# Luther Norse football

The Luther Norse football team represents Luther College in college football at the NCAA Division III level. The Norse are members of the American Rivers Conference (ARC), fielding its team in the ARC since 1922 when it was the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC). The Norse play their home games at Carlson Stadium in Decorah, Iowa.
The team's head coach is Joe Troche, who took over the position for the 2022 season.

## Conference affiliations

* Club team (1892–1894, 1896)
* Army training corps (1918)
* Independent (1919–1921)
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1922–2017; rebranded)
* American Rivers Conference (2018–present)

## Championships
### Conference championships

Luther claims 11 conference titles, the most recent of which came in 1978.
| Year | Conference | Overall Record | Conference Record | Coach |
| 1932 | Iowa Conference | 6–2 | 4–1 | Hamlet Peterson |
| 1935 | Iowa Conference | 7–1 | 4–0 | Hamlet Peterson |
| 1938 | Iowa Conference | 5–2–1 | 4–0–1 | Hamlet Peterson |
| 1941 | Iowa Conference | 6–1–1 | 4–0–1 | Hamlet Peterson |
| 1954 | Iowa Conference | 9–0 | 6–0 | Edsel Schweizer |
| 1957 | Iowa Conference | 8–1 | 7–1 | Edsel Schweizer |
| 1960† | Iowa Conference | 8–1 | 7–1 | Edsel Schweizer |
| 1963 | Iowa Conference | 9–0 | 8–0 | Edsel Schweizer |
| 1970 | Iowa Conference | 8–2 | 6–1 | Edsel Schweizer |
| 1971 | Iowa Conference | 8–1 | 6–1 | Edsel Schweizer |
| 1978† | Iowa Conference | 6–3 | 5–2 | Bob Naslund |
† Co-champions

## Bowl games

Luther has participated in two bowl games, and has a record of 1–1.
| Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
| 1955 | Edsel Schweizer | Corn Bowl | Western Illinois | W 24–21 |
| 1970 | Edsel Schweizer | Stagg Bowl | Capital | L 21–34 |

## List of head coaches
### Key

Key to symbols in coaches list :
| General | General | Overall | Overall | Conference | Conference | Postseason | Postseason |
| No. | Order of coaches | GC | Games coached | CW | Conference wins | PW | Postseason wins |
| DC | Division championships | OW | Overall wins | CL | Conference losses | PL | Postseason losses |
| CC | Conference championships | OL | Overall losses | CT | Conference ties | PT | Postseason ties |
| NC | National championships | OT | Overall ties | C% | Conference winning percentage | | |
| † | Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame | O% | Overall winning percentage | | | | |

### Coaches

List of head football coaches showing season(s) coached, overall records, conference records, postseason records, championships and selected awards :
| No. | Name | Season(s) | GC | OW | OL | OT | O% | CW | CL | CT | C% | PW | PL | PT | DC | CC | NC | Awards |
| 1 | Walter Jewell | 1919 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0.333 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2 | Oscar Solem | 1920 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0.786 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 3 | Ivan Doseff | 1921 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0.333 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | Franklin Cappon | 1922–1924 | 22 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0.568 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 5 | Hamlet Peterson | 1925–1945 | 156 | 80 | 67 | 9 | 0.542 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 6 | Robert Bungum | 1946–1949 | 34 | 9 | 23 | 2 | 0.294 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 7 | Wally Johnson | 1950–1951 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0.412 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 8 | Edsel Schweizer | 1952–1977 | 234 | 150 | 78 | 6 | 0.654 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 9 | Bob Nashlund | 1978–1995 | 169 | 90 | 79 | 0 | 0.533 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 10 | Brad Pole | 1996–2001 | 60 | 20 | 40 | 0 | 0.333 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 11 | Paul Hefty | 2002–2007 | 60 | 29 | 31 | 0 | 0.483 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 12 | Mike Durnin | 2008–2012 | 50 | 18 | 32 | 0 | 0.360 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 13 | Aaron Hafber | 2013–2017 | 50 | 20 | 30 | 0 | 0.400 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 14 | Caleb Padilla | 2018–2021 | 31 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 0.065 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 15 | Joe Troche | 2022–present | 20 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 0.100 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0.125 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |

## Year-by-year results

| National Champions | Conference Champions | Bowl game berth | Playoff berth |
| Season | Year | Head Coach | Association | Division | Conference | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Postseason | Final ranking |
| Season | Year | Head Coach | Association | Division | Conference | Overall | Overall | Overall | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | | | Postseason | Final ranking |
| Season | Year | Head Coach | Association | Division | Conference | Win | Loss | Tie | Finish | Win | Loss | Tie | Postseason | Final ranking |
| Luther Norse |||||||||||||||
| 1892 | 1892 | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team |
| 1893 | 1893 | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team |
| 1894 | 1894 | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team |
| No team in 1895 |||||||||||||||
| 1896 | 1896 | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team | Club team |
| No team from 1897 to 1917 |||||||||||||||
| Army training corps 1918 |||||||||||||||
| 1919 | 1919 | Walter Jewell | NCAA | | Independent | 2 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1920 | 1920 | Oscar Solem | NCAA | | Independent | 5 | 1 | 1 | | | | | — | — |
| 1921 | 1921 | Ivan Doseff | NCAA | | Independent | 2 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1922 | 1922 | Franklin Cappon | NCAA | | IIAC | 3 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1923 | 1923 | Franklin Cappon | NCAA | | IIAC | 4 | 1 | 2 | | | | | — | — |
| 1924 | 1924 | Franklin Cappon | NCAA | | IIAC | 4 | 3 | 1 | | | | | — | — |
| 1925 | 1925 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 3 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1926 | 1926 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 4 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1927 | 1927 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 0 | 8 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1928 | 1928 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 6 | 2 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1929 | 1929 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1930 | 1930 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 5 | 3 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1931 | 1931 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 5 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1932 | 1932 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 6 | 2 | 0 | | | | | Conference Champions | — |
| 1933 | 1933 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 4 | 3 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1934 | 1934 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 3 | 3 | 2 | | | | | — | — |
| 1935 | 1935 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 7 | 1 | 0 | | | | | Conference Champions | — |
| 1936 | 1936 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 5 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1937 | 1937 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 4 | 1 | 3 | | | | | — | — |
| 1938 | 1938 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 5 | 2 | 1 | | | | | Conference Champions | — |
| 1939 | 1939 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 3 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1940 | 1940 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 3 | 4 | 1 | | | | | — | — |
| 1941 | 1941 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 6 | 1 | 1 | | | | | Conference Champions | — |
| 1942 | 1942 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 3 | 3 | 1 | | | | | — | — |
| 1943 | 1943 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 0 | 2 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1944 | 1944 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 0 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1945 | 1945 | Hamlet Peterson | NCAA | | IIAC | 2 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1946 | 1946 | Robert Bungum | NCAA | | IIAC | 3 | 6 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1947 | 1947 | Robert Bungum | NCAA | | IIAC | 1 | 7 | 1 | | | | | — | — |
| 1948 | 1948 | Robert Bungum | NCAA | | IIAC | 3 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1949 | 1949 | Robert Bungum | NCAA | | IIAC | 2 | 5 | 1 | | | | | — | — |
| 1950 | 1950 | Wally Johnson | NCAA | | IIAC | 1 | 7 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1951 | 1951 | Wally Johnson | NCAA | | IIAC | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1952 | 1952 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | | IIAC | 3 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1953 | 1953 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | | IIAC | 5 | 3 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1954 | 1954 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | | IIAC | 9 | 0 | 0 | | | | | Conference Champions | — |
| 1955 | 1955 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | | IIAC | 9 | 0 | 1 | | | | | — | — |
| 1956 | 1956 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 5 | 3 | 1 | | | | | — | — |
| 1957 | 1957 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 8 | 1 | 0 | | | | | Conference Champions | — |
| 1958 | 1958 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 7 | 1 | 1 | | | | | — | — |
| 1959 | 1959 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1960 | 1960 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 8 | 1 | 0 | | | | | Conference Champions | — |
| 1961 | 1961 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1962 | 1962 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 6 | 2 | 1 | | | | | — | — |
| 1963 | 1963 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 9 | 0 | 0 | | | | | Conference Champions | — |
| 1964 | 1964 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1965 | 1965 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1966 | 1966 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 7 | 2 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1967 | 1967 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 4 | 4 | 1 | | | | | — | — |
| 1968 | 1968 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 2 | 7 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1969 | 1969 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 7 | 2 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1970 | 1970 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 8 | 2 | 0 | | | | | Conference Champions | — |
| 1971 | 1971 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 8 | 1 | 0 | | | | | Conference Champions | — |
| 1972 | 1972 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | College Division | IIAC | 3 | 6 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1973 | 1973 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 2 | 5 | 1 | | | | | — | — |
| 1974 | 1974 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 3 | 6 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1975 | 1975 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 4 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1976 | 1976 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 4 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1977 | 1977 | Edsel Schweizer | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 5 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1978 | 1978 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | Conference Champions | — |
| 1979 | 1979 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 3 | 6 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1980 | 1980 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1981 | 1981 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 4 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1982 | 1982 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1983 | 1983 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 5 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1984 | 1984 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 5 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1985 | 1985 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 5 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1986 | 1986 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 7 | 3 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1987 | 1987 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 8 | 2 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1988 | 1988 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 4 | 6 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1989 | 1989 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 4 | 6 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1990 | 1990 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 4 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1991 | 1991 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1992 | 1992 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 6 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1993 | 1993 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 5 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1994 | 1994 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 4 | 6 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1995 | 1995 | Bob Naslund | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 2 | 6 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1996 | 1996 | Brad Pole | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 3 | 7 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1997 | 1997 | Brad Pole | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 4 | 6 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1998 | 1998 | Brad Pole | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 3 | 7 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 1999 | 1999 | Brad Pole | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 2 | 8 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2000 | 2000 | Brad Pole | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 5 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2001 | 2001 | Brad Pole | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 3 | 7 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2002 | 2002 | Paul Hefty | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 4 | 6 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2003 | 2003 | Paul Hefty | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 6 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2004 | 2004 | Paul Hefty | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 6 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2005 | 2005 | Paul Hefty | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 6 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2006 | 2006 | Paul Hefty | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 2 | 8 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2007 | 2007 | Paul Hefty | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 5 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2008 | 2008 | Mike Durnin | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 5 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2009 | 2009 | Mike Durnin | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 5 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2010 | 2010 | Mike Durnin | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 5 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2011 | 2011 | Mike Durnin | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 3 | 7 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2012 | 2012 | Mike Durnin | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 0 | 10 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2013 | 2013 | Aaron Hafner | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 2 | 8 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2014 | 2014 | Aaron Hafner | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 5 | 5 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2015 | 2015 | Aaron Hafner | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 4 | 6 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2016 | 2016 | Aaron Hafner | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 3 | 7 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2017 | 2017 | Aaron Hafner | NCAA | Division III | IIAC | 6 | 4 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2018 | 2018 | Caleb Padilla | NCAA | Division III | A-R-C | 1 | 9 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2019 | 2019 | Caleb Padilla | NCAA | Division III | A-R-C | 1 | 9 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2020–21 | 2020–21 | Caleb Padilla | NCAA | Division III | A-R-C | 0 | 1 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2021 | 2021 | Caleb Padilla | NCAA | Division III | A-R-C | 0 | 10 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2022 | 2022 | Joe Troche | NCAA | Division III | A-R-C | 2 | 8 | 0 | | | | | — | — |
| 2023 | 2023 | Joe Troche | NCAA | Division III | A-R-C | 0 | 10 | 0 | | | | | — | — |