Air Force Falcons:
Established in 1955 as a JV team after the establishment of the Air
Force Academy, the Falcons have played 57 years as a varsity football program.
The Falcons have been selected for bowl games in 22 of the 57 years and
finished ranked in the top 25 nationally seven times in school history with a
high of #5 in the coaches poll at the end of the 1985 season.
First Season: 1955 (JV),
1956 Varsity
Head Coach: Troy Calhoun
(47-31)
All-Time Record: 337-278-13
Bowl Record: 10-11-1
(Cotton, Gator, Sugar, Hall of Fame, Independence 3X, Liberty 4X, Freedom,
Bluebonnet, Copper, Las Vegas, Oahu, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Armed
Forces 4X, Military)
Conference Affiliations:
Independent (1956-1979) 116-141-10 Record
Western Athletic Conference (1980-1998) 86-57 Record
Mountain West Conference (1999-Current) 55-50 Record
Attendance: 36,240 (5-year
average)
National Titles: None
Conference Titles:
- 1985 WAC Co-Champions
- 1995 WAC Co-Champions
- 1998 WAC Champions
Commander in Chief Trophies: (17)
1982, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999,
2000, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2011.
Ram-Falcon Trophy Winner (Started
in 1980): 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998,
2000, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.
Record Versus Rivals (20+
meetings):
- Army: 32-14-1 (47 meetings)
- Navy: 27-18 (35 meetings)
- Colorado State: 31-19-1 (51 meetings)
- New Mexico: 20-10 (30 meetings)
- Notre Dame: 6-23 (29 meetings)
- San Diego State: 19-12 (31 meetings)
- Utah: 14-13 (27 meetings)
- Wyoming: 27-21-3 (51 meetings)
- BYU: 7-24 (31 meetings)
Year-By-Year Record:
- 1955* 4–4 JV only
- 1956 6–2–1
- 1957 3–6–1
- 1958 9–0–2 Cotton Bowl Classic vs. TCU, T, 0–0
- 1959 5–4–1
- 1960 4–6
- 1961 3–7
- 1962 5–5
- 1963 7–4 Gator Bowl vs. North Carolina, L, 0–35
- 1964 4–5–1
- 1965 3–6–1
- 1966 4–6
- 1967 2–6–2
- 1968 7–3
- 1969 6–4
- 1970 9–3 Sugar Bowl vs. Tennessee, L, 13–34
- 1971 6–4
- 1972 6–4
- 1973 6–4
- 1974 2–9
- 1975 2–8–1
- 1976 4–7–1
- 1977 2–8–1
- 1978 3–8
- 1979 2–9
- 1980 2–9–1 1–3 (WAC)
- 1981 4–7 2–3 (WAC)
- 1982 8–5 4–3 (WAC) Hall of Fame vs. Vanderbilt, W, 36–28
- 1983 10–2 5–2 (WAC) Independence vs. Mississippi, W, 9–3
- 1984 8–4 4–3 (WAC) Independence vs. Virginia Tech, W, 23–7
- 1985 12–1 7–1 (WAC) Bluebonnet vs. Texas, W. 24–16
- 1986 6–5 5–2 (WAC)
- 1987 9–4 6–2 (WAC) Freedom vs. Arizona State, L, 28–33
- 1988 5–7 3–5 (WAC)
- 1989 8–4–1 5–1–1 (WAC) Liberty vs. Mississippi, L, 29–42
- 1990 7–5 3–4 (WAC) Liberty vs. Ohio State, W, 23–11
- 1991 10–3 6–2 (WAC) Liberty vs. Mississippi State, W, 38–15
- 1992 7–5 4–4 (WAC) Liberty vs. Mississippi, L, 0–13
- 1993 4–8 1–7 (WAC)
- 1994 8–4 6–2 (WAC)
- 1995 8–5 6–2 (WAC) Copper vs. Texas Tech, L, 41–55
- 1996 6–5 5–3 (WAC)
- 1997 10–3 6–2 (WAC) Las Vegas vs. Oregon, L, 13–41
- 1998 12–1 7–1 (WAC) O’ahu vs. Washington, W, 45–25
- 1999 6–5 2–5 (MWC)
- 2000 9–3 5–2 (MWC) Silicon Valley vs. Fresno State, W, 37–34
- 2001 6–6 3–4 (MWC)
- 2002 8–5 4–3 (MWC) San Francisco vs. Virginia Tech, L, 13–20
- 2003 7–5 3–4 (MWC)
- 2004 5–6 3–4 (MWC)
- 2005 4–7 3–5 (MWC)
- 2006 4–8 3–4 (MWC)
- 2007 9–4 6–2 (MWC) Armed Forces vs. California, L, 36–42
- 2008 8–5 5–3 (MWC) Armed Forces vs. Houston, L, 28–34
- 2009 8–5 5–3 (MWC) Armed Forces vs. Houston, W, 47–20
- 2010 9–4 5–3 (MWC) Independence Bowl vs. Georgia Tech, W, 14–7
- 2011 7–6 3–4 (MWC) Military Bowl vs. Toledo, L, 41-42
- 2012 6-7 5-3 (MWC) Armed Forces Bowl vs. Rice, L, 33-14
Coaching History
The Air Force Falcons football program was founded in 1955 in Colorado Springs, Colorado
immediately after the actual formation of the Air Force Academy. Colonel Robert
V. Whitlow started Air Force football with a junior varsity program that went
4-4 during his only year as the head coach of the Falcons. Whitlow then moved
to the athletic director position for the program and appointed L.T.
"Buck" Shaw as the first Air Force varsity coach in school history.
Starting with the 1956 season, the Falcons were an independent football team
having no conference affiliation.
During Shaw's two years on the job (1956-1957), Shaw led the program to
a 9-8-2 season including a 6-win season during the first official season of Air
Force varsity football. His second year with the program was much tougher as
the Falcons limped to 3-6-1 record with wins over New Mexico, Occidental, and
Detroit University.
After the 1957 disaster of a season, Shaw was replaced by new head
coach Ben Martin hired away from the University of Virginia of the Athletic
Coast conference where he went 6-13-1 in two seasons with the Cavaliers. Martin
immediately showed major dividends leading the Falcons to a 9-0-1 record capped
by a 0-0 tie with #10 TCU in the Cotton Bowl. The Falcons ended the season #8
nationally in the coaches poll and #6 nationally in the AP poll. With the goals
raised significantly after such a strong showing in his first year as head
coach, Martin was never able to duplicate the magical 1958 season. Martin did
lead the Falcons to the Gator Bowl in the 1963 season and the Sugar Bowl in
1970 that resulted in the Falcons finishing the 1970 season ranked #11 in the
coaches poll and #16 in the AP poll. After 7 more seasons in which the Falcons
failed to win more than 6 games again, Martin retired with a 102-116-10 overall
record with a 0-2-1 bowl record and two team finish in the top 25 nationally.
After the retirement of Martin, a young coach by the name of Bill
Parcells took over the program with the Falcons on a major downward trend,
winning only 2 games per season in three of the four years leading up to Parcells
appointment. During his one and only year as the head coach of Air Force, Parcells struggled to a 3-8
record. The young coach took off after that season for a lucrative career in
the NFL.
With Parcells only lasting a single year with the program, the Air
Force wanted more stability and gave another inexperienced head coach a chance
with the program. Coach Ken Hatfield took over the program in 1979 and lead the
Falcons to a 2-9 season during his first year with the program. After his first
season with Air Force, Hatfield led the Falcons into new territory as Air Force
joined a conference for the first time in football joining the Western Athletic
Conference (BYU, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado State, UTEP, San Diego
State, and Hawaii). The Falcons continued to struggle in the 1980 and 1981
seasons with a combined 6-16-1 record. Hatfield was finally able to get the Air
Force on track in his final two years with the program going 8-5 in 1982
including a win over Vanderbilt in the Hall of Fame Bowl and a very impressive
10-2 record in 1983 capped by a 9-3 win over Mississippi in the Independence
Bowl and a #15 ranking in the coaches poll and #13 AP poll ranking. After those
seasons, Hatfield left the Falcons for a lucrative job coaching Arkansas.
Finally back on the winning track, Air Force hired coach Fisher DeBerry
from assisting at Appalachian State to take over the Falcon program. In his
first year with the program, DeBerry took the Falcons back to the Independence
Bowl dominating Virginia Tech 23-7. DeBerry followed up a strong opening season
with what could be considered his best year coaching the Falcons. DeBerry led
the Falcons to a 12-1 record during the 1985 season with only a loss to
defending national champions BYU. Air Force capped the season with a win over
Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl ending the season
ranked #5 in the coaches poll and #8 in the AP poll. DeBerry missed out
on a bowl game the following year but led the Falcons to bowl berths in 7 of
his first 9 years on the job including 4 consecutive trips to the Liberty Bowl
(1989-1992). In 1995, DeBerry led the Falcons to their second shared WAC title
and a berth in the Copper Bowl where they lost to Texas Tech in a high-scoring
affair. Deberry then had his strongest two consecutive years with the program
going 10-3 with a Las Vegas Bowl loss to Oregon but a #25 national ranking
followed by a 12-1 1998 season including the Falcons first non-shared WAC title
as well as a dominant win over Washington in the Oahu Bowl and a #10 coaches
poll ranking and #13 AP poll ranking. After the 1998 season, the Falcons joined
the newly formed Mountain West Conference allying with BYU, Utah, Colorado
State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV and Wyoming in this newly minted
conference. DeBerry continued to coach 8 more seasons but never could regain
the magic of his earlier coaching career. DeBerry officially retired after the
2006 season with a 169-109-1 overall record as well as a 6-6 bowl record and 4
teams finishing in the top 25 nationally. DeBerry was the first Air Force coach
to leave the program with an overall winning record. DeBerry was inducted into
the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
After DeBerry's retirement, the Falcons handed the key to former Air
Force assistant (1989-1994) Troy Calhoun stealing him from the Houston Texans
of the NFL. Calhoun has been with the school for 6 seasons with bowl berths in
all 6 seasons and a 47-31 overall record (2-4 bowl record).
Team Records:
All-American Players:
- 1956 Larry Thomson FB Little America (3rd)
- 1958 Brock Strom OL Consensus
- 1958 Robert Brickey HB Helms
- 1963 Terry Isaacson QB Helms
- 1963 Joe Rodwell C Helms
- 1966 Neal Starkey DB Playboy Magazine All-American
- 1967 Neal Starkey DB Associated Press (3rd)
- 1969 Ernie Jennings WR Central Press (2nd)
- 1970 Ernie Jennings WR Consensus
- 1971 Orderia Mitchell C Black Sports
- 1971 Gene Ogilvie DE UPI (3rd)
- 1972 Orderia Mitchell C Associated Press (2nd), Gridiron (2nd)
- 1972 Gene Ogilvie DE UPI (2nd)
- 1973 Steve Heil ROV Associated Press (3rd)
- 1974 Dave Lawson LB/K Football Writers
- 1975 Dave Lawson LB/K UPI (2nd), Football News (2nd)
- 1981 Johnny Jackson DB Associated Press (2nd)
- 1982 Dave Schreck OG Associated Press (2nd)
- 1983 John Kershner FB Football News (2nd)
- 1983 Mike Kirby WR Sporting News (2nd)
- 1985 Mark Simon P Scripps Howard, Associated Press (2nd)
- 1985 Scott Thomas DB Walter Camp, Kodak, Football Writes, Associated Press (2nd)
- 1986 Terry Maki LB Kodak, Football News (2nd), Associated Press (3rd)
- 1986 Tom Rotello DB Football News (2nd)
- 1987 Chad Hennings DT Consensus, Walter Camp, Kodak, Football Writers, Associated Press, UPI, Scripps Howard, Sporting News, Football News, Outland Trophy winner
- 1989 Dee Dowis QB Heisman Trophy finalist
- 1989 Ron Gray KR Associated Press (3rd)
- 1991 Jason Christ P Associated Press (2nd), Football News (3rd)
- 1992 Carlton McDonald DB Consensus, Walter Camp, Kodak, Football Writers, Associated Press, UPI, Scripps Howard, Sporting News
- 1993 Chris MacInnis P/K UPI, Associated Press (2nd)
- 1996 Beau Morgan QB Associated Press (3rd)
- 1997 Chris Gizzi LB Associated Press (3rd), Football Writers (2nd)
- 1998 Tim Curry DB Sporting News (3rd)
- 1998 Frank Mindrup OL American Football Foundation (3rd)
- 2001 Anthony Schlegel ILB Sporting News (Freshmen 3rd team)
- 2002 Brett Huyser OL Sporting News (4th)
- 2007 Chad Hall WR Rivals (3rd), Sports Illustrated
- 2007 Carson Bird CB Sports Illustrated
- 2008 Ryan Harrison K College Football News
- 2010 Reggie Rembert DB AFCA (1st), Associated Press (3rd)
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