A History of Western Carolina Catamounts Football
The Western Carolina Catamounts football program represents Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. As a member of the Southern Conference, the team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Catamounts play their home games at Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium, which has a seating capacity of 13,742.
Early Years and the "Father of Western Carolina Athletics"
The football program began in 1931. C.C. Poindexter, often called the "Father of Western Carolina Athletics", was instrumental in organizing the first football team in 1931. Then the Western Carolina Teacher's College, Poindexter was the first person hired by the college to work exclusively in athletics and became the first athletic director and football coach.
Conference Championship and Bowl Appearance
The Catamounts' first and currently only conference championship came in 1949. The 1949 Western Carolina Catamounts, coached by Tom Young, completed their regular season 8-2, winning the North State Conference championship. Western Carolina was then invited to play West Liberty State in the Smokey Mountain Bowl in Bristol, Tennessee.
NCAA Division II Playoff Berth
The 1974 Western Carolina Catamounts, coached by Bob Waters, completed their regular season 9-1, earning a berth to the 1974 NCAA Division II playoff. The Catamounts had wins over ranked opponents Indiana State and Western Kentucky during the season.
NCAA Division I-AA Playoff Run
The 1983 Western Carolina Catamounts, coached by Bob Waters, completed their regular season 8-2-1, earning a berth to the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. The Catamounts then hosted their first ever playoff game against Colgate, winning 24-23. Western Carolina then traveled to No.2 seed Holy Cross, where they upset the Crusaders 28-21. In the semifinals, they beat No.3 seed, and Southern Conference rival, Furman 14-7. The program made an appearance in the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA national championship game, winning three games before falling to Southern Illinois in the championship game.
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Rivalries
The main rivalry of the Catamounts was against their in-state rival Appalachian State. Western Carolina and Appalachian State played annually for the Old Mountain Jug. The two rivals first faced off in 1932, with Appalachian State winning 20-0. The Old Mountain Jug trophy was first introduced in 1976. After Appalachian State moved to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2014, the two have not met since. Appalachian State leads the series 58-19-1.
While Western Carolina and ETSU have played each other since 1932, the Blue Ridge Border Battle was started in 2018, which introduced a traveling trophy known as 'the Rock' which features a rock from the Appalachian Trail. The first Blue Ridge Border Battle game was in 2018, with ETSU winning in triple overtime 45-43. The two schools played annually from 1975-2003 as members of the Southern Conference until ETSU discontinued its football program after the 2003 season. The series resumed in 2016 when ETSU restarted its program and rejoined the Southern Conference with the game being played at Bristol Motor Speedway, which was won by ETSU 34-31. Western Carolina leads the series 26-25-1.
Coaching History
Western Carolina has had 14 head coaches since the first team was organized in 1931. Kerwin Bell, the current head coach, was hired on April 27, 2021. Bell is currently in his 4th season, with a record of 24-21 (.533).
Recent Seasons
The provided information includes details about the 2025 Western Carolina Catamounts football team.
Seasons List
This is a list of seasons completed by the Western Carolina Catamounts football team. Representing Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, the Catamounts compete in the Southern Conference in the NCAA Division I FCS.
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