Pittsburg State Gorillas The Pittsburg State Gorillas football team represents Pittsburg State University in collegiate level football . The Pittsburg State football team was formed in 1908 , competes in NCAA Division II and is affiliated with the Mid - America Intercollegiate Athletics Association ( MIAA ) . The Gorillas play their home games at Carnie Smith Stadium , more commonly referred to as " The Pitt " , in Pittsburg , Kansas . Pittsburg State has won more games than any other program in NCAA Division II history . It has won four national championships ( 1957 , 1961 , 1991 and 2011 ) and 27 conference championships , including 13 conference titles in 20 seasons under former head coach Chuck Broyles . History . Early years . The Pittsburg State football program began in 1908 under head coach Albert McLeland . McLeland compiled a record of 2 - 2 - 2 in his only season as head coach . John W . Fuhrer succeeded McLeland and served as Pitt State ' s football coach from 1909 to 1914 and 1918 , compiling a record of 26 - 22 - 2 . The program enjoyed several years of success in the 1920s under head coach Garfield Weede . Weede coached the team to a 50 - 31 - 6 record from 1919 to 1928 including the school ' s first undefeated season in 1924 . That year , his team was declared Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference champions . Weede ended his tenure at Pittsburg on a downturn , losing every game of his final season of 1928 . His squad only scored in two of seven games and allowed a total of 113 points . During the 1930s and 1940s , Pittsburg State compiled mediocre records under head coaches Blue Howell ( 35 - 30 - 6 ) and Charles Morgan ( 44 - 43 - 15 ) . Carnie Smith era . Pittsburg State experienced a turn - around from 1949 to 1966 under head coach Carnie Smith . During Smith ' s 18 - year tenure as head coach , the team compiled a record of 116 - 52 - 6 and won two NAIA national championships in 1957 and 1961 . The team completed perfect season s at 11 - 0 in 1957 and 1961 with victories over Hillsdale College in the Holiday Bowl and Linfield College in the Camellia Bowl . The football stadium was later named after Smith . Lester and Randleman eras . Tom Lester took over as the Gorillas ' head coach in 1967 . In nine years ( 1967 - 1975 ) , Lester ' s teams compiled a record of 48 - 38 - 5 and won only one conference championship , the 1970 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship . From 1976 to 1981 , Ron Randleman was Pittsburg State ' s head football coach . Randelman was credited with turning the football program around , compiling a 36 – 25 – 2 record in six seasons . He directed the Gorillas to three Central States Conference championships and a trip to the NAIA national finals in 1981 . He received coach of the year honors from his conference and his NAIA district three times . In 1981 , he was named NAIA National Coach of the Year and NAIA District Six Coach of the Year . On February 5 , 1982 , Randleman left Pittsburg State to take over at Sam Houston State . Franchione era . Dennis Franchione , a Pittsburg State alumnus , served as head football coach for five years from 1985 to 1989 . During his five seasons with the Gorillas , he led the team to a 53 - 6 - 0 record , 37 - 1 - 0 in conference , won five conference titles , and was named NAIA National Coach of the Year twice . He tied the school record for victories in a single season three times before breaking it with the 12 victories of his 1989 team . During the 1989 season , the Gorillas moved from the NAIA to the NCAA ' s Division II . Broyles era . In 1990 , Chuck Broyles became the head football coach at Pittsburg State . In his first season , the Gorillas went 10 - 0 in the regular season and won two games in the Division playoffs . In 1991 , the team finished 13 - 1 - 1 and won the NCAA Division II Football Championship . His teams also played in the Division II championship games in 1992 , 1995 and 2004 . In 2004 , the Gorillas finished 14 - 1 , losing 36 - 31 to Valdosta State University in the Division II championship game . During his 20 years as Pittsburg State ' s head coach , Broyles compiled a record of 194 - 45 - 2 . He retired at the end of the 2009 season . Carnie Smith Stadium . With the success of the football program in the 1990s , Pittsburg State undertook a $ 5 . 8 million renovation of Carnie Smith Stadium in 2000 , a further $ 2 . 5 million renovation to the west end in 2006 ( including the addition of eight luxury box es ) , and the addition of a $ 1 . 7 million Video Board in 2008 ( the biggest in Division II at the time ) . Fall Classic at Arrowhead . Pittsburg State ' s chief rivalry game is with MIAA rival Northwest Missouri State University . The games between the two schools , known as the Fall Classic at Arrowhead , are played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City , Missouri . The 2002 game had an attendance of 26 , 695 — - the most of any Division II game . Current program . Tim Beck took over as Pittsburg State ' s head football coach in 2010 . In his second year as head coach , the Gorillas compiled a record of 13 - 1 and returned to the NCAA Division II Championship game for the first time since 2004 . The Gorillas defeated Wayne State 35 - 21 to win the title .