Azusa Pacific Cougars football
Former college football program
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Azusa Pacific Cougars football program is a dormant college football team that represents Azusa Pacific University. From 2012 to 2020, the team was a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference of NCAA Division II. Prior to the 2012 season, the Cougars had been an independent program in the NAIA.[2] The Cougars had 10 head coaches since their first recorded football game in 1965.[3]
1st season, 0–0 (–)
(capacity: 10,000)
| Azusa Pacific Cougars football | |
|---|---|
| |
| First season | 1965 |
| Head coach | A.J. Parnell 1st season, 0–0 (–) |
| Location | Azusa, California, U.S. |
| Stadium | Citrus Stadium (capacity: 10,000) |
| NCAA division | Division II |
| Conference | Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (from 2026) |
| Colors | Brick and black[1] |
| NAIA national championships | |
| 1998 | |
| Conference championships | |
| GNAC: 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018 | |
| Website | athletics.apu.edu |
The most famous player to play for the Cougars is former NFL All-Pro running back Christian Okoye.
Azusa Pacific University decided to end its football program in December 2020 due to financial restructuring.[4] The team was revived in March 2025 with plans of playing in NCAA Division III and the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference starting in 2026.[5]
History
Conferences
- NAIA independent (1997–2011)
- Great Northwest Athletic Conference (2012–2020)
- Inactive (2021–2025)
- Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (2026–present)
Championships
National championships
| Year | Association | Division | Head coach | Record | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | NAIA (1) | Division I (1) | Vic Shealy | 12–2 | Olivet Nazarene | W, 17–14 |
Playoff appearances
NCAA Division II
The Cougars appeared in the Division II playoffs two times with an overall record of 0–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | First Round | Sioux Falls | L, 21–34 |
| 2018 | First Round | Tarleton State | L, 0–58 |
NAIA
The Cougars appeared in the NAIA playoffs eight times, with an overall record of 7–9.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship |
Taylor Central Washington Huron Olivet Nazarene |
W, 31–28 W, 35–28 W, 26–24 W, 17–14 |
| 1999 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals |
Doane Hastings Georgetown (KY) |
W, 31–12 W, 38–35 L, 35–66 |
| 2000 | First Round | MidAmerica Nazarene | L, 21–27 |
| 2003 | First Round | Mary (ND) | L, 2–20 |
| 2004 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals |
NW Oklahoma State Sioux Falls Carroll (MT) |
W, 16–0 W, 24–3 L, 10–14 |
| 2005 | First Round | Montana Tech | L, 17–24 |
| 2010 | First Round | Carroll (MT) | L, 21–35 |
| 2011 | First Round Quarterfinals |
Ottawa (KS) Carroll (MT) |
W, 49–26 L, 14–17 |
Head coaches
| Name | Term |
|---|---|
| Tom Nelson | 1965 |
| Dave Drake | 1966 |
| John Crandall | 1967–1969 |
| Bob Damewood | 1970–1971 |
| Jerry Sconce | 1972–1977 |
| Jim Milhon | 1978–1994 |
| Vic Shealy | 1995–1998 |
| Pete Shinnick | 1999–2005 |
| Victor Santa Cruz | 2006–2019 |
| Rudy Carlton | 2020 |
| AJ Parnell | 2026 |
