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Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves football

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The Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves football team represents Nebraska Wesleyan University in college football at the NCAA Division III level. The Prairie Wolves are members of the American Rivers Conference (ARC), fielding its team in the ARC since 2016 when it was named the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC). Nebraska Wesleyan plays home games at Abel Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.[3] The team's head coach is Brian Keller, who took over the position for the 1996 season.

First season1891; 135 years ago (1891)
Athletic directorDwight Merilatt
Head coachJacob Donohoe
1st season, 0–0 (–)
Quick facts First season, Athletic director ...
Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves football
First season1891; 135 years ago (1891)
Athletic directorDwight Merilatt
Head coachJacob Donohoe
1st season, 0–0 (–)
LocationLincoln, Nebraska
StadiumAbel Stadium
(capacity: 2,500)
NCAA divisionDivision III
ConferenceARC
ColorsGold and black[1]
   
All-time record515–478–42 (.518)
Conference championships
22
RivalriesDoane[2]
MascotPrairie Wolves
Websitenwusports.com/football
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Nebraska Wesleyan's athletic teams were known as the Coyotes in the early 1900s. The nickname was changed to the Plainsmen in 1933 and then to the Prairie Wolves in 2000.[4][5]

Conference affiliations

NAIA / pre-NCAA

NCAA

Championships

Conference championships

Nebraska Wesleyan claims 22 conference titles, the most recent of which came in 2000.

More information Year, Conference ...
Year Conference Overall record Conference record Coach
1911Nebraska Conference7–0N/AWilliam G. Kline
19125–2–1N/A
1913†4–3–1N/A
19147–1N/A
19156–3N/A
1918Nebraska Intercollegiate Conference2–3N/AWilliam A. Norris
19206–2–24–0–1Ray B. McCandless
19218–35–0
1925†North Central Conference6–0–23–0–1Clarence L. Dow
1931 Nebraska College Athletic Conference4–3–14–0–1John D. Waldorf
1932†4–3–14–0–1
19346–2–14–0John E. Roberts
1947†Nebraska College Conference7–1–15–1–1George "Bus" Knight
1963Great Plains College Association7–23–0Raymond Westover
19647–13–0
1976† Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference6–34–1Harold G. Chaffee
1983†7–34–1Orson Christensen
19867–35–0
19888–25–0Jim Svoboda
198910–25–0
1990†7–24–1
2000†Great Plains Athletic Conference8–36–2Brian Keller
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† Co-champions

Postseason games

NAIA playoff games

The Prairie Wolves have appeared in the NAIA playoffs four times with an overall record of 1–4.

More information Season, Coach ...
Season Coach Playoff Opponent Result
1988Jim SvobodaFirst roundEvangelL 14–45
1989First round
Quarterfinals
Chadron State
Wisconsin–La Crosse
W 46–43
L 0–29
1991First roundPeru StateL 20–41
2000Brian KellerFirst roundNorthwestern Oklahoma StateL 13–40
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Bowl games

Nebraska Wesleyan has participated in one bowl game, and has a record of 0–1.

More information Season, Coach ...
Season Coach Bowl Opponent Result
1946George KnightWill Rogers BowlPepperdineL 13–38
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List of head coaches

Key

More information General, Overall ...
Key to symbols in coaches list
General Overall Conference Postseason[A 1]
No. Order of coaches[A 2] GC Games coached CW Conference wins PW Postseason wins
DC Division championships OW Overall wins CL Conference losses PL Postseason losses
CC Conference championships OL Overall losses CT Conference ties PT Postseason ties
NC National championships OT Overall ties[A 3] C% Conference winning percentage
† Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame O% Overall winning percentage[A 4]
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Coaches

More information No., Name ...
List of head football coaches showing season(s) coached, overall records, conference records, postseason records, championships and selected awards
No. Name Season(s) GC OW OL OT O% CW CL CT C% PW PL PT DC CC NC Awards
1 Frank Crawford 1896 5 3 2 0 0.600 – – – – – – – – – – –
2 Charley Thomas[9] 1897 7 5 2 0 0.714 – – – – – – – – – – –
3 Zora Clevenger[10] 1908; 1910 9 2 7 0 0.222 – – – – – – – – – – –
4 William G. Kline[11] 1909; 1911–1917 62 37 19 6 0.645 – – – – – – – – – – –
5 William A. Norris 1918 5 2 3 0 0.400 – – – – – – – – – – –
6 Benjamin Beck[12] 1919 9 7 2 0 0.778 – – – – – – – – – – –
7 Ray McCandless[13] 1920–1922 29 17 9 3 0.638 – – – – – – – – – – –
8 Glenn Preston 1923–1924 17 8 5 4 0.588 – – – – – – – – – – –
9 Clarence Dow[14] 1925–1926 18 12 4 2 0.722 – – – – – – – – – – –
10 Howard Durham[15] 1927 9 0 8 1 0.056 – – – – – – – – – – –
11 Francis Alabaster[16] 1928–1929 18 5 10 3 0.361 – – – – – – – – – – –
12 John Waldorf[17] 1930–1932 25 14 9 2 0.600 – – – – – – – – – – –
13 John E. Roberts 1933–1934 18 9 7 2 0.556 – – – – – – – – – – –
14 George Farley[18] 1935; 1941–1942 27 13 11 3 0.537 – – – – – – – – – – –
15 Dwight Thomas 1936–1940 42 14 26 2 0.357 – – – – – – – – – – –
16 Allen Stroh 1945 5 3 2 0 0.600 – – – – – – – – – – –
17 George Knight[19] 1946–1949 37 24 9 4 0.703 – – – – – – – – – – –
18 Roy Roberston[20] 1950–1953 39 14 22 3 0.397 – – – – – – – – – – –
19 Keith Skogman[21] 1954–1959 56 21 32 3 0.402 – – – – – – – – – – –
20 Raymond Westover[22] 1960–1968 78 36 40 2 0.474 – – – – – – – – – – –
21 Harold Chaffee[23] 1969–1981 118 55 61 2 0.475 – – – – – – – – – – –
22 Orson Christensen[24] 1982–1986 49 29 20 0 0.592 – – – – – – – – – – –
23 Jim Svoboda[25] 1987–1993 71 51 20 0 0.718 – – – – – – – – – – –
24 Steve Stanard[26] 1994–1995 20 6 14 0 0.300 – – – – – – – – – – –
25 Brian Keller[27] 1996–2025 292 133 159 0 0.455 – – – – – – – – – – –
26 Jacob Donohoe 2026–present 0 0 0 – – – – – – – – – – – –
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Year-by-year results

National champions Conference champions Bowl game berth Playoff berth

[28]

More information Season, Year ...
Season Year Head coach Association Division Conference Record Postseason Final ranking
Overall Conference
Win Loss Tie Finish Win Loss Tie
Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves
1896 1896 Frank Crawford – – – 320–––– — —
1897 1897 Charley Thomas 520–––– — —
No team from 1888 to 1907
1908 1908 Zora Cleavenger – – – 120–––– — —
1909 1909 William G. Kline 013–––– — —
1910 1910 Zora Cleavenger 150–––– — —
1911 1911 William G. Kline Nebraska 7001st––– Conference champions —
1912 1912 5211st––– Conference champions —
1913 1913 431T-1st––– Conference co-champions —
1914 1914 7101st––– Conference champions —
1915 1915 6301st––– Conference champions —
1916 1916 NIC 5412nd––– — —
1917 1917 3503rd––– — —
1918 1918 William A. Norris 2301st––– Conference champions —
1919 1919 Benjamin Beck 7202nd––– — —
1920 1920 Ray B. McCandless 6221st––– Conference champions —
1921 1921 7301st––– Conference champions —
1922 1922 4413rd––– — —
1923 1923 Glenn A. Preston 6122nd––– — —
1924 1924 NCC 242T-5th120 — —
1925 1925 Clarence L. Dow 6021st301 Conference champions —
1926 1926 Nebraska 6402nd––– — —
1927 1927 Howard Durham 08113th––– — —
1928 1928 Francis Alabaster NCAC 5223rd212 — —
1929 1929 3515th230 — —
1930 1930 John D. Waldorf 632nd410 — —
1931 1931 4311st401 Conference champions —
1932 1932 431T-1st401 Conference co-champions —
1933 1933 John E. Roberts 3512nd310 — —
1934 1934 6211st400 Conference champions —
1935 1935 George M. Farley 5312nd211 — —
1936 1936 Dwight P. Thomas 532nd310 — —
1937 1937 2514th030 — —
1938 1938 4414th121 — —
1939 1939 2704th130 — —
1940 1940 NAIA 1704th130 — —
1941 1941 George M. Farley 2613rd220 — —
1942 1942 6212nd310 — —
No team from 1943 to 1944
1945 1945 Allen Stroh NAIA – – 320–––– — —
1946 1946 George "Bus" Knight NCC 7032nd402 Playoff berth —
1947 1947 711T-1st511 Conference co-champions —
1948 1948 6302nd520 — —
1949 1949 450T-4th440 — —
1950 1950 Roy B. Robertson 5506th430 — —
1951 1951 2806th250 — —
1952 1952 550T-3rd430 — —
1953 1953 2437th142 — —
1954 1954 Keith Skogman 3616th241 — —
1955 1955 2716th241 — —
1956 1956 3705th340 — —
1957 1957 350T-4th340 — —
1958 1958 5404th530 — —
1959 1959 5315th431 — —
1960 1960 Raymond Westover 0807th060 — —
1961 1961 0907th060 — —
1962 1962 – 242–––– — —
1963 1963 GPCA 7201st300 Conference champions —
1964 1964 7101st300 Conference champions —
1965 1965 – 720–––– — —
1966 1966 720–––– — —
1967 1967 540–––– — —
1968 1968 180–––– — —
1969 1969 Harold G. Chaffee 540–––– — —
1970 1970 Division II NIAC 6 4 0 4th 2 3 0 — —
1971 1971 720T-2nd320 — —
1972 1972 4504th230 — —
1973 1973 4312nd311 — —
1974 1974 3605th140 — —
1975 1975 5504th230 — —
1976 1976 630T-1st410 Conference co-champions —
1977 1977 270T-4th230 — —
1978 1978 540T-3rd320 — —
1979 1979 3515th131 — —
1980 1980 360T-3rd230 — —
1981 1981 2705th140 — —
1982 1982 Orson Christensen 4505th230 — —
1983 1983 730T-1st410 Conference co-champions —
1984 1984 6403rd320 — —
1985 1985 650T-3rd230 — —
1986 1986 6301st500 Conference champions —
1987 1987 James Svoboda 640T-2nd320 — —
1988 1988 7301st500 Playoff berth —
1989 1989 10201st500 Playoff berth —
1990 1990 720T-1st410 Conference co-champions —
1991 1991 8302nd410 Playoff berth —
1992 1992 6303rd420 — —
1993 1993 7303rd420 — —
1994 1994 Steve Standard 3705th240 — —
1995 1995 3706th240 — —
1996 1996 Brian Keller 2806th150 — —
1997 1997 – 550T-3rd440 — —
1998 1998 6404th440 — —
1999 1999 4607th150 — —
2000 2000 GPAC 8301st620 Playoff berth —
2001 2001 550T-5th350 — —
2002 2002 640T-5th440 — —
2003 2003 640T-3rd640 — —
2004 2004 640T-5th640 — —
2005 2005 5505th550 — —
2006 2006 7304th730 — —
2007 2007 7304th730 — —
2008 2008 730T-3rd730 — —
2009 2009 5506th550 — —
2010 2010 4607th460 — —
2011 2011 5507th450 — —
2012 2012 640T-4th540 — —
2013 2013 6404th630 — —
2014 2014 460T-6th450 — —
2015 2015 4607th360 — —
2016 2016 NCAA Division III IIAC 460T-5th350 — —
2017 2017 280T-7th260 — —
2018 2018 A-R-C 3707th260 — —
2019 2019 370T-7th170 — —
2020–21 2020–21 010T-6th010 — —
2021 2021 4607th260 — —
2022 2022 1909th080 — —
2023 2023 460T–6th260 — —
2024 2024 370T–6th260 — —
2024 2024 1908th170 — —
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Notes

  1. Although the first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902, it has been continuously played since the 1916 game, and is recognized as the oldest bowl game by the NCAA. "—" indicates any season prior to 1916 when postseason games were not played.[6]
  2. A running total of the number of head coaches, with coaches who served separate tenures being counted only once. Interim head coaches are represented with "Int" and are not counted in the running total. "—" indicates the team played but either without a coach or no coach is on record. "X" indicates an interim year without play.
  3. Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.[7]
  4. When computing the win–loss percentage, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss.[8]

References

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