penningroth | Most Valuable Player |
| 1999 | Matt Wheeler | Most Valuable Player |
| 2014 | Logan Schrader Spencer Capitani | Offensive Most Valuable Player Defensive Most Valuable Player |
| 2015 | Logan Schrader | Offensive Most Valuable Player |
| 2017 | Matt Sacia | Offensive Most Valuable Player |
| 2018 | Matt Sacia | Offensive Most Valuable Player |
| 2022 | Hunter Clasen Owen Grover | Offensive Most Valuable Player Defensive Most Valuable Player |
| 2023 | Hunter Clasen Owen Grover | Offensive Most Valuable Player Defensive Most Valuable Player |
| 2024 | Parker Rochford | Defensive Most Valuable Player |

### Cliff Harris Award

Best Defensive Player in Division III
Cliff Harris Award :
| Year | Player |
| 2023 | Owen Grover |

## Current coaching staff

* Head coach: Chris Winter
* Assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks: Matt Wheeler
* Defensive coordinator, linebackers, recruiting coordinator: Matt Tschetter
* Offensive line: Luke Summers
* Defensive line: Ethan Lape
* Wide receivers: Matt Buckner
* Running backs: Jawanza Holmes
* Assistant wide receivers: Jeff Beck
* Tight ends: Paul Mugan
* Specialists: Steve Kingery
* Student coach: Jason Splitt
* Athletic Trainer: Danny Drees
* Athletic Trainer: Jess Albright

## Head coaches

As of the completion of 2024
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. | Con. Titles |
| 1935–1937, 1944–1945 | Elmer Hertel | 5 | 9–18–0 | .333 | 0 |
| 1938–1939 | Ralph McKinzie | 2 | 0–12–0 | .000 | 0 |
| 1940–1942 | CC Van Dyke | 3 | 6–13–0 | .316 | 0 |
| 1946 | Stanley Hall | 1 | 2–5–0 | .286 | 0 |
| 1947–1950 | Melvin Nelson | 4 | 15–18–1 | .456 | 0 |
| 1951 | Earnest Oppermann | 1 | 2–5–0 | .286 | 0 |
| 1952–1964 | Norm Johansen | 13 | 53–54–4 | .495 | 2 |
| 1965–1972 | Lee Bondhus | 8 | 24–47–1 | .340 | 1 |
| 1973–1990 | Don Canfield | 18 | 97–71–1 | .577 | 2 |
| 1991–1995 | Bob Nielson | 5 | 39–14–0 | .736 | 1 |
| 1996 | Steve Hagen | 1 | 7–3–0 | .700 | 0 |
| 2006–2007 | Eric Koehler | 2 | 16–4–0 | .800 | 0 |
| 1997–2005, 2008–2020 | Rick Willis | 21 | 185–46–0 | .801 | 11 |
| 2021–present | Chris Winter | 4 | 43–7–0 | .860 | 3 |
| Totals | 14 coaches | 88 seasons | 498–317–7 | .610 | 20 titles |

## Final rankings

Following the 2024 season, Wartburg has been ranked in the final D3football.com Poll 13 times and the AFCA Coaches Poll 4 times.
| Year | D3 ranking | AFCA ranking | Record |
| 1999 | NR | No. 12 | 10–1 |
| 2000 | NR | No. 18 | 9–1 |
| 2002 | NR | No. 15 | 10–2 |
| 2003 | No. 4 | No. 6 | 11–1 |
| 2004 | No. 24 | NR | 8–3 |
| 2007 | No. 20 | No. 25 | 8–2 |
| 2008 | No. 10 | No. 11 | 10–3 |
| 2010 | No. 12 | No. 11 | 10–1 |
| 2013 | No. 14 | No. 15 | 9–3 |
| 2014 | No. 4 | No. 4 | 12–1 |
| 2015 | No. 24 | NR | 9–1 |
| 2017 | No. 10 | No. 8 | 12–1 |
| 2019 | No. 14 | No. 13 | 10–2 |
| 2022 | No. 3 | No. 4 | 13–1 |
| 2023 | No. 3 | No. 3 | 13–1 |
| 2024 | No. 13 | No. 12 | 10–2 |

## Notable former players

* Bob Nielson
* Matt Entz
* Chris Winter