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Football

The history of Sport at UB begins in 1894 with the first UB football team. By 1897, UB Football was a perfect 7-0 against collegiate foe. Although the entire UB athletics program was cancelled in 1904 due to a lack of financial support, personnel and leadership, it was reinstated in 1915. All intercollegiate athletics were suspended for the duration of World War II. UB sports teams returned in 1946 and the football program continued to grow and flourish. This culminated in its achievement of small college football supremacy by winning the Lambert Cup in 1958.

1894-1899  |  1900-1909  |  1910-1919  |  1920-1929  |  1930-1939  |  1940-1949  |  1950-1959  |  1960-1969  |  1970-1979  |  1980-1989

1990-1999  |  2000-2009  |  2010-2019 | 2020-Present

1894

  • 1894- Football begins – In 1894, the University of Buffalo embarked on its very first football season. The team was made up of U.B. students with such colorful names as A. B. Stein, Irving Johnson, J. B. Crofts and “Dinky” Johnson.
    Coach:
    Final Record: 0-2-0
  • 1895- First full season – After playing a few football games at the club level in 1894, the University of Buffalo started to embrace intercollegiate sports in 1895.
    Coach:
    Final Record: 1-4-2
  • 1896 – WNY Champions – Compiling an overall record of 9 wins, 1 loss, and 2 ties, the teams made a valid claim of being the champions of Western New York football.
    Coach: Fred D. Townsend
    Final Record: 9-1-2
  • 1897 – Almost Undefeated – Losing only once to the local, semi-pro “All-Buffalo” club team, the U.B. squad overwhelmed opponents as Coach C.W. Dibble takes over for Fed Townsend two games into the season.
    Coach: Fred D. Townsend / C.W. Dibble
    Final Record: 9-1-0
  • 1898 – Professionalism – Dismissing charges of professionalism, Buffalo finished the 1898 season 4-1 against collegiate foes and 8-1 overall losing only to Cornell at Ithaca, NY.
    Coach: Louis Hinkey
    Final Record: 8-1-0
  • 1899 – Duquesne Country & Athletic Club – Continuing an impressive run, Buffalo has another fine season led by Coach Bemus Pierce, a member of the Seneca Nation, losing only to the professional Duquesne Country & Athletic Club in Pittsburgh, PA.
    Coach: Bemus Pierce
    Final Record: 7-1-0

1900

  • 1900 – Beat Penn State – Led by player/Coach and team captain Seth Thomas, Buffalo ends the 1900 season on a high note beating Penn State University 10-0 in Buffalo, NY on Thanksgiving Day.
    Coach: Seth Thomas
    Final Record: 3-2-2
  • 1901- Michigan at Ann Arbor – Under Coach “Turk” Gordon, the team started the season with four straight wins but the infamous Michigan game sends the Buffalo football program into an uncertain future.
    Coach: James “Turk” Gordon
    Final Record: 4-2-0
  • 1902- Columbia at Polo Grounds – Injuries depleted the U.B. roster before the season started. Buffalo plodded through the season, mostly winning its home games and losing its away games.
    Coach:
    Final Record: 3-5-1
  • 1903 – Interest Fades – Led by player/Coach Ray Turnbull, the team finished with five wins and five loses as the University contemplated dropping football from its list of athletic sports.
    Coach: Ray Turnbull
    Final Record: 4-4-0
  • 1904 – No Football Team – Varsity football is not funded. Dr. Burton T. Simpson of the medical department of the University of Buffalo, a former football player, makes the case for its return.
  • 1905 – No Team
  • 1906 – No Team
  • 1907 – No Team
  • 1908 – No Team
  • 1909 – No Team

1910

  • 1910 – No Team
  • 1911 – No Team
  • 1912 – No Team
  • 1913 – No Team
  • 1914 – No Team
  • 1915 – Football Returns – After an absence of over 10 years, the longest period of inactivity in school history, football finally returned to the University of Buffalo in 1915.
    Coach: Frank Mount Pleasant
    Final Record: 3-5-0
  • 1916 – Art Powell – Art Powell takes over as head Coach but only 4 men reported for the first day of practice. From four the squad grew slowly until it reached eighteen at its maximum.
    Coach: Art Powell
    Final Record: 3-5-2
  • 1917 – Gaining Momentum – Despite wartime conditions, Art Powell leads the team to a respectable record.
    Coach: Art Powell
    Final Record: 4-4-0
  • 1918 – World War & Influenza – Scheduling games was extremely difficult but the season was a success with only one loss against a Cornell squad at Ithaca, N.Y. on Thanksgiving Day.
    Coach: Art Powell
    Final Record: 6-1-0
  • 1919 – Winless Season – A tie against St. Bonaventure saves an otherwise difficult season.
    Coach: Art Powell
    Final Record: 0-5-1

1920

  • 1920 – Rotary Field Opens – The only win of the season comes against crosstown rivals Canisius College.
    Coach: Art Powell
    Final Record: 1-4-0
  • 1921 – Art Powell’s Last Season – The 1921 football season would be the last for Coach Art Powell as he decided to focus strictly U.B. basketball.
    Coach: Art Powell
    Final Record: 2-3-2
  • 1922 – ‘Dim’ Batterson – The 1922 Buffalo football team starts the season with a new Coach.
    Coach: George ‘Dim’ Batterson
    Final Record: 1-5-0
  • 1923 – Jim Bond – Another new Coach (who lasts just one year) and yet another disappointing season.
    Coach: Jim Bond
    Final Record: 2-5-1
  • 1924 – Russ Carrick – For the fourth season in a row, the Buffalo football team starts the season with a new Coach. It was hoped that Carrick would bring much needed stability to the U.B. football program.
    Coach: Russ Carrick
    Final Record: 1-7-0
  • 1925
    Coach: Russ Carrick
    Final Record: 3-4-1
  • 1926
    Coach: Russ Carrick
    Final Record: 0-7-0
  • 1927
    Coach: Russ Carrick
    Final Record: 0-6-1
  • 1928
    Coach: Russ Carrick
    Final Record: 1-6-0
  • 1929 – Jay Lee – Jay “Biffy” Lee, former Notre Dame football player and Coach, takes over the U.B. football Coaching duties.
    Coach: Jay “Biffy” Lee
    Final Record: 5-2-0

1930

  • 1930
    Coach: Jay “Biffy” Lee
    Final Record: 3-5-0
  • 1931
    Coach: Bill Pritchard
    Final Record: 2-6-0
  • 1932
    Coach: Jim Wilson
    Final Record: 1-5-1
  • 1933
    Coach: Jim Wilson
    Final Record: 2-3-2
  • 1934
    Coach: George Van Bibber
    Final Record: 2-4-1
  • 1935 – George Van Bibber’s Second Year – Early season struggles leasds to another rough season.
    Coach: George Van Bibber
    Final Record: 2-6-0
  • 1936
    Coach: James Peelle
    Final Record: 5-3-0
  • 1937
    Coach: James Peelle
    Final Record: 4-4-0
  • 1938
    Coach: James Peelle
    Final Record: 2-6-0
  • 1939 – Winless Season – An upgrade in the schedule leads to a difficult and disappointing season.
    Coach: James Peelle
    Final Record: 0-7-0

1940

  • 1940 – Hope Restored – The team rebounds with signature wins over the University of Connecticut and Drexel.
    Coach: James Peelle
    Final Record: 3-5-0
  • 1941
    Coach: James Peelle
    Final Record: 3-4-1
  • 1942 – World War II – Although the country was at war, the 1942 Buffalo Bulls football season was a success.
    Coach: James Peelle
    Final Record: 6-2-0
  • 1943 – No Varsity Sports – For the duration of World War II, all University of Buffalo intercollegiate athletics were suspended.
  • 1944 – No Varsity Sports
  • 1945 – No Varsity Sports
  • 1946 – Post-War Football Returns – During the fall of 1946, the University of Buffalo fielded its first “post-war” football team.
    Coach: James Peelle
    Final Record: 7-2-0
  • 1947 – Best Record in School History – Coach Jim Peelle returns for his thirteenth year and leads the team to another outstanding season
    Coach: James Peelle
    Final Record: 8-1-0
  • 1948 – Jim Peelle Steps Aside – Frank Clair is hired as the new head Coach. The Bulls crush the University of Louisville Cardinals 48-13 in Louisville, KY.
    Coach: Frank Clair
    Final Record: 6-1-1
  • 1949 – Frank Clair’s Final Year in Buffalo – After a 6-3 record, a season long rift between Athletic Director Jim Peelle and head Coach Frank Clair is revealed.
    Coach: Frank Clair
    Final Record: 6-3-0

1950

  • 1950 – Jim Wilson Returns – In early January, Coach Frank Clair was told his contract would not be renewed. Jim Wilson was hired as head football Coach at U.B. replacing Clair.
    Coach: Jim Wilson
    Final Record: 5-3-0
  • 1951
    Coach: Jim Wilson
    Final Record: 4-4-0
  • 1952
    Coach: Fritz Febel
    Final Record: 1-7-0
  • 1953
    Coach: Fritz Febel
    Final Record: 1-5-1
  • 1954 – Fritz Febel’s Final Year – The team wins only 2 games but passes it’s ultimate test as name Chancellor Clifford C. Furnas decides to keep football.
    Coach: Fritz Febel
    Final Record: 2-7-0
  • 1955
    Coach: Dick Offenhamer
    Final Record: 4-4-1
  • 1956
    Coach: Dick Offenhamer
    Final Record: 5-3-1
  • 1957
    Coach: Dick Offenhamer
    Final Record: 5-4-9
  • 1958 – Lambert Cup Winners – Buffalo beats Harvard and Columbia University on its way to a 8 win and 1 lose season, winning the Lambert Cup, emblematic of supremacy in Eastern U.S. small-college football.
    Coach: Dick Offenhamer
    Final Record: 8-1-0
  • 1959 – Second Place in Lambert Cup Race – Playing nine games and winning eight, the Bulls were ranked second only to Delaware, in the Lambert Cup race.
    Coach: Dick Offenhamer
    Final Record: 8-1-0

1960

  • 1960 – Schedule Upgrade – Buffalo upgrades its schedule to include several major college team.
    Coach: Dick Offenhamer
    Final Record: 4-6-0
  • 1961 – The Eastern College Athletic Conference elevates the football team to “major” college status.
    Coach: Dick Offenhamer
    Final Record: 4-5-0
  • 1962
    Coach: Dick Offenhamer
    Final Record: 6-3-0
  • 1963 – Another Successful Year – University of Buffalo seniors John Stofa and Gerry Philbin lead the Bulls to another winning season.
    Coach: Dick Offenhamer
    Final Record: 5-3-1
  • 1964 – First Televised Game – The 1964 football season marked Dick Offenhamer’s 10th year as the University at Buffalo’s head Coach.
    Coach: Dick Offenhamer
    Final Record: 4-4-1
  • 1965 – Dick Offenhamer’s Final Season – The Buddy Ryan led defensive squad finished second in the nation among major colleges in rushing defense.
    Coach: Dick Offenhamer
    Final Record: 5-3-2
  • 1966 – Richard ‘Doc” Urich Takes Over – The team has an average year but fullback Lee Jones leads the nation with 16 rushing touchdowns.
    Coach: Doc Urich
    Final Record: 5-5-0
  • 1967 – Doc Urich’s First Winning Season – Buffalo plays a strong schedule including 3 current ACC football team on their way to a 6-4 season.
    Coach: Doc Urich
    Final Record: 6-4-0
  • 1968 – Finished Season With 7-3 Record – Doc Urich’s football Bulls played exciting and record breaking football in 1968.
    Coach: Doc Urich
    Final Record: 7-3-0
  • 1969 – Bob Deming Named Interim Coach – The year starts with the football program at Buffalo in major turmoil but ends with the team on a late season roll.
    Coach: Bob Deming
    Final Record: 6-3-0

1970

  • 1970 – Last Season – Injuries and a difficult schedule leads to a very trying and disappointing season.
    Coach: Bob Deming
    Final Record: 2-9-0
  • 1971 – No Football Team – For the second time in its history, U.B. dropped football in early January 1971.
  • 1972 – No Football Team
  • 1973 – No Football Team
  • 1974 – No Football Team
  • 1975 – No Football Team
  • 1976 – No Football Team
  • 1977
    Coach: Bill Dando
    Final Record: 0-3-1
  • 1978
    Coach: Bill Dando
    Final Record: 3-6-0
  • 1979
    Coach: Bill Dando
    Final Record: 4-5-0

1980

  • 1980
    Coach: Bill Dando
    Final Record: 6-5-0
  • 1981
    Coach: Bill Dando
    Final Record: 5-5-0
  • 1982
    Coach: Bill Dando
    Final Record: 5-5-0
  • 1983
    Coach: Bill Dando
    Final Record: 8-2-0
  • 1984
    Coach: Bill Dando
    Final Record: 6-4-0
  • 1985
    Coach: Bill Dando
    Final Record: 4-6-0
  • 1986
    Coach: Bill Dando
    Final Record: 9-2-0
  • 1987
    Coach: Bill Dando
    Final Record: 3-7-0
  • 1988
    Coach: Bill Dando
    Final Record: 2-8-0
  • 1989
    Coach: Bill Dando
    Final Record: 4-6-0

1990

  • 1990
    Coach: Sam Sanders
    Final Record: 2-8-0
  • 1991
    Coach: Sam Sanders
    Final Record: 3-7-0
  • 1992
    Coach: Jim Ward
    Final Record: 4-6-0
  • 1993 – A ‘new’ UB Stadium – The Bulls’ long journey back to Division I culminated in 1993 as Buffalo plays its first Division I game since 1970 at the newly built UB Stadium.
    Coach: Jim Ward
    Final Record: 1-10-0
  • 1994
    Coach: Jim Ward
    Final Record: 3-8-0
  • 1995
    Coach: Craig Cirbus
    Final Record: 3-8-0
  • 1996
    Coach: Craig Cirbus
    Final Record: 8-3-0
  • 1997
    Coach: Craig Cirbus
    Final Record: 2-9-0
  • 1998
    Coach: Craig Cirbus
    Final Record: 4-7-0
  • 1999
    Coach: Craig Cirbus
    Final Record: 0-11-0

2000

  • 2000
    Coach: Craig Cirbus
    Final Record: 2-9-0
  • 2001
    Coach: Jim Hofner
    Final Record: 3-8-0
  • 2002
    Coach: Jim Hofner
    Final Record: 1-11-0
  • 2003
    Coach: Jim Hofner
    Final Record: 1-11-0
  • 2004
    Coach: Jim Hofner
    Final Record: 2-9-0
  • 2005
    Coach: Jim Hofner
    Final Record: 1-10-0
  • 2006
    Coach: Turner Gill
    Final Record: 2-10-0
  • 2007
    Coach: Turner Gill
    Final Record: 5-7-0
  • 2008
    Coach: Turner Gill
    Final Record: 8-6-0
  • 2009
    Coach: Turner Gill
    Final Record: 5-7-0

2010

  • 2010
    Coach: Jeff Quinn
    Final Record: 2-10-0
  • 2011
    Coach: Jeff Quinn
    Final Record: 3-9-0
  • 2012
    Coach: Jeff Quinn
    Final Record: 4-8-0
  • 2013
    Coach: Jeff Quinn
    Final Record: 8-5-0
  • 2014
    Coach: Jeff Quinn/Alex Wood
    Final Record: 5-6-0
  • 2015
    Coach: Lance Leipold
    Final Record: 5-7-0
  • 2016
    Coach: Lance Leipold
    Final Record: 2-10-0
  • 2017
    Coach: Lance Leipold
    Final Record: 6-6-0
  • 2018
    Coach: Lance Leipold
    Final Record: 10-4-0
  • 2019
    Coach: Lance Leipold
    Final Record: 8-5-0

2020

  • 2020
    Coach: Lance Leipold
    Final Record: 6-1-0
  • 2021
    Coach: Maurice Linguist