The University of Wisconsin-River Falls is a liberal arts undergraduate and graduate university located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The "Falcons" are a member of the NCAA Division III athletics and most notably, its football program has been around since the very early 1900s. The Falcons wear red, white, and black. The Falcons compete in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), where they have 18 conference championships. Ramer Field, where the Falcon's play their home games, was formerly the host of the Kansas City Chiefs' training camp from 1992-2008.
Contents
Wisconsin Intercollegate Athletic Conference
The WIAC is widely known for its Division III national dominance in all sports. In football, three of four national champions in football from 2008-2012 have come out of the conference. The WIAC is home to the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds, UW-LaCrosse Eagles, UW-Oshkosh Titans, UW-Platteville Pioneers, UW-River Falls Falcons, UW-Stevens Point Pointers, UW-Stout Blue Devils, UW-Superior Yellowjackets (non-football), and UW-Whitewater Warhawks. The Falcons have won 18 WIAC championships in football, predominately in the 1980s under former head coach Mike Farley and later in the 1990s under head coach John O'Grady (104-109-3).
History of Falcon Football
Falcon football began in 1899 with coach Warren P. Knowles.
Mike Farley from 1970 to 1988
The Falcons were most successful under coach Mike Farley (1970-1988), as he led the Falcons to 117-71-3 record (which is the fifth best in WIAC history) with 8 conference championships. In 1979 Farley coached the falcons to the NAIA National playoffs, the first time a Falcon football team had ever competed at the national level. Farley was named the WIAC Coach of the Year after the 1986 season. In 1979 and 1986 he was named the American Football Coaches Association Region 6 Coach of the Year, and the NAIA District 14 Coach of the Year in 1975, 1979 and 1985. He coached 91 players to All-WIAC honors, with three Falcons earning WIAC Player of the Year. Farley was inducted into the UWRF Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989, the Wisconsin Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1994, and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Hall of Fame on Aug. 4, 2012.
John O'Grady from 1989 to 2010
John O'Grady is the longest tenured UWRF coach with 22 seasons. He was a linebacker for the falcons from 1972-75. He brought with him coaching experience from Kent State University (OH), UW-Madison, and Miami (OH). O'Grady won one conference championship in 1998 and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs twice (1996 and 1998). O'Grady posted a career record of 105-112-3. O'Grady was named the 1995 WIAC Coach of the Year and was inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) Hall of Fame on April 5, 2008.
In 2009 the falcons finished the season at 3-7 (1-6 in WIAC). In 2010 the falcons finished the season at 1-9 (1-6 in WIAC).
Matt Walker from 2011 to present
The current Falcons head coach is Matt Walker. Walker was previously the head football coach at DePauw University (2006–09) where he compiled a 22-8 overall record. His teams finished 13-7 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and placed second in the final conference standings in 2007 and 2008. From 2000-05 Walker was an assistant coach with the DePauw Tigers and coached running backs and wide receivers. In 2010 he was an assistant coach at Butler University. Walker was a two sport athlete (baseball and football) at DePauw (1999).
In 2011 the falcons finished the season at 1-9 (1-6 in WIAC). In 2012 the Falcons finished the season 2-8 (2-4 in WIAC) and finished in 6th place. Ryan Kusilek set school records in passing attempts and completions in a single season. Kusilek also broke the school's record for passing as a freshman. Senior Nate Smitts was named a Division III All American leading the Falcon defense. Robbie Flom and Nate Smits were both named to the first team All-WIAC . Nate Brandt was named to the second team. Lincoln Bjorklund, Jake Mandoza and Alex Adams all earned honorable mention. Tony Golden was named to the All-Sportsmanship team.
Coaching history
Updated on: December 24, 2012
Facilities
From 1991-2007 UWRF was host to the Kansas City Chiefs organization. This is great for the university football team because the Chiefs help to bring in amazing equipment to install in the university facilities. The locker rooms that the student athletes now use are beautiful, each player has a "pro style" locker, the locker rooms have surround sound, and the training facilities are top notch. In 2006 the Chiefs won the UWRF outstanding service award for their ties to the community and dedication and respect to the University of River Falls.