North Alabama Lions football
The North Alabama Lions football program represents the University of North Alabama in the NCAA Division I Big South Conference, an Atlantic Sun-affiliated football conference. UNA plays its home games at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama. They are currently coached by Chris Willis. UNA was a member of Division II from 1972 to 2017.
The Lions are distinguished as the only team to win three consecutive football national championships in NCAA Division II. UNA's 27 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the Division II polls also comprise the longest stretch of consecutive No. 1 rankings in football in NCAA history on any level. UNA was the last Division II team to beat a Division I-A team, defeating Southwestern Louisiana on October 11, 1997. In 2016, UNA won their fourth consecutive Gulf South Conference championship — a conference record.
History
Based on a history compiled by www.roarlions.com, the University’s official athletic website, football had an especially inauspicious beginning at the University of North Alabama. The institution’s first football game in 1912 ended with Florence State Normal School losing to, 101–0. The institution carried on with a football program for 16 years despite similar poor results, finally terminating the program in 1928 after losing twice to Marion Institute, 86–0 and 85–0.The program was not resumed until 1949, when President E.B. Norton announced that Florence State Teachers College, as the institution was then known, once again would field a team. At the first pep rally for the new team, Dr. Norton told the student body that the school had not lost a football game in 20 years and did not want to start losing then. Nevertheless, the first game, played September 29, 1949 against Jacksonville State, resulted in a 12–7 loss. Florence State rebounded in the next game with a 28–7 win over Howard College.
Dr. Norton told the Flor-Ala student newspaper on January 5, 1949 that a football team was important not only for school spirit but also because a teachers college should have facilities to train coaches for the public schools. In an interview with the Florence Times-Daily in 1994, Dr. Norton recounted the football team's role at a critical juncture in the college's history. Wendell Wilkie Gunn, the first African American graduate of Florence State, registered in 1964. In the wake of the protests and violence that attended integration at other southern colleges and universities, Dr. Norton called the football team together and said he expected a peaceful and welcoming atmosphere on the Florence State campus. He charged the football players to set the appropriate example as leaders of the student body. Mr. Gunn matriculated and graduated in four years without incident. Dr. Norton stated that the football team's contribution to the successful integration of the institution justified his original vision of the program, in a way he could not have foreseen in 1949, and exceeded even the program's considerable achievements on the field.
The Lions won thirteen Gulf South Conference Championships, and finished its 46-year tenure in Division II with a 337–170–7 record.
Rivalries
Jacksonville State
The University of North Alabama and Jacksonville State University first played in 1949 upon UNA's return to the gridiron. The two teams played every year through the 1992 season, and have only played three times since JSU's move to the FCS. JSU leads the series 26–18–3. The longest winning streak by either team is seven games. UNA and JSU played each other twice in the 1989 and 1992 seasons by meeting up in the playoffs. The current streak is held by JSU with three wins. The most recent match was on September 21, 2019 resulting in a JSU victory by a score of 30–12. The two programs have agreed to a four-year series, with the next meeting taking place in 2020.Alabama A&M
UNA and Alabama A&M University are separated by only 77 miles. UNA and AAMU have played 24 times from 1975 to 1997, and in 2018 and 2019. The first game was won by UNA 48–29 on the road. UNA leads the series 19–4–1. The longest winning streak in the series is held by UNA at nine games. UNA lost the most recent game 31-24 on September 14, 2019.West Alabama
UNA and the University of West Alabama first played in 1949 and played every year through 2017. UNA leads the series 52–18–1. UWA won the first two meetings in 1949 and 1950, but UNA followed that with a thirteen-game winning streak. The longest winning streak in the series is held by UNA at fourteen games. The current winning streak is held by UWA at one game. The most recent match-up was played on September 23, 2017 resulting in a 38–17 victory for UWA. Unfortunately, the 2017 meeting was likely the last for the foreseeable future since UNA has moved to the FCS.Head coaches
- Records are through the end of the 2018 Season
Hal Self
The Lions were especially dominant among other Alabama teams, building a 31–0–2 record, beginning with a 32–6 win over Livingston in 1952 and ending 12 years later with a 21–7 loss to Troy State in 1964. Self also amassed several Alabama Collegiate Conference championships and coached eight All-Americans, including Harlon Hill, the school’s first professional football star.
Former Lion standout Durell Mock succeeded Self in 1970, followed by Mickey Andrews in 1973.
Wayne Grubb
Wayne Grubb took over for Andrews in 1977. Grubb followed a disappointing 5–5 beginning season with 8 consecutive winning seasons, including Gulf South Conference championships in 1980, 1983, and 1985. UNA also qualified for the national semifinals in 1980 and 1983, competing for the Division II Championship at Palm Bowl in McAllen, Texas, in 1985.In 1985, Florence's Braly Municipal Stadium also was secured as the site of the Division II national championship game, with UNA serving as the host institution until 2013, when it was announced that the championship would move to Kansas City, Missouri in 2014 and remain there through 2017. The Division II move to Florence also led to the adoption of the Harlon Hill Trophy, named after one of the most successful athletes in UNA's history.
Bobby Wallace (first stint)
The most successful era in UNA football history followed the hiring of Bobby Wallace as head football coach. Following a four-year rebuilding period, Wallace led the Lions to a 7–4–1 record in 1992 and competed in the second round of the Division II championship until losing to Jacksonville State, the eventual Division II national champions.Over the next three years from 1993–95, UNA amassed a 41–1 record, which also encompassed three straight Gulf South Conference Championships and three consecutive NCAA Division II National Championships — the first three-peat in NCAA history. UNA also became the first program to achieve 40 wins in three seasons.
The only loss UNA suffered during this three-year period was to Youngstown State, a Division I-AA power at the time, losing narrowly, 17–14, following a field goal in the fourth quarter. Youngstown State went on to win the 1994 I-AA national championship.
During Wallace’s 10-year tenure, the UNA Lions competed in six NCAA playoffs and compiled an 82–36–1 record.
In 1995, UNA Lions were selected the “Best Team of the Quarter Century” in Division II, while Wallace was named Division II‘s “Coach of the Quarter Century.”
Following their third consecutive NCAA Division II Football Championship in 1995, the Lions were invited to the White House to meet President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, and members of Congress.
Mark Hudspeth
Following a 4-year interlude under Bill Hyde, Mark Hudspeth assumed the head coaching job at UNA in 2002. After a disappointing first year, Hudspeth led the Lions to another string of Division II playoff games.In his first five seasons at UNA, Hudspeth posted the best record of any previous Lion head coach in their first five years – leading the Lions to a 44–17 mark, two Gulf South Conference titles, and three NCAA Division II playoff appearances. Hudspeth left UNA after the 2008 season to become an assistant under newly hired Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen.
Terry Bowden
Former Auburn head coach Terry Bowden was named the new head coach on January 1, 2009. Bowden's brother, Jeff Bowden, also joined Terry at UNA as the WR coach. Pre-season hype focused on Bowden's remedy to a re-building roster by acquiring over twenty-five transfers from Division I schools including several from his father's Florida State team. The 2009 campaign would climax late in the season with an undefeated 10–0 record and the school's return to the #1 ranking for the first time since 1996. The season wrapped up with a UNA loss in the regional finals with an 11–2 record.Bowden left after the 2011 season to take the head coaching job at Akron.
Bobby Wallace (second stint)
Wallace returned in 2012 for a second stint as head coach after Bowden's departure. Wallace led the Lions to four consecutive Gulf South Conference Championships and NCAA post-season appearances. Wallace ranks as the winningest football coach in Gulf South Conference history with 149 wins in his 19 years in the league. The 2012 season was a transition year for the Lions who finished fourth in the conference standings with a 5–5 overall record. After a successful off-season, the 2013 Lions had an impressive 10–3 record and shared the GSC title with in-state rival West Alabama. In 2014 Wallace led UNA to a 9–2 record that included winning a share of a second straight GSC Championship and a second straight berth in the Division II Playoffs. In 2015, coach Wallace led the Lions to a 9–3 record and shared their third consecutive GSC Championship with West Georgia and another Division II Playoff appearance. Wallace won his fourth consecutive GSC title outright in 2016 by going undefeated in conference play and received a fourth straight berth to the Division II Playoffs as the No. 1 seed in Region II. The Lions defeated UNC-Pembroke 41–17 in the second round, shutout North Greenville 38–0 in the quarterfinals, and went on to the semifinals winning at Shepherd 23–13, advancing to the national championship game. UNA fell to Northwest Missouri State 29–3 in the national championship and finished No. 2 in the final AFCA poll. Coach Wallace retired from UNA on December 20, 2016. Wallace finished his 15-year career at UNA with a 126–51–1 record, making him the winningest football coach in school history.Chris Willis
Chris Willis was named head coach on December 22, 2016. Coach Willis has spent fifteen years on the UNA football staff and five years as defensive coordinator. Willis finished the 2017 season with a 5–5 record, avoiding the school's first losing season since 2002. The Lions finished tied for second in the GSC and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Because of NCAA transitional rules, the Lions will not be eligible for postseason until 2022 as a transitioning school to Division I. The Lions finished their first season in the FCS with a 7-3 record, and were 3-2 versus FCS opponents. The Lions fell to 4-7 during the 2019 campaign after playing a tough non-conference schedule featuring prominent FCS programs such as Montana and Jacksonville State. Big South Conference games did not count towards the standings due to transition rules; however, UNA finished with a 3-4 conference record.Record Since 1990
Official record as of the end of the 2018 season:| National Champions | ''Conference Champions * |
Division II Playoffs results
The Lions appeared in the Division II playoffs twenty-one times with an overall record of 35–18. They were National Champions in 1993, 1994, and 1995.| 1980 | Quarterfinals Semifinals | Virginia Union Eastern Illinois | W 17–8 L 31–56 |
| 1983 | Quarterfinals Semifinals | Virginia Union Central State | W 16–14 L 24–27 |
| 1985 | Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship | Fort Valley State Bloomsburg North Dakota State | W 14–7 W 34–0 L 7–35 |
| 1989 | First Round | Jacksonville State | L 14–38 |
| 1992 | First Round Quarterfinals | Hampton Jacksonville State | W 33–21 L 12–14 |
| 1993 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship | Carson-Newman Hampton Texas A&M-Kingsville Indiana-Pennsylvania | W 38–28 W 45–20 W 27–25 W 41–34 |
| 1994 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship | Carson-Newman Valdosta State North Dakota Texas A&M-Kingsville | W 17–13 W 27–24 2OT W 35–7 W 16–10 |
| 1995 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship | Albany State Carson-Newman Ferris State Pittsburg State | W 38–28 W 28–7 W 45–7 W 27–7 |
| 1997 | First Round | Carson-Newman | L 6–23 |
| 2003 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Southern Arkansas Carson-Newman North Dakota | W 48–24 W 41–9 L 22–29 |
| 2005 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Valdosta State N.C. Central Central Arkansas Northwest Missouri State | W 40–13 W 24–21 W 41–38 OT L 25–26 |
| 2006 | Second Round Quarterfinals | Newberry Delta State | W 38–20 L 10–27 |
| 2007 | Second Round Quarterfinals | Delta State Valdosta State | W 20–17 L 23–37 |
| 2008 | Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Valdosta State Delta State Northwest Missouri State | W 37–10 W 55–34 L 7–41 |
| 2009 | Second Round Quarterfinals | Arkansas Tech Carson-Newman | W 41–28 L 21–24 |
| 2010 | First Round Second Round | Valdosta State Delta State | W 43–20 L 24–47 |
| 2011 | First Round Second Round | West Alabama Delta State | W 43–27 L 14–42 |
| 2013 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Tuskegee UNC Pembroke Lenoir-Rhyne | W 30–27 W 37–13 L 39–42 |
| 2014 | First Round | Valdosta State | L 31–33 |
| 2015 | First Round Second Round | Newberry Tuskegee | W 50–7 L 31–35 |
| 2016 | Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship | UNC Pembroke North Greenville Shepherd Northwest Missouri State | W 41–17 W 38–0 W 23–13 L 3–29 |
Future non-conference opponents
NFL Draft picks
Program achievements
| Alabama Collegiate Conference Champions | 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 |
| Gulf South Conference Champions | 1980, 1983, 1985, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 |
| NCAA Division II Team Playoff Participants | 1980, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 |
| NCAA Division II Regional Championships | 1980, 1983, 1985, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2016 |
| NCAA Division II National Championships | 1993, 1994, 1995 |