Western Michigan Broncos football

History

Early history (1906–1986)

From Western Michigan's first season of football in 1906 until it joined the MAC in 1948, WMU compiled a 187–87–12 (.675) record, going undefeated six times, in 1909, 1913, 1914, 1922, 1932, and 1941. During that stretch, Western Michigan had only seven losing seasons, and only once had back-to-back losing records. In 1922, the team finished 6–0 while outscoring their opponents, 160–0. The early dominance of the Hilltoppers was led by quarterback Walt Olsen and running back Scott Dunlap. In 1916, Olsen led the country in scoring with 17 touchdowns and 36 extra points. Olsen set a school-record with 8 touchdowns in a single game that season. Dunlap also set a team record with 19 touchdowns. The only loss in 1916 was to Notre Dame when George Gipp completed a 62-yard drop kick, the longest in football history. In 1939, WMU began playing at Waldo Stadium. Coinciding with the opening of the new stadium, the Hilltoppers changed their name to avoid confusion with athletic teams at Western Kentucky University and Marquette University. A contest was held to come up with a new name and assistant football coach John Gill suggested "Broncos." In support of the decision, the W Club's semi-annual publication, The Hilltopper, was renamed The Bronco. Western Michigan joined the MAC in 1948. At that time, the MAC consisted of Miami University, Ohio University, University of Cincinnati, Western Reserve University, and Butler University. The Broncos won their first conference game, 26–0, over Western Reserve and finished with a 6–3 record, good for second place. However, WMU would finish second or higher only 4 times in the next 39 years, compiling a 102–141–8 (.422) conference record in that stretch.

In 1961, Western Michigan finished second in the MAC with a 4–1–1 record, one-half game behind Bowling Green State University. Despite the second-place finish, WMU was invited to the Aviation Bowl in Dayton, OH. In freezing rain and snow, the Broncos lost to the University of New Mexico 28–12. The 1966 season resulted in a 7–3 record and WMU's first MAC football championship, which it shared with Miami. That season, tackle Bob Rowe won his second MAC Lineman of the Year Award. Rowe would go on to a 10-year National Football League career. Several players from the 1980s also played professionally including Duane Wilson (USFL), John Offerdahl and Tom Toth for the Miami Dolphins, and Mark Garylchk. Tom Nütten won a Super Bowl ring with the St. Louis Rams. Jack Harbaugh's first team went 7–2–2 and was second in the MAC. The defense that year was among the best in the nation.

Al Molde era (1987–1996)

In December 1986, Al Molde was hired to replace Jack Harbaugh. Molde had spent the previous four seasons as head coach at Eastern Illinois University where he led the Panthers to two playoff appearances (1983 and 1986) and a top 5 national ranking in 1986 (his 1986 squad was led by quarterback Sean Payton, former head coach of the NFL's New Orleans Saints).

The hiring paid immediate dividends, as Molde's first WMU squad finished the 1987 season 4–4 in the MAC (5–6 overall) and was much more competitive than recent WMU squads had been. Molde's first notable win came in the MAC opener, a 34–27 win at Bowling Green State University which was only two seasons removed from an 11–1 season.

In only his second year, Molde orchestrated one of the greatest seasons in WMU history, leading the Broncos to a postseason bowl game for the first time since 1961.

The 1988 season began with five consecutive dominating wins over the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the University of Toledo, Illinois State University, Bowling Green, and Miami University by a cumulative score of 177–65. The win over Wisconsin in Madison was WMU's first ever over a Big Ten team.

After a midseason home loss to pre-season MAC favorite Kent State University, WMU found itself with little margin for error during the season's home stretch as the Broncos faced in-state rivals Eastern Michigan University and Central Michigan University in back-to-back contests. In the 31–24 win over EMU, the Bronco defense managed a goal line stand, stopping EMU on the 1 yard line on the last play of the game to preserve the win. The following week against CMU, a then-record crowd of more than 32,000 jammed Waldo Stadium to see WMU rout the rival Chippewas 42–24, which stopped an 11-game winless streak in the heated rivalry dating back to 1976.

That win set up a winner-take-all showdown in Muncie against Ball State University the following week. The winner would claim the outright MAC title and a berth in the California Bowl to face Big West champion Fresno State University. The game was played in soggy conditions and was a defensive struggle. Three field goals by John Creek along with an opportunistic defense carried WMU to the 16–13 win, locking up the school's first outright MAC football championship. In the locker room after the game, Molde credited his players, coaches, and the Kalamazoo community for playing a part in helping to turn one of the MAC's worst programs into a champion in two short seasons.

Gary Darnell era (1997–2004)

Initially the Broncos' fortunes turned around immediately under Gary Darnell, who led WMU to an eight-win season in 1997. The program had a seven-win season in 1998, including a surprising road victory over Vanderbilt, but also had a disappointing loss to Central Michigan. Building on the initial success of the Molde-era recruits, Darnell took the Broncos to back-to-back 1999 and 2000 MAC West Division Championships, falling both years to host Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Because of the loss in the MAC Championship game, the program failed to become bowl eligible and see further post-season play. However, the disappointment wasn't enough to keep Darnell off the scouting list of BCS schools such as North Carolina, Rutgers, Missouri, Oklahoma State, and Virginia Tech. Some say the constant overtures from BCS programs to Darnell led to the program's progressive decline.

The 2001 season saw the momentum of the program slowing, with a five-win season. Slowing further in 2002, the program won four games, managing to defeat both Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant and Eastern Michigan University in the same season. Some optimism was felt in Kalamazoo for the 2003 season, with high expectations for the program dashed quickly, after a blowout by Virginia, and losses began mounting after the Broncos lost to Ball State, Northern Illinois, Marshall, and Toledo. The 2004 season was a complete disaster. After a blowout of Division I-AA UT–Martin, the Broncos piled up nine uninspiring losses, only being competitive against Illinois and Eastern Michigan. But it wasn't enough, for the team lost 10 straight games and didn't beat a single Division I-A team. Despite a slight minority of fans and alumni who wanted to give Darnell one more season, the majority, including the administration, wanted change. The program's attendance in 2004 was abysmal and the program was deep in red ink, ultimately leading to Darnell's termination due to the losing season as well as an aggressive bid for the job by then-incoming Bronco coach, Bill Cubit. Regardless, Coach Darnell would go down as one of the best coaches to come through the Western Michigan program's storied history.

Bill Cubit era (2005–2012)

After the inaugural season of Bill Cubit in 2005, which was 7–4 and marked a significant improvement in the WMU program from 2004, the Broncos aimed to do well in the 2006 season. The team improved on its record with an 8–5 overall record and strong performances against Indiana and Florida State. In conference play, the Broncos' only setbacks were to Ohio and a lopsided loss to Central Michigan 31–7 in Mt. Pleasant, foreshadowing many seasons of frustration with this rivalry. WMU earned a berth in the International Bowl where it lost 24–31 to Cincinnati, coached by familiar foe Brian Kelly, in his first game as Bearcats coach. 2007 and 2009 were not-so-successful years for Bronco football, as the team registered 5–7 records in both seasons overall, but those years bookended a promising 9–4 2008 season in which the team started 6–1 and defeated Illinois (who had represented the Big Ten with a BCS at-large bid in the Rose Bowl the previous season) going into a week eight matchup at Central Michigan. One of only a handful of setbacks that year, WMU lost both matchups against other contenders including another double digit defeat to Central Michigan 38–28 and again a few weeks later to Ball State. The season that year ended with a 38–14 loss to Rice in the Texas Bowl.

Bill Cubit's WMU team never regained momentum, posting a mediocre 6–6 record in 2010, and not being selected for a bowl game. The 2011 season was equally mediocre though the Broncos improved the win total by one as it posted a 7–6 regular season mark. A 44–14 win over Central Michigan (which snapped a five-game losing streak to the Chippewas) and a strong showing against then No. 24-ranked Illinois gave many plenty reason to be optimistic, but a continued string of losses to Northern Illinois and Toledo did not bode well heading into the Broncos' match-up against Purdue in the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl. Despite some big plays on offense the Broncos' failed to win their first bowl game with a 37–32 loss in which Purdue took advantage of an unprepared Broncos' special teams recovering an onside kick to capture a key possession late in the game. Jordan White was named the school's first consensus All-American following the 2011 season. The 2012 season was the last for Bill Cubit in Kalamazoo. Consecutive victories against Connecticut and rival Central Michigan were not enough to save Bill Cubit's job after the Broncos lost to Eastern Michigan for the second year in a row and continued losing streaks against Northern Illinois and Toledo en route to a 4–8 mark. The school terminated Cubit as football coach November 17, 2012, following the senior day loss to Eastern Michigan.

P. J. Fleck era (2013–2016)

P. J. Fleck was named as new head coach of the Broncos on December 18, 2012, making him the youngest Division I FBS head coach at the time. He completely turned the program around in this five years as head coach, starting with a rocky 1–11 record in the 2013 season and ending the regular 2016 undefeated 13–0, with wins over two Big 10 competitors and the school's first-ever national poll rankings for its football program. The 2013 season was Fleck's first as head coach, and resulted in a 1–11 record with one lone win over Massachusetts. Despite the poor start to his WMU coaching career, Fleck turned in the highest-rated recruiting class in MAC history during the following off-season. In 2014, Fleck's recruiting strength seemed to pay off as the Broncos posted to an 8–5 record. The improvement showed the strong efforts given by many players including running back Jarvion Franklin, who earned honors as MAC Freshman of the Year and MAC Offensive Player of the Year.

In 2015, the Broncos opened with a tough non-conference schedule against Big Ten Conference teams Michigan State and Ohio State. They lost 37–24 to the Spartans at home in Waldo Stadium, and again to the Buckeyes in Columbus with a 38–12 final score. Overcoming the losses, the Broncos were able to get their first victory over a ranked team in program with a defeat over No. 24 Toledo, and achieved the program's first bowl game win with a 45–31 win over Middle Tennessee in the 2015 Bahamas Bowl. In 2016, the Broncos finished the regular season 13–0, the best in school history. The undefeated season saw wins over Big Ten opponents Northwestern and Illinois, and put an end to a seven-year losing streak against MAC rival Northern Illinois. The program earned its first-ever Coaches Poll ranking at No. 25 in week six, and received its first AP Poll ranking at No. 24 the following week. On November 19, ESPN's College GameDay hosted its weekly pregame show at Western Michigan for its home game against Buffalo. This was only the second time a MAC team was featured at home by ESPN. Coincidentally, the first College Gameday visit to a MAC school was at Bowling Green in 2003, a game in which Fleck himself played for Northern Illinois.

Western Michigan ended the regular 2016 season with a 55–35 win over rival Toledo, securing the MAC West division title. They went on to win the MAC Championship game with a 29–23 victory over the Ohio Bobcats on December 2, 2016. After earning the MAC title, the Bronco were ranked No. 12 in the AP Poll, No. 14 in the Coaches Poll, and No. 15 in the CFP poll. Western Michigan lost to No.8 Wisconsin 24–16 in the Cotton Bowl and finished the season 13–1 and 15th in the AP poll and 18th in the coaches poll. On January 6, 2017, Fleck accepted the head coach position at the University of Minnesota, ending his tenure in Kalamazoo with a 30–22 overall record and effectively ending the "Row the Boat" era in Kalamazoo.

Tim Lester era (2017–2022)

Tim Lester was named as Broncos head coach on January 13, 2017.

In his first season, Lester's team clinched bowl eligibility with a 6–6 record, but WMU did not receive an invitation as it had only defeated five FBS teams (the team's sixth win was against FCS opponent Wagner).

Although he inherited tons of talent from a team one season removed from the Cotton Bowl, Lester's 2017 Broncos were hit with the injury bug. The team lost 15 starters, including the starting quarterback. The 2017 season saw Lester on the winning side of history, as the team played a 7OT thriller against Buffalo. WMU won 71–68, tying the record for the longest FBS college football game at the time.

In 2018, the Broncos raced out to a 6–2 start after falling to Power 5 opponents Syracuse (55–42) and Michigan (49–3) to open the season.

The Broncos lost quarterback Jon Wassink again to injury for the second straight season on October 25 against Toledo. WMU lost to Toledo badly and lost the next two to Ohio and Ball State before defeating eventual MAC champion Northern Illinois, 28–21, on November 20.

The Broncos finished the season 7–5 and accepted their second invitation to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in five seasons.

WMU faced independent opponent BYU on December 21, 2018, in Boise, ID. BYU defeated the Broncos 49–18, handing Lester his first postseason loss as head coach.

In 2019, the Broncos finished their non-conference schedule 2–2, with victories over Monmouth (48–13) and Georgia State (57–10) but tough Power 5 losses to Michigan State (51–17) and Syracuse (52–33).

The Broncos would then finish their conference schedule with a 5–3 record, amassing wins over Central Michigan, Miami (OH), Bowling Green, Ball State, and Ohio. Their 7–5 record earn them their second consecutive bowl berth, this time against Western Kentucky in the First Responders Bowl.

Lance Taylor era (2023–present)

Lance Taylor was named the 17th Head Coach in Western Michigan history on December 8, 2022. On December 13th, 2022, Taylor signed a 5-year $850,000 Deal, making him the highest-paid coach in WMU Football history.

In 2023, The Broncos finished Taylor's first season as WMU head coach with a 4–8 record, while going 3–5 in the MAC. However, the Broncos were able to win both games against their In-State MAC rivals Eastern and Central Michigan to capture the Michigan MAC Trophy for the first time since 2020.

After losing to Wisconsin and Ohio State to fall to 0–2, The Broncos defeated FCS Bethune Cookman 59–31 for their first win of 2024. WMU Would then go on to win 4 of the next 5 games against Ball State, Akron, Buffalo and Kent State to take control of 1st place in the MAC to compile a record 5–3 and 4–0 in conference.

The Broncos would then go on to lose the next 3 games. They lost badly to NIU 42–28 and Bowling Green 31–13, and then were upset by rival Central Michigan 16–14, which eliminated WMU from a spot MAC Championship Game. It was also the first time since 2010 that the Chippewas had beaten the Broncos in Mount Pleasant since 2010.

Reeling from a 3-game losing streak, the Broncos found themselves sitting with a record of 5–6 overall heading into the final week of the season. They hosted rival Eastern Michigan (who were also 5–6 coming into the game) needing a win to secure bowl eligibility. With a chilly game-time temperature and snow coming down at Waldo Stadium, both teams remained scoreless late in the 2nd quarter. With 3:41 to go in the 1st half, defensive tackle Anterio Thompson blocked an EMU punt. With the ball sitting free in the end zone and the Broncos looking to recover the ball for a touchdown, Eagles Punter Mitchell Tomasek was forced to bat the ball out of the back of the end zone for a WMU safety. The Broncos went on to score 16 un-answered points in the final 3:41 of the 1st half, and held off a 2nd half EMU rally to win 26–18. With the win, the Broncos finished the regular season 6–6 and 5–3 in the MAC to become Bowl Eligible, and retain the Michigan MAC Trophy for the 2nd consecutive year.

On December 3, 2024, the Broncos were selected to compete in the IS4S Salute To Veterans Bowl against the South Alabama Jaguars on December 14.

Championships

Conference championships

Western Michigan has won five conference championships.

† Co-champions

Division championships

† Co-champions

Bowl games

Western Michigan University has participated in twelve football bowl games in three countries in its history, compiling a record of 3–10 as of December 19, 2025. The Broncos have accepted a bid to play in the program's 13th bowl on December 19, 2025.

† New Year's Six game

Rivalries

Central Michigan

Central Michigan has had a long-running series between Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), notable for being the longest-running MAC rivalry and the second-longest in-state college football series in Michigan. The rivalry is characterized by its history, with the all-time series currently led by Central Michigan with a record of 65–32–6.

Michigan MAC Trophy

Western Michigan competes with Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan for the Michigan MAC Trophy. A team wins the trophy outright by defeating the other two during the MAC regular season.

As of 2025, WMU has won 10 Michigan MAC Football Trophies in the years 2005, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019†, 2020†, 2023, 2024†, 2025

† Tie; retained trophy as all three teams finished 1–1

Toledo

The Western Michigan and Toledo football rivalry is a significant one within the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

NCAA records

The following players hold individual NCAA records:

Corey Davis, NCAA FBS all-time leader in receiving yards with 5,205 yards.

Corey Alston, most receiving yards gained by a freshman in a game, 263 yards on nine catches vs. Eastern Michigan, November 1, 1997

Jason Babin

Most tackles for loss in a season, 32 tackles (31 solo and 2 assisted in 12 games), 2003

Most tackles for loss in a career, 75 tackles (73 solo and 4 assisted in 47 games), 2000–03

Cory Flom, most blocked field goals in a game, 2 blocked kicks vs. Indiana, September 2, 2006

Tim Hiller

Most plays by a freshman in a game, 80 plays vs. Ball State, October 8, 2005

Most touchdown passes thrown on consecutive plays, 3 touchdowns vs. Central Michigan, November 12, 2005 (76, 7 and 40 yards in 1:59 of playing time overlapping first and second quarters)

Ameer Ismail

Most sacks in a game, 6 sacks vs Ball State, October 21, 2006

Most tackles for loss in 2006, 25.5 tackles

Most sacks in 2006, 17 sacks

Greg Jennings

Most 1,000 yard receiving seasons, 3 seasons, 2003: 1,050 yards, 2004: 1,092 yards, 2005: 1,259 yards

Former and current NFL players

The following players played in the National Football League and WMU.

Richard Ash – DT, undrafted

Jason Babin – LB, drafted 1st round (27th overall) of 2004 NFL draft

Zaire Barnes – LB, drafted 6th round (184th overall) of 2023 NFL draft

Willie Beavers – OT, drafted 4th round (121st overall) of 2016 NFL draft

E. J. Biggers – DB, drafted 7th round (217th overall) of 2009 NFL draft

Freddie Bishop – DE, undrafted

Daniel Braverman – WR, drafted 7th round (230th overall) of 2016 NFL draft

Ray Bray – G/DG, drafted 9th round (76th overall) of 1939 NFL draft

Ed Chlebek – QB, undrafted

Terry Crews – LB, drafted 11th round (281st overall) of 1991 NFL draft

Corey Davis – WR, drafted 1st round (5th overall) of 2017 NFL draft

Louis Delmas – DB, drafted 2nd round (33rd overall) by Detroit Lions of 2009 NFL draft

Tyson DeVree – TE, undrafted, DeVree played at WMU his freshman and sophomore years before transferring

Donnie Ernsberger – TE Ernsberger signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent on April 28, 2018.

Media

Live coverage of Western Michigan University athletics are covered mostly by Bronco Insider through the school's athletics website, http://www.wmubroncos.com, or occasionally on http://www.mac-sports.com, the MAC's official website. Video is provided online for most WMU home football, basketball (men's and women's), baseball and hockey games, as well as some away games. Games can be viewed by purchasing them a la carte or by paying a fixed monthly or yearly subscription fee.

Bronco Radio Network

The Bronco Radio Network (BRN) covers football, hockey and men's and women's basketball in various southwestern Michigan markets. In addition to video, the BRN audio feed is also available through the Bronco Insider service offered by WMU athletics.

94.1 FM WWDK: Lansing, Battle Creek, Jackson, (football, men's basketball)

96.1 FM WMAX: Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Holland, Grand Haven (football, men's basketball)

96.5 FM WZOX: Portage, Kalamazoo (flagship station: football, men's basketball, hockey)

100.1 FM WBCH: Hastings (football, hockey)

1660 AM WQLR: Kalamazoo(flagship station: women's basketball)

1130 AM WDFN: Detroit (select football, men's basketball)

Bronco Review

Bronco Review is a weekly radio show that reviews the recent ongoings of the Western Michigan University athletic programs.

1660 AM WQLR: Kalamazoo

Bronco Review featuring the voice of the Broncos, Robin Hook, includes highlights and post-game comments after every WMU football game. The 30-minute show airs weekly on WLLA TV-64 on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and repeat each Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Bronco Update

Bronco Update is a daily update on issues that are immediately impacting the Western Michigan University athletic programs.

92.5 FM WZUU: Mattawan, Kalamazoo

92.7 FM WYVN: Holland, Saugatuck, South Haven, Grand Haven

100.9 FM WQXC: Allegan, Kalamazoo

590 AM WKZO: Kalamazoo

1400 AM WBFN: Battle Creek

1590 AM WTVB: Coldwater

1660 AM WQLR: Kalamazoo

ESPN also offers coverage of some MAC football and basketball games, as well as Comcast Local which is a regional network available to Comcast cable subscribers in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio which is where most MAC schools are located.

Print media coverage is offered by the Kalamazoo Gazette and The Grand Rapids Press, as well as the school's daily newspaper, the Western Herald and http://mlive.com.

Future non-conference opponents

The following table lists WMU's future scheduled non-conference opponents as of September 22, 2026.