First Season: 2002
Head Coach: Ron Turner (1st season)
All-Time Record: 39-79
Bowl Record: 1-1 (Little Caesars Pizza, Beef O‘ Brady’s)
Playing Field: Florida International Stadium (Capacity of 20,000)
Conference Affiliations:
- Independent: 2002-2004
- Sun Belt: 2005-2012
- Conference USA: 2013-Current
Claimed National Titles: None
Conference Titles: 1
- 2010 Sun Belt Conference Co-Champions
- Florida Atlantic: 3-8
- Louisiana: 2-8
- MTSU: 3-5
- Louisiana-Monroe: 3-6
- North Texas: 5-2
- Troy: 2-7
- Western Kentucky: 4-2
2002: 5-6
2003: 2-10
2004: 3-7
2005: 5-6
2006: 0-12
2007: 1-11
2008: 5-7
2009: 3-9
2010: 7-6
2011: 8-5
2012: 3-9
Coaching/Team History:
The Florida International Golden Panthers have a very short football history beginning in the 2002 season. FIU started a football program for the 2002 season with former Virginia Tech quarterback Don Strock being named head coach. Strock led the Golden Panthers for 5 seasons helping the school start up the program and make the transition to the FBS level.
Don Strock had an overall record of 15-41 during his 5 seasons as head coach and came within one win of .500 football on two occasions (2002 and 2005). The Golden Panthers struggled to an 0-12 season in 2006 including an 0-7 record in the Sun Belt Conference. After the poor 2006 season, Florida International parted ways with Strock paving the way for a young assistant to take over.
In 2007, the Golden Panthers introduced Miami (FL) assistant Mario Cristobal as the successor to Strock and the second coach in school history. Cristobal struggled in season one going 1-11 on the season but improving by one game from the horrible 2006 season. Cristobal slowly brought the Golden Panthers to respectability with 5-7 and 3-9 seasons before breaking through with a 7-6 season in 2010 capped by a win over Toledo in the Little Caesars Bowl as well as a share of the Sun Belt Conference title. Cristobal did not win the Sun Belt in 2011 but led the program to an even better record at 8-5 but a disappointing loss in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl. The 2012 season saw the form of the Golden Panthers drop with the program falling to 3-9 and an 8th place finish in the Sun Belt.
In a stunning move, Florida International fired Cristobal (6 seasons, 27-47) and brought in new coach Ron Turner who hasn’t been a head coach at any level since 2004. Turner will lead the Golden Panthers into the 2013 season in a new conference (Conference USA) for his first season with the program.
NFL/CFL Players:
- Antwan Barnes LB Baltimore Ravens NFL 2007-09 Draft 2007 4th/134, LB Philadelphia Eagles NFL 2010 Trade, LB San Diego Chargers NFL 2010-2013 Free Agent
- Greg Ellingson WR Jacksonville Jaguars NFL 2011 Free Agent, WR Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL 2012 Free Agent
- DB Anthony Gaitor DB Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL 2011-13 Draft 2011 7th/222
- WR T.Y. Hilton WR Indianapolis Colts NFL 2012-13 Draft 2012 3rd/92
- OL Andy Leavine OL Miami Dolphins NFL 2010 Free Agent
- DB Marshall McDuffie DB Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL 2009 Free Agent
- DB Greg Moss DB Ottawa Renegades CFL 2005-06 Free Agent
- CB Chris Smith CB Philadelphia Eagles NFL 2007 Free Agent
- DB Nick Taylor (Men’s Basketball) DB Minnesota Vikings NFL 2012-13 Free Agent
- DB Kevin Timothee DB Tennessee Titans NFL 2005 Free Agent, DB New York Giants NFL 2005 Free Agent, DB St. Louis Rams NFL 2006 Free Agent
- DB Nick Turnbull DB Atlanta Falcons NFL 2006 Free Agent, DB Chicago Bears NFL 2006 Free Agent, DB Atlanta Falcons NFL 2007 Free Agent, DB Cincinnati Bengals NFL 2007 Free Agent, DB Atlanta Falcons NFL 2008 Free Agent
- WR Chandler Williams WR Minnesota Vikings NFL 2007 Draft 2007 7th/233, Miami Dolphins NFL 2007-08 Free Agent, WR Atlanta Falcons NFL 2008-09 Free Agent, WR Kansas City Chiefs NFL 2008-09 Free Agent
- DB Nick Turnbull (2002, 2005) The Sports Network All American
- WR Lionell Singleton (2006: Sports Illustrated Honorable Mention)
- WR T.Y. Hilton (2008: Sports Illustrated Honorable Mention, Sporting News Freshman Team, scout.com Freshman Team)
No comments:
Post a Comment