Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Lenoir–Rhyne Bears football

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Seating capacity
  
8,500

NCAA division
  
Division II

Mascot
  
Joe and Josie Bear

Ground
  
Moretz Stadium

Conference titles
  
20

Location
  
Hickory, NC

Claimed nat'l titles
  
1 (NAIA, 1960)

Conference
  
South Atlantic Conference

First season
  
1907

Colors
  
Red, Black

Lenoir–Rhyne Bears football httpsyt3ggphtcomz5ZtK4rhxEAAAAAAAAAAIAAA

Head coach
  
Mike Kellar 1st year, 3–8 (.273)

The Lenoir–Rhyne Bears football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Lenoir–Rhyne University located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The team competes in the NCAA Division II and are members of the South Atlantic Conference. Lenoir–Rhyne's first football team was fielded in 1907. The team plays its home games at the 8,500 seat Moretz Stadium in Hickory, North Carolina. The Bears are coached by Mike Kellar.

Contents

Conference history

  • 1954–1969: NAIA
  • 1970–1992: NAIA Division I
  • 1989–present: NCAA Division II

    • Conference Affiliations

  • 1907–1930: Independent
  • 1931–1960: North State Conference
  • 1961–1974: Carolinas Conference
  • 1975–present: South Atlantic Conference

    • The Bears had no team from 1912–1920 and 1942–1945.

    Bowl games

    The Bears have participated in one notable bowl game, the Cigar Bowl.

    Coaches

    Clarence Stasavich has the most victories as coach of the Bears.

  • T. M. Warlick (1907–1908)
  • B. H. Shoaf (1909)
  • D. M. Williams (1910–1911)
  • Phil Utley (1921)
  • Norman Lamotte (1922–1923)
  • Dick Gurley (1924–1931)
  • Robert M. Shores (1932–1936)
  • Albert Spurlock (1937)
  • Robert M. Shores (1938–1941)
  • D. M. Williams (1942–1945)
  • Clarence Stasavich (1946–1961)
  • Hanley Painter (1962–1972)
  • Danny Williams (1973)
  • Jack Huss (1974–1979)
  • Henry Vansant (1980–1983)
  • John Perry (1984–1990)
  • Charles Forbes (1991–1996)
  • Bill Hart (1997–2001)
  • Wayne Hicks (2002–2006)
  • Fred Goldsmith (2007–2010)
  • Mike Houston (2011–2013)
  • Ian Shields (2014–2015)
  • Mike Kellar (2015-Present)

    • Notable former players

    Notable alumni include:

  • Perry Fewell, current Defensive Back coach of the Washington Redskins.
  • Craig Keith, NFL player (1993–1995)

    • Year-by-year results

    1939* (6–1–3), 1951 (10–1), 1952 (8–1), 1955 (9–0–1), 1956 (10–0), 1958 (9–1), 1959 (10–1), 1960 (12–0), 1961 (8–1–1), 1962 (11–1), 1965 (7–3), 1966* (6–3), 1967 (8–1), 1975 (7–3–1), 1988* (7–4), 1994* (8–2), 2009 (5–6), 2011* (7–3), 2012 (9–3), 2013 (13–2), 2014 (11–1), 2015 (5–5).

    Championship appearances

    The Bears made three NAIA championship appearances in their tenure.

    Conference championships

    1939* (6–1–3), 1951 (10–1), 1952 (8–1), 1955 (9–0–1), 1956 (10–0), 1958 (9–1), 1959 (10–1), 1960 (12–0), 1961 (8–1–1), 1962 (11–1), 1965 (7–3), 1966* (6–3), 1967 (8–1), 1975 (7–3–1), 1988* (7–4), 1994* (8–2), 2011* (7–3), 2012 (9–3), 2013 (13–2), 2014 (11–1).

  • denotes co-championship. The Bears won 8 titles in the North State Conference, 5 in the Carolinas Conference, and 7 in the South Atlantic Conference.

    • References

    Lenoir–Rhyne Bears football Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA