Furman Paladins football
Football team of Furman University
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The Furman Paladins football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Furman University located in the state of South Carolina. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as members of the Southern Conference (SoCon). The school's first football team was fielded in 1889. The 1902 team won a state championship. The team plays its home games at the 16,000 seat Paladin Stadium in Greenville, South Carolina.
First season1889; 137 years ago
Head coachClay Hendrix
10th season, 60–43 (.583)
10th season, 60–43 (.583)
LocationGreenville, South Carolina
| Furman Paladins football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| |||
| First season | 1889; 137 years ago | ||
| Athletic director | Jason Donnelly | ||
| Head coach | Clay Hendrix 10th season, 60–43 (.583) | ||
| Location | Greenville, South Carolina | ||
| Stadium | Paladin Stadium (capacity: 16,000) | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Southern | ||
| Colors | Royal purple and white[1] | ||
| All-time record | 645–497–38 (.563) | ||
| NCAA Division I FCS championships | |||
| 1988 | |||
| Conference championships | |||
| SoCon: 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2013, 2018, 2023 | |||
| Rivalries | The Citadel (rivalry) Mercer Samford Western Carolina Wofford (rivalry) | ||
| Website | furmanpaladins.com | ||
The 1988 Furman Paladins football team, coached by Jimmy Satterfield, won the NCAA Division I Football Championship. Clay Hendrix, who was a member of that championship team, has served as the team's head coach since 2017.
History
Classifications
- 1937–1942: NCAA College Division
- 1946–1957: NCAA University Division
- 1958–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1973–1977: NCAA Division I
- 1978–1981: NCAA Division I–A
- 1982–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
- 1889–1896: Independent
- 1897–1899: No football team
- 1900–1901: Independent
- 1902: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
- 1903–1912: No football team
- 1913–1914: Independent
- 1915–1929: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
- 1930–1931: Independent
- 1932–1935: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
- 1936–present: Southern Conference
Championships
National championships
| Season | Coach | Selector | Record | Result | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Jimmy Satterfield | NCAA Division I-AA | 13–2 | W 17–12 | Georgia Southern |
Conference championships
The Paladins have won 15 conference titles, all in the Southern Conference, with seven shared and eight outright.
| Year | Conference | Coach | Overall Record | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978† | Southern Conference | Dick Sheridan | 8–3 | 4–1 |
| 1980 | 9–1–1 | 7–0 | ||
| 1981 | 8–3 | 5–2 | ||
| 1982 | 9–3 | 6–1 | ||
| 1983 | 10–2–1 | 6–0–1 | ||
| 1985 | 12–2 | 6–0 | ||
| 1988† | Jimmy Satterfield | 13–2 | 6–1 | |
| 1989 | 12–2 | 7–0 | ||
| 1990 | 9–4 | 6–1 | ||
| 1999† | Bobby Johnson | 9–3 | 7–1 | |
| 2001† | 12–3 | 7–1 | ||
| 2004† | Bobby Lamb | 10–3 | 6–1 | |
| 2013† | Bruce Fowler | 8–6 | 6–2 | |
| 2018† | Clay Hendrix | 6–4 | 6–2 | |
| 2023 | 10-3 | 7–1 |
Postseason
NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoffs
The Paladins have appeared in the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs 20 times with a record of 21–19. They were national champions in 1988 and runner-up in 1985 and 2001.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | First Round | South Carolina State | L 0–17 |
| 1983 | Quarterfinals Semifinals | Boston University Western Carolina | W 35–16 L 7–14 |
| 1985 | Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | Rhode Island Nevada Georgia Southern | W 59–15 W 35–12 L 42–44 |
| 1986 | First Round | Eastern Kentucky | L 10–23 |
| 1988 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinal National Championship Game | Delaware Marshall Idaho Georgia Southern | W 21–7 W 13–9 W 38–7 W 17–12 |
| 1989 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | William & Mary Youngstown State Stephen F. Austin | W 24–10 W 42–23 L 19–21 |
| 1990 | First Round Quarterfinals | Eastern Kentucky Nevada | W 45–17 L 35–42 3OT |
| 1996 | First Round Quarterfinals | Northern Arizona Marshall | W 42–31 L 0–54 |
| 1999 | First Round | Massachusetts | L 23–30 OT |
| 2000 | First Round | Hofstra | L 24–31 |
| 2001 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | WKU Lehigh Georgia Southern Montana | W 24–20 W 34–17 W 24–17 L 6–13 |
| 2002 | First Round | Villanova | L 38–45 |
| 2004 | First Round Quarterfinals | Jacksonville State James Madison | W 49–7 L 13–14 |
| 2005 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Nicholls State Richmond Appalachian State | W 14–12 W 24–20 L 23–29 |
| 2006 | First Round | Montana State | L 13–31 |
| 2013 | First Round Second Round | South Carolina State North Dakota State | W 30–20 L 7–38 |
| 2017 | First Round Second Round | Elon Wofford | W 28–27 L 10–28 |
| 2019 | First Round | Austin Peay | L 6–42 |
| 2022 | First Round Second Round | Elon Incarnate Word | W 31–6 L 38–41 |
| 2023 | Second Round Quarterfinals | Chattanooga Montana | W 26–7 L 28–35 OT |
Furman vs. in-state NCAA Division I schools
| School | Record | Percentage | Streak | First meeting | Last meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Southern[2] | 2–1 | .667 | Lost 1 | 2019 | 2024 |
| Clemson Tigers | 10–43–4 | .211 | Lost 31 | 1896 | 2018 |
| Coastal Carolina | 1–7 | .125 | Lost 6 | 2006 | 2016 |
| Presbyterian | 42–13–1 | .759 | Lost 1 | 1913 | 2014 |
| South Carolina | 20–28–1 | .418 | Lost 2 | 1892 | 2023 |
| South Carolina State | 12–5 | .706 | Won 1 | 1982 | 2015 |
| The Citadel | 64–37–3 | .630 | Won 4 | 1913 | 2024 |
| Wofford | 56–34–7 | .613 | Lost 1 | 1889 | 2023 |
| Total: 199–165–16 | |||||
Notable former players
- Braniff Bonaventure
- Luther Broughton
- Ben Browder
- Sederrik Cunningham
- Dakota Dozier
- Jerome Felton
- Omari Hardwick[3]
- Clay Hendrix
- Louis Ivory
- Stanford Jennings
- Bob King
- Bobby Lamb
- Ingle Martin
- William Middleton
- Billy Napier
- Bear Rinehart
- Orlando Ruff
- Terry Smith
- James H. "Speedy" Speer
- Ryan Steed
- David Whitehurst
- Sam Wyche
Players in the NFL draft
Key
| B | Back | K | Kicker | NT | Nose tackle |
| C | Center | LB | Linebacker | FB | Fullback |
| DB | Defensive back | P | Punter | HB | Halfback |
| DE | Defensive end | QB | Quarterback | WR | Wide receiver |
| DT | Defensive tackle | RB | Running back | G | Guard |
| E | End | T | Offensive tackle | TE | Tight end |
| Year | Round | Pick in round | Overall pick | Player | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 4 | 37 | 137 | Dakota Dozier | Jets | T |
| 2009 | 5 | 2 | 138 | William Middleton | Falcons | DB |
| 2008 | 5 | 11 | 146 | Jerome Felton | Lions | RB |
| 2006 | 5 | 15 | 148 | Ingle Martin | Packers | QB |
| 2000 | 4 | 14 | 108 | John Keith | 49ers | DB |
| 2000 | 7 | 2 | 208 | Desmond Kitchings | Chiefs | WR |
| 1997 | 5 | 25 | 155 | Luther Broughton | Eagles | TE |
| 1986 | 4 | 8 | 90 | Charles Fox | Chiefs | WR |
| 1985 | 10 | 19 | 271 | Dennis Williams | Cardinals | RB |
| 1984 | 3 | 9 | 65 | Stanford Jennings | Bengals | RB |
| 1984 | 6 | 11 | 151 | Ernest Gibson | Patriots | DB |
| 1977 | 8 | 11 | 206 | David Whitehurst | Packers | QB |
| 1970 | 17 | 2 | 418 | Joe Brunson | Bears | DT |
| 1967 | 10 | 17 | 254 | Lavern Barrs | Cardinals | DB |
| 1963 | 7 | 11 | 95 | Olin Hill | Packers | T |
| 1962 | 11 | 8 | 148 | Larry Jepson | 49ers | C |
| 1962 | 15 | 9 | 205 | Joe Monte | Colts | G |
| 1957 | 24 | 8 | 285 | Bob Jennings | Redskins | C |
| 1957 | 30 | 9 | 358 | Mike Shill | Lions | T |
| 1956 | 22 | 7 | 260 | Johnny Popson | Packers | B |
| 1954 | 5 | 5 | 54 | Bob Griffis | Bears | G |
| 1953 | 29 | 9 | 346 | Bob Griffis | Giants | G |
| 1951 | 6 | 4 | 66 | Ed Jasonek | Cardinals | B |
| 1950 | 16 | 7 | 203 | Harry Bierman | Cardinals | E |
| 1950 | 29 | 2 | 367 | Ed Jasonek | Bulldogs | B |
| 1949 | 5 | 9 | 50 | Tom Wham | Cardinals | E |
| 1943 | 3 | 6 | 21 | Dewey Proctor | Giants | B |
| 1943 | 4 | 1 | 26 | Ralph Hamer | Lions | B |
| 1943 | 7 | 1 | 51 | Paul Sizemore | Lions | E |
| 1941 | 18 | 2 | 162 | Bill Cornwall | Steelers | T |
| 1940 | 3 | 4 | 19 | Rhoten Shetley | Dodgers | B[4] |
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of September 16, 2026.[5]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson | at South Carolina | at Florida | at Davidson | Davidson |
| at Tennessee | at South Carolina State | Campbell | at Clemson | |
| South Carolina State | Richmond | |||
| at Richmond |
