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Akron Zips football
The Akron Zips football team is a college football program representing the University of Akron in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Akron plays its home games at InfoCision Stadium on the campus of the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The Zips compete in the Mid-American Conference (MAC); it had been in the conference's East Division before the MAC eliminated its football divisions in 2024.
The team was established in 1891 when the school was known as Buchtel College; it became the University of Akron in 1913. In 1926, the athletic teams were named the Zippers, after rubber boots manufactured by the B.F. Goodrich Company, which was headquartered in Akron at the time. The name was shortened to "Zips" in 1950. Akron was originally classified as a Small College school in the 1937 season until 1972. Akron received Division II classification in 1973, before becoming a Division I-AA program in 1980 and a Division I-A (now FBS) program in 1987. The Zips were the first team to move from Division I-AA to Division I-A. In 2005, the Zips won the Mid-American Conference championship for the first time in the program's history. Through the 2023 season, the Zips have an overall record of 528–584–36.
The University of Akron football team was established in 1891. In their first game, the team, then called Buchtel College, defeated Western Reserve Academy by a score of 22–6 in Hudson, Ohio. Buchtel went on to finish its first season with a 1–3 record. The following year, Buchtel hired Frank Cook as the school's first ever head coach. Cook led Buchtel to a 3–4 record during his only season has head coach. In 1893, the college hired John Heisman to become the football and baseball coach. Heisman lead Buchtel to their first winning season with a 5–2 record in 1893, and then led them to their first undefeated season, albeit a single game season in which they defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes. While at Buchtel, Heisman also helped invent the snap, which is still used in modern-day football. The early years for Buchtel saw many coaching changes, as the program went through nine different coaches in the 22-year span. Buchtel College changed its name to the University of Akron in 1913.
Coach Fred Sefton served as the head football coach of the Zippers for nine seasons, from 1915 to 1923, compiling a record of 33–34–4. Sefton's teams posted winning records in five of Sefton's nine seasons, including four of his final five. Sefton resigned as head coach after the 1923 season. James W. Coleman was hired as Akron's head football coach after Sefton's resignation. His final record in two seasons with the Zippers is 6–10. George Babcock took over as head coach after Coleman's departure and led the Zips to a 5–2–2 record before departing to accept the head football coach position at Cincinnati. Red Blair was hired as the team's next head coach after Babcock's departure. In nine seasons at the helm of the Zips, Blair's teams compiled a record of 43–30–5. Blair's 1929 Akron team compiled a record of 9–1. His 1930 team went 7–1 and his 1935 team posted a 6–3 record for the best three years of Blair's tenure. Blair resigned as head coach of the Zips after the 1935 season. Jim Aiken was hired as the Zippers' head coach after Blair's resignation. Aiken's three seasons were all winning, as his teams compiled yearly records of 6–2–1, 7–2 and 6–3 for a grand total of 19–7–1. Aiken departed the Zips after the 1938 season to accept the head football coach position at Nevada.
Thomas Dowler was hired to lead the Zippers football program after Aiken's departure. In two seasons as head coach, Dowler's teams compiled a record of 7–9–2. Otis Douglas took over the reins of the Akron football program after Dowler and his teams struggled. In two seasons, the Zippers posted a record of 5–10–3 that included a winless 0–7–2 mark in what turned out to be Douglas' final season. Akron did not field a football team from 1943 to 1945 due to the events surrounding World War II. Paul Baldacci was hired as Akron's head coach after the three season hiatus was over. Baldacci served as head coach for two seasons, compiling a record of 7–10 that included yearly records of 5–4 and 2–6. Akron's on-the-field struggles continued during the tenure of Baldacci's successor, William Houghton, whose tenure produced a 7–27–1 record with no winning seasons or more than two wins in a single season. Under head coach Kenneth Cochrane, the Zippers broke out of their slump, posting yearly records of 2–6–1 and 6–3 before Cochrane stepped down to focus on his duties as athletics director at Akron. Cochrane shorted the school's athletic nickname from "Zippers" to "Zips". Joe McMullen came to Akron from Washington & Jefferson and achieved moderate success as the Zips head coach. While his teams did compile an overall winning record during McMullen's seven-season tenure (30–28–3), declining records of 4–5 and 1–8 led to his firing after the 1960 season. In 1961, the Zips hired Gordon Larson, who had been an assistant coach under Woody Hayes at Ohio State. Larson helped the Zips finish 2nd in the Ohio Athletic Conference 3 times in his first five seasons, going 26–8 in conference play during those five season. In 1966, the Zips left the Ohio Athletic Conference, and became an Independent football program. During its Independence era, the Zips put together the best run in school history, winning 38 games from 1968 to 1971, also going to the 1968 Grantland Rice Bowl. In 12 seasons, Larson had a record of 74–33–5. At the time of his retirement from coach, Larson was the all-time wins leader among head coaches in Akron football history. Larson remained at the university as the athletics director.
In 1973, the Zips promoted long-time assistant, Jim Dennison to replace the retired Larson. His 1976 Akron squad played for the NCAA Division II championship (Pioneer Bowl), losing to the Montana State Bobcats, 24-13. Under Dennison's tutelage, the Zips transitioned from NCAA Division II to Division I-AA and posted an 80–62–2 record that included a I-AA playoff berth in 1985 and nine winning seasons in Dennison's thirteen. Despite these successes, Dennison was fired as head coach after the 1985 season.
In 1985, Akron president William Muse replaced Dennison with former Notre Dame head coach Gerry Faust. Muse wanted the program to have "instant credibility" during its transition into a 1-A school in 1987. Adams and Muse felt that Faust was more prepared to lead the Zips as they transitioned into a 1-A institution. Faust struggled to get acclimated to the small budget school, struggling to a 25–23–2 start after his first 4 seasons with the Zips. Faust's Zips teams never won more than seven games in one season. Following a 1–10 finish in 1994, he was relieved of his coaching duties and became a fundraiser for the university. Faust's 43 wins placed him 3rd in Akron career wins leaders. The Zips became the first ever program to transition from I-AA to 1-A when they made the move in 1987. Akron joined the Mid-American Conference in 1992.
Lee Owens, a former Ohio State assistant and highly successful Ohio high school head coach, was hired by the Zips as head football coach after Faust's firing. Owens had three winning seasons (most by any Akron coach during the major-college era), including a MAC East co-championship in 2000 (shared with Marshall), but his overall record was 40–61, which led to his firing by athletics director Mike Thomas after nine seasons. Jason Taylor (Pro Football Hall of Fame), Dwight Smith (consensus All-American, Super Bowl champion) and Charlie Frye (NFL QB) were among star players during Owens' tenure.
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Akron Zips football
The Akron Zips football team is a college football program representing the University of Akron in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Akron plays its home games at InfoCision Stadium on the campus of the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The Zips compete in the Mid-American Conference (MAC); it had been in the conference's East Division before the MAC eliminated its football divisions in 2024.
The team was established in 1891 when the school was known as Buchtel College; it became the University of Akron in 1913. In 1926, the athletic teams were named the Zippers, after rubber boots manufactured by the B.F. Goodrich Company, which was headquartered in Akron at the time. The name was shortened to "Zips" in 1950. Akron was originally classified as a Small College school in the 1937 season until 1972. Akron received Division II classification in 1973, before becoming a Division I-AA program in 1980 and a Division I-A (now FBS) program in 1987. The Zips were the first team to move from Division I-AA to Division I-A. In 2005, the Zips won the Mid-American Conference championship for the first time in the program's history. Through the 2023 season, the Zips have an overall record of 528–584–36.
The University of Akron football team was established in 1891. In their first game, the team, then called Buchtel College, defeated Western Reserve Academy by a score of 22–6 in Hudson, Ohio. Buchtel went on to finish its first season with a 1–3 record. The following year, Buchtel hired Frank Cook as the school's first ever head coach. Cook led Buchtel to a 3–4 record during his only season has head coach. In 1893, the college hired John Heisman to become the football and baseball coach. Heisman lead Buchtel to their first winning season with a 5–2 record in 1893, and then led them to their first undefeated season, albeit a single game season in which they defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes. While at Buchtel, Heisman also helped invent the snap, which is still used in modern-day football. The early years for Buchtel saw many coaching changes, as the program went through nine different coaches in the 22-year span. Buchtel College changed its name to the University of Akron in 1913.
Coach Fred Sefton served as the head football coach of the Zippers for nine seasons, from 1915 to 1923, compiling a record of 33–34–4. Sefton's teams posted winning records in five of Sefton's nine seasons, including four of his final five. Sefton resigned as head coach after the 1923 season. James W. Coleman was hired as Akron's head football coach after Sefton's resignation. His final record in two seasons with the Zippers is 6–10. George Babcock took over as head coach after Coleman's departure and led the Zips to a 5–2–2 record before departing to accept the head football coach position at Cincinnati. Red Blair was hired as the team's next head coach after Babcock's departure. In nine seasons at the helm of the Zips, Blair's teams compiled a record of 43–30–5. Blair's 1929 Akron team compiled a record of 9–1. His 1930 team went 7–1 and his 1935 team posted a 6–3 record for the best three years of Blair's tenure. Blair resigned as head coach of the Zips after the 1935 season. Jim Aiken was hired as the Zippers' head coach after Blair's resignation. Aiken's three seasons were all winning, as his teams compiled yearly records of 6–2–1, 7–2 and 6–3 for a grand total of 19–7–1. Aiken departed the Zips after the 1938 season to accept the head football coach position at Nevada.
Thomas Dowler was hired to lead the Zippers football program after Aiken's departure. In two seasons as head coach, Dowler's teams compiled a record of 7–9–2. Otis Douglas took over the reins of the Akron football program after Dowler and his teams struggled. In two seasons, the Zippers posted a record of 5–10–3 that included a winless 0–7–2 mark in what turned out to be Douglas' final season. Akron did not field a football team from 1943 to 1945 due to the events surrounding World War II. Paul Baldacci was hired as Akron's head coach after the three season hiatus was over. Baldacci served as head coach for two seasons, compiling a record of 7–10 that included yearly records of 5–4 and 2–6. Akron's on-the-field struggles continued during the tenure of Baldacci's successor, William Houghton, whose tenure produced a 7–27–1 record with no winning seasons or more than two wins in a single season. Under head coach Kenneth Cochrane, the Zippers broke out of their slump, posting yearly records of 2–6–1 and 6–3 before Cochrane stepped down to focus on his duties as athletics director at Akron. Cochrane shorted the school's athletic nickname from "Zippers" to "Zips". Joe McMullen came to Akron from Washington & Jefferson and achieved moderate success as the Zips head coach. While his teams did compile an overall winning record during McMullen's seven-season tenure (30–28–3), declining records of 4–5 and 1–8 led to his firing after the 1960 season. In 1961, the Zips hired Gordon Larson, who had been an assistant coach under Woody Hayes at Ohio State. Larson helped the Zips finish 2nd in the Ohio Athletic Conference 3 times in his first five seasons, going 26–8 in conference play during those five season. In 1966, the Zips left the Ohio Athletic Conference, and became an Independent football program. During its Independence era, the Zips put together the best run in school history, winning 38 games from 1968 to 1971, also going to the 1968 Grantland Rice Bowl. In 12 seasons, Larson had a record of 74–33–5. At the time of his retirement from coach, Larson was the all-time wins leader among head coaches in Akron football history. Larson remained at the university as the athletics director.
In 1973, the Zips promoted long-time assistant, Jim Dennison to replace the retired Larson. His 1976 Akron squad played for the NCAA Division II championship (Pioneer Bowl), losing to the Montana State Bobcats, 24-13. Under Dennison's tutelage, the Zips transitioned from NCAA Division II to Division I-AA and posted an 80–62–2 record that included a I-AA playoff berth in 1985 and nine winning seasons in Dennison's thirteen. Despite these successes, Dennison was fired as head coach after the 1985 season.
In 1985, Akron president William Muse replaced Dennison with former Notre Dame head coach Gerry Faust. Muse wanted the program to have "instant credibility" during its transition into a 1-A school in 1987. Adams and Muse felt that Faust was more prepared to lead the Zips as they transitioned into a 1-A institution. Faust struggled to get acclimated to the small budget school, struggling to a 25–23–2 start after his first 4 seasons with the Zips. Faust's Zips teams never won more than seven games in one season. Following a 1–10 finish in 1994, he was relieved of his coaching duties and became a fundraiser for the university. Faust's 43 wins placed him 3rd in Akron career wins leaders. The Zips became the first ever program to transition from I-AA to 1-A when they made the move in 1987. Akron joined the Mid-American Conference in 1992.
Lee Owens, a former Ohio State assistant and highly successful Ohio high school head coach, was hired by the Zips as head football coach after Faust's firing. Owens had three winning seasons (most by any Akron coach during the major-college era), including a MAC East co-championship in 2000 (shared with Marshall), but his overall record was 40–61, which led to his firing by athletics director Mike Thomas after nine seasons. Jason Taylor (Pro Football Hall of Fame), Dwight Smith (consensus All-American, Super Bowl champion) and Charlie Frye (NFL QB) were among star players during Owens' tenure.
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