06-11-2016, 01:43 AM
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#2
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All Star
OVR: 36
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: On The Hardwood
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Cal State Northridge football
The Cal State Northridge Matadors football program is the intercollegiate American football team for California State University, Northridge. Between 1962 through 1992, Cal State Northridge competed at the NCAA Division II level prior to moving to Division I-AA in 1993. Cal State Northridge's first football team was fielded in 1962, but the school dropped the sport in 2001 and did not reinstate it until 2013.
The team plays at Sheridan-CSUN Stadium and is coached by Dumont Moran.
History
(1962-1968): Early Years
Cal State Northridge, formerly known as Valley State, first fielded a football team in 1962. Playing its first game against Riverside, CSUN gained a 7-6 victory behind a PAT made by Joel Schaeffer. Sam Winningham coached the football team that had no scholarships or even a stadium. The Matadors played at the local James Monroe High School and went 3-6 in their first year in football.
The following year in 1963, CSUN had just about 30 players on the roster. Winningham nicknamed the team the “dirty 30” and coached them to a 2-6 record.
The 1967 roster was widely one of the most memorable seasons in program history as the team went 6-4 and received an invite to the Junior Rose Bowl where the Matadors lost to West Texas State on Dec. 2, 1967. The team – averaging 32.4 points that season – was later inducted into the Matador Hall of Fame as the only football team to do so at Cal State Northridge.
The Winningham coaching era was closed out in 1968 when CSUN went 5-4. The year was marked by one of most improbable comebacks in school history when the Matadors scored 22 points in the final 55 seconds to beat Weber State 29-18.
Winningham, who would later join administration at CSUN, coached the Matadors to a 23-42-1 record through his seven year tenure.
(1969-1972): Move to North Campus Stadium
Following Winningham’s resigning, CSUN hired Leon McLaughin who was out of position after two seasons after a 4-5 record in 69’ and a 4-6 in 70’. His precede was Rod Humenuik who while also lated only two seasons, coached the Matadors in their first ever home game at the North Campus Stadium. Tailback Jim Bird, who would later coach CSUN, scored the first touchdown at the venue in a 34-0 win over San Francisco State.
 Elway coaching Stanford following CSUN tenure
John Elway, father of legendary NFL quarterback, coached CSUN for just three seasons, yet was the most successful coach in school history. Elway's first team finished 8-3 and through three seasons went was 20-11-1. CSUN’s eight win season would only be matched once more in 1986 under Bob Burst.
(1982-1984): Tom Keele Era
Under the guidance of Tom Keele, CSUN produced punter Bryan Wager who played longer in the NFL than any fellow Matador. Punting for an average of 43.4 yards and a total of 8,672, Wager played nine years in the pros and was the San Diego Chargers' punter in 1994 when they made a trip to the Super Bowl.
Some teammates would say Wagner purposely made delay of game penalties just so he could get his yardage higher.
(1986-1994): Bob Burt Era
Bob Burt tenured with Cal State Northridge longer than any other coach in school history. Through nine seasons, Burt complied a record of 49-46 including a two seven-win seasons along with only the second eight win season in school history. In 1990, CSUN appeared in its first playoff game against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where they lost 14-7.
Through Burt’s time, he coached Matador Hall of Fame inductee Sherdrick Bonner as well as Divison-II All-American Albert Fann who is the current CSUN career rushing yard leader with 4,170 and an average of 4.6 yards per carry. Fann also set the record for the longest run - 97 yards - in 1987.
 Marcus Brady with the Montreal Alouettes
Following a 2-8 season, Dave Baldwin ushered in the first season in the Big Sky with a 7-4 record. As coach, he engineered one of the biggest turnarounds in school history following a 2-8 record in 1995. But after just two seasons, Baldwin departed for San Jose State.
The Matadors went through five different head coaches in their final years with Jeff Kearin coaching the last three seasons.
1998 marked the arrival of Marcus Brady who is widely considered to be the greatest football player in school history. As a freshman, Brady started for the Matadors and went on to finish with all five CSUN passing records. Brady, who threw for 12,572 and 109 touchdowns, went undrafted in the NFL draft and was signed by the Green Bay Packers before joining the CFL's Toronto Argonauts.
2001 was the school’s final year of football before the program was terminated by CSUN President Jolene Koester. The Matadors went 3-7 that year, defeating Sacramento State 49-36 in their final game at North Campus Stadium. The program’s final game was played Nov. 18, 2001 against Portland State where the Matadors fell 50-43. Brady threw for 386 yards and four touchdowns in his final college game.
(2008-2013): Planning Stages
In November 2008, CSUN President Jolene Koester appointed a football exploratory committee headed by school football legend, Doug Jones. Following a nearly yearlong study, the committee turned in a favorable report giving the school the green light to continue its pursuit for a football team.
CSUN athletic director Rick Muzzoto stated that CSUN was targeting fielding a team for the 2013 season playing at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level formerly known as I-AA. CSUN’s proposal was officially approved by the State Board of Regents on October 12. As planned, the school started the football program with the 2013 season.
CSUN is currently affiliated with the Big West Conference for sports but since that conference does not sponsor football, the school would have to either play as an independent or find a new conference to join, either for all sports or as a football associate. On September 9, 2012, CSUN announced that it will be joining the Big Sky Conference as a football-only member.
Dumont Moran was hired as head coach at CSUN on March 12, 2012.
Yearly Records
| Year | Coach | Ovr. | Conf. | Standing | Bowl/playoffs |
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| California Collegiate Athletic Association (1962–1980) | | 1962 | Sam Winningham | 3–6 | | | | | 1963 | Sam Winningham | 2–6 | | | | | 1964 | Sam Winningham | 4–6 | | | | | 1965 | Sam Winningham | 1–9 | | | | | 1966 | Sam Winningham | 2–7–1 | | | | | 1967 | Sam Winningham | 6–4 | | | L Junior Rose Bowl | | 1968 | Sam Winningham | 5–4 | | | | | 1969 | Leon McLaughlin | 4–5 | | | | | 1970 | Leon McLaughlin | 4–6 | | | | | 1971 | Rod Humenuik | 4–7 | | | | | 1972 | Rod Humenuik | 6–5 | 1–3 | | | | 1973 | Gary Torgeson | 2–9 | 1–3 | | | | 1974 | Gary Torgeson | 2–9 | 1–3 | | | | 1975 | Gary Torgeson | 4–6–1 | 1–3 | | | | 1976 | Jack Elway | 8–3 | 0–2 | | | | 1977 | Jack Elway | 7–3–1 | | | | | 1978 | Jack Elway | 5–5 | 0–2 | | | | 1979 | Tom Keele | 3–7 | 1–1 | | | | 1980 | Tom Keele | 5–6 | 1–1 | | | | CCAA: | 77–113–3 | | | | | | Division II Independent (1981) | | 1981 | Tom Keele | 6–4–1 | | | | | Western Football Conference (1982–1992) | | 1982 | Tom Keele | 4–7 | 2–2 | | | | 1983 | Tom Keele | 6–4 | 2–1 | | | | 1984 | Tom Keele | 2–8 | 0–3 | | | | 1985 | Tom Keele | 4–7 | 1–4 | | | | 1986 | Bob Burt | 8–3 | 4–2 | | | | 1987 | Bob Burt | 7–4 | 4–2 | | | | 1988 | Bob Burt | 6–5 | 2–4 | | | | 1989 | Bob Burt | 6–5 | 3–2 | | | | 1990 | Bob Burt | 7–4 | 4–1 | | L NCAA Division II First Round | | 1991 | Bob Burt | 3–7 | 1–4 | | | | 1992 | Bob Burt | 5–5 | 2–2 | | | | WFC: | 58–59 | 25–27 | | | | | American West Conference (1993–1995) | | 1993 | Bob Burt | 4–6 | 1–3 | T–4th | | | 1994 | Bob Burt | 3–7 | 0–3 | 4th | | | 1995 | Dave Baldwin | 2–8 | 1–2 | 3rd | | | AWC: | 9–21 | 2–8 | | | | | Big Sky Conference (1996–2000) | | 1996 | Dave Baldwin | 7–4 | 5–3 | T–3rd | | | 1997 | Jim Fenwick | 6–6 | 4–4 | T–4th | | | 1998 | Ron Ponciano | 7–4 | 5–3 | T–2nd | | | 1999 | Jeff Kearin | 5–6 | 4–4 | 5th | | | 2000 | Jeff Kearin | 4–7 | 2–6 | T–7th | | | Big Sky: | 29–27 | 20–20 | | | | | Division I-AA Independent (2001) | | 2001 | Jeff Kearin | 3–7 | | | | | Total: | 182–231–4 | | | | |
Notable Players
- Sherdrick Bonner, former American football quarterback who played fifteen seasons in the Arena Football League
- Lon Boyett, former American football tight end who played one season with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League
- Marcus Brady, former professional Canadian football quarterback and the current offensive coordinator of the Toronto Argonauts
- D. J. Hackett, former American football wide receiver who played five seasons in the National Football League
- Doug Jones, former professional American football player who played safety for six seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills, and the Detroit Lions in the National Football League
- Chris Parker, former American football quarterback who played two seasons in the Arena Football League
- Alo Sila, former American football lineman who played three seasons in the Arena Football League
- Bryan Wagner, former American football punter who attended Cal State Northridge and played nine seasons in the National Football League
Last edited by beast10; 07-02-2016 at 05:30 AM.
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