The Lees–McRae Bobcats football team represented Lees–McRae College in college football at the NCAA Division II level. The Bobcats were independents after transitioning to a four-year college, from 1991–1993. The program shut down following the 1993 season.
Conference affiliations Independent (1929–1931) North Carolina Junior College Conference (1932–1935) Independent (1936–1939) North Carolina Junior College Conference / Carolinas Junior College Conference (1946–1950) Western Carolina Junior College Conference (1951–1962) Region 10 Junior College Conference / Region 10 Conference (1963–1969) Coastal Football Conference (1971–1990) NCAA Division II independent (1991–1993)
Championships Conference championships Lees–McRae claims twelve conference titles, the last of which came in 1988.
1948 North Carolina Junior College Conference / Carolinas Junior College Conference 6–1–1 4–0–1Fred I. Dickerson19499–2–15–019507–1–15–01951Western Carolina Junior College Conference4–23–219538–25–119545–0–34–0–21955†4–3–12–1–11956†4–32–219607–16–01967Region 10 Conference8–1–15–0–1George Litton1987Coastal Football Conference12–05–0Mac Bryan1988†9–24–1 † Co-champions
Division championships Lees–McRae claimed one division title, with the only one coming in 1975.
1975 Coastal Football Conference Southern Division 7–3 4–2 Warren Klawiter
Postseason games NJCAA playoff games Lees–McRae appeared in the NJCAA playoffs just once, with an overall record of 0–1. 1967Savannah Shrine BowlNE Oklahoma A&ML, 35–13
Bowl games Lees–McRae participated in nine bowl games, and had a record of 2–7. 1949Fred I. DickersonLittle Sugar BowlWharton CountyL, 49–01950Golden Isles BowlSouth GeorgiaL, 24–61953Golden Isles BowlSouth GeorgiaL, 20–71968George LittonEl Toro BowlArizona WesternL, 27–61986Mac BryanEast BowlMississippi Gulf CoastL, 14–131987East BowlGrand RapidsW, 20–13 1988 Mid-America Bowl NE Oklahoma A&M L, 36–7 1989East BowlItawambaW, 27–18 1990 East Bowl Butler County L, 23–8
List of head coaches Key
Coaches + List of head football coaches showing season(s) coached, overall records, conference records, postseason records, championships and selected awards No. Name Season(s) GC OW OL OT O% CW CL CT C% PW PL PT DC CC NC Awards 1 Dick Flinn 1929 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Charlie Zimmerman 1930–1931 16 5 8 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Don King 1932 8 2 5 1 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 Fred I. Dickerson 1933–1935, 1946–1961 153 75 62 16 51 38 12 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 5 Johnny Mackorell 1936–1939 29 9 19 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 George Litton 1962–1969 77 41 32 4 15 22 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 7 Jim Osborne 1970 10 6 4 0 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 Mike Cook 1971–1974 37 22 14 1 12 10 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 Warren Klawiter 1975 10 7 3 0 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 Cole Proctor 1976–1978 29 14 15 0 6 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 Bill Bomar 197910 6 4 0 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 Soupy Campbell 1980–198459 30 27 2 15 21 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 Mac Bryan 1986–1990 54 44 9 1 19 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 14 John Pate 1991–1993 30 5 24 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Year-by-year results National championsConference championsDivision championsBowl game berthPlayoff berth SeasonYearHead coachAssociationDivisionConferenceRecordPostseasonFinal rankingOverallConferenceWinLossTieFinishWinLossTieLees–McRae Bulldogs19291929Dick Flinn——Independent22019301930Charlie Zimmerman2421931193134119321932Don KingNCJCC2518th14119331933Fred I. Dickerson532T–3rd320193419343604th220193519352516th24119361936Johnny MackorellIndependent25019371937340Lees–McRae Bobcats19381938Johnny MackorellIAA—Independent15119391939350——No team from 1940 to 194519461946Fred I. DickersonNJCAA—NCJCC / CJCC0717th051——194719472526th132——194819486111st401——194919499211st500L Little Sugar Bowl—195019507111st500L Golden Isles Bowl—19511951WCJCC4201st320——195219523313rd331——195319538201st510L Golden Isles Bowl—195419545031st402——19551955431T–1st211——19561956430T–1st220——195719573314th121——195819581524th141——195919591614th141——196019607101st600——196119611414th131—— 1962 1962George Litton 2 7 0 4th 1 30— — 1963 1963R10 2 6 1 4th 1 50— — 1964 1964 3 6 0 4th 2 40— — 1965 1965 5 5 0 4th 1 40— — 1966 1966 6 4 0 4th 1 40— — 19671967 8 1 1 1st 5 01L Savannah Shrine Bowl2 1968 1968 8 2 1 2nd 3 10L El Toro Bowl 10 1969 1969 7 1 1 2nd 1 10— 10 1970 1970Jim OsborneCFC 6 4 0 5th 2 40— — 1971 1971Mike Cook 6 3 1 2nd 4 11— — 1972 1972 3 6 0 T–4th 2 40— — 1973 1973 7 2 0 3rd 3 20— — 1974 1974 6 3 0 4th 3 30— — 19751975Warren Klawiter 7 3 0 1st (Southern) 4 20— — 1976 1976Cole Proctor 5 4 0 3rd (Southern) 3 20— — 1977 1977 4 6 0 7th 1 40— — 1978 1978 5 5 0 6th 2 40— — 1979 1979Bill Bomar 6 4 0 2nd 4 20— — 1980 1980Soupy Campbell 7 3 0 5th 3 30— — 1981 1981 4 6 0 8th 2 60— — 1982 1982 6 3 1 3rd 3 21— — 1983 1983 2 7 0 8th 1 50— — 1984 1984 5 5 0 6th 2 40— — 1985 1985 6 3 1 3rd 3 20— — 1986 1986Mac Bryan 9 1 1 1st 5 00L East Bowl 4 19871987 12 0 0 1st 5 00W East Bowl2 19881988 9 2 0 T–1st 4 10L Mid-America Bowl 7 1989 1989 8 2 0 2nd 3 10W East Bowl — 1990 1990 6 4 0 4th 2 30L East Bowl — 1991 1991John PateNCAADivision IIIndependent 1 9 0 — — 1992 1992 1 9 0 — — 1993 1993 3 6 1 — —
Individual accomplishments All-Americans Lees–McRae produced 27 All-Americans with Robert Hardy being the only two-time All-American. 17 of the programs 27 All-Americans were First-Team.
First Team Year Player Position Source 1960 Terry Postell RB 1963 Lane Hurley TE 1967 Bill Martin OG 1968 William Martin OG 1969 Arthur Morrison OG 1975 Wardell Johnson RB 1976 Brian Johnson LB 1980 Otis Lindsey LB Russ Carpentiere PK 1981 Andy Kilgore RB 1984 Deron Farina OL 1986 James Galloway LB 1987 Robert Hardy RB 1988 RB Craig Brawley PK 1989 Richard Maddox DL 1990 Jeff Fortner OL
Second Team Year Player Position Source 1956 Allison Richardson OG 1970 Carl Witherspoon DT 1971 Ron Parson RB 1977 Barry Tolley OL 1978 Jeff Bridges OL 1982 Larry Spears 1985 Todd Daggs 1986 Steve Debell DL 1987 Randy Norris RB 1989 Randal Olds OL
Honorable mentions Year Player Position Source 1962 Lane Hurley TE 1964 Freddy Waltom QB 1965 Cecil Ratcliff TE Mike Sizemore TE 1966 Ron Rossello RB 1967 Danny Copenhaver S Wally Matthews RB 1968 George Porter DL 1975 Frank Wilson LB Ron Wilson DL Henry Vinson OL 1976 Paul Talley 1978 Rick Crosby 1983 Rusty Smith 1985 Chris Ledbetter 1986 Anthony Pearson 1987 Wesley Pope 1988 Calvin Tiggle
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