Carroll Fighting Saints football
| Carroll Fighting Saints | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First season | 1920 |
| Head coach |
Mike Van Diest 16th year, 186–30–0 (.861) |
| Stadium | Nelson Stadium |
| Seating capacity | 7,000 |
| Field surface | Grass |
| Location | Helena, Montana |
| Conference | Frontier Conference |
| All-time record | 428–244–16 (.634) |
| Claimed nat'l titles |
6 (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010) |
| Conference titles | 43 |
| Colors |
Purple and Gold |
| Mascot | Fighting Saints (Halo) |
| Rivals | Montana Tech University |
| Website | CarrollAthletics.com |
The Carroll Fighting Saint football program represents Carroll College of Helena, Montana in college football. The team competes in the Frontier Conference, which is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Carroll Fighting Saints football team began playing in 1920 and is one of the most successful programs in the NAIA division of college football. The program has won six NAIA Football National Championships (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010) and 40 conference championships, 14 while a member of the Montana Collegiate Conference and 26 as a member of the Frontier Conference. The team is currently coached by Mike Van Diest who in his 12 seasons at Carroll, has compiled a career record of 144–20. His winning percentage of .878 is the third highest of any head coach with at least ten seasons of experience in college football history, behind only those of Mount Union's Larry Kehres and Notre Dame's Knute Rockne. The Carroll College Fighting Saints plays their home games on campus at Nelson Stadium.
Brandon Day, a linebacker on the team in 2007, made the December 24, 2007 cover of Sports Illustrated (back story).
Notable alumni
In addition, the Carroll program has developed many well known talents either as a coach or a player, including the winningest coach in college football history, John Gagliardi, former Detroit Lions tight end, Casey FitzSimmons, and University of Louisville football head coach, Bobby Petrino and Newport Beach legend, Stephen Sloan. The team is currently coached by Mike Van Diest and plays its home game on campus at Nelson Stadium.
Championships
National Championship appearances
| Year | Coach | Result | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Mike Van Diest | won | 28-7 | Georgetown College (KY) |
| 2003 | Mike Van Diest | won | 41-28 | Northwestern Oklahoma State |
| 2004 | Mike Van Diest | won | 15-13 | St. Francis (IN) |
| 2005 | Mike Van Diest | won | 27-10 | St. Francis (IN) |
| 2007 | Mike Van Diest | won | 17-9 | Sioux Falls |
| 2008 | Mike Van Diest | lost | 23-7 | Sioux Falls |
| 2010 | Mike Van Diest | won | 10-7 | Sioux Falls |
| 2011 | Mike Van Diest | lost | 24-20 | St. Xavier |
Conference championships
| Year | Conference | Coach | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Montana Collegiate Conference | Wilbur Eaton | Conference Champions |
| 1927 | Montana Collegiate Conference | Wilbur Eaton | Conference Champions |
| 1928 | Montana Collegiate Conference | Wilbur Eaton | Conference Champions |
| 1931 | Montana Collegiate Conference | Bill Jones | Conference Champions |
| 1940 | Montana Collegiate Conference | Ed Simonich | Conference Champions |
| 1941 | Montana Collegiate Conference | Ed Simonich | Conference Champions |
| 1950 | Montana Collegiate Conference | John Gagliardi | Conference Champions |
| 1951 | Montana Collegiate Conference | John Gagliardi | Conference Champions |
| 1952 | Montana Collegiate Conference | John Gagliardi | Conference Champions |
| 1953 | Montana Collegiate Conference | Raymond Hunthausen | Conference Champions |
| 1954 | Montana Collegiate Conference | Raymond Hunthausen | Conference Champions |
| 1955 | Montana Collegiate Conference | Raymond Hunthausen | Conference Champions |
| 1956 | Montana Collegiate Conference | Raymond Hunthausen | Conference Champions |
| 1960 | Montana Collegiate Conference | John Hunthausen | Conference Champions |
| 1972 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions |
| 1973 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions |
| 1974 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions |
| 1976 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions |
| 1978 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions, NAIA Quarterfinals |
| 1980 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions |
| 1981 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions |
| 1982 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions |
| 1985 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions, NAIA Semifinals |
| 1986 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions, NAIA Semifinals |
| 1987 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions, NAIA First Round |
| 1988 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions, NAIA Semifinals |
| 1989 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions, NAIA First Round |
| 1990 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions |
| 1993 | Frontier Conference | Bob Petrino Sr. | Conference Champions, NAIA First Round |
| 2000 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA Semifinals |
| 2001 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA Semifinals |
| 2002 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA National Champions |
| 2003 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA National Champions |
| 2004 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA National Champions |
| 2005 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA National Champions |
| 2006 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA Quarterfinals |
| 2007 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA National Champions |
| 2008 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA Finalists |
| 2009 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA Semifinals |
| 2010 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA National Champions |
| 2011 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA Finalists |
| 2013 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA Semifinals |
| 2014 | Frontier Conference | Mike Van Diest | Conference Champions, NAIA Quarterfinals |