What does Northwestern coaching history show?
Northwestern coaching history on this page spans 30 tracked head coaches, led by Pat Fitzgerald with 110 wins from 2006-2022.
Program history
Northwestern Football History
Program history, coaching eras, title years, and signature seasons.
Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium • Evanston • IL
Big TenLanny and Sharon Martin Stadium
Seasons Indexed
133
All-Time Wins
568
Winning Seasons
38%
Last 10 Win %
47.3%
History guide
Northwestern program history explained
This history tab puts Northwestern into a longer program timeline: season records, winning and losing streaks, coaching-era context, title references, playoff runs, and decade-level performance.
The current dataset includes 133 indexed seasons, and 30 coaching tenures. Use the national record links to compare the program against broader college football leaderboards.
Program History
Explore the program's most dominant seasons, toughest stretches, and era-by-era trends.
Use the snapshot to scan program-wide benchmarks, standout seasons, and decade-level performance trends.
Total Wins
568
Across 133 seasons
Winning Seasons
38%
Share of winning records
Average Record
4.3-5.3
Per season
Last 10 Seasons
47.3%
Win rate since 2026
Signature Season
1995
10-2 (83.3% win rate)
Toughest Season
1989
0-11 (0.0% win rate)
Peak Seasons
Most wins in program history
Highlights the seasons that produced the biggest win totals for the program.
| Year | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 10-2 | 83.3% |
| 1903 | 10-1-3 | 82.1% |
| 2017 | 10-3 | 76.9% |
| 2015 | 10-3 | 76.9% |
| 2012 | 10-3 | 76.9% |
Challenging Seasons
Years that tested the fan base
Surfaces the seasons with the heaviest loss totals and weakest win rates.
| Year | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 0-11 | 0.0% |
| 1981 | 0-11 | 0.0% |
| 1980 | 0-11 | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 1-11 | 8.3% |
| 1978 | 0-10-1 | 4.5% |
Era Performance
Win rate by decade
Buckets every season into decade groups so long-run rises and dips are easier to spot.
| Decade | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 30-41 | 42.3% |
| 2010s | 72-56 | 56.3% |
| 2000s | 61-61 | 50.0% |
| 1990s | 43-70-1 | 38.2% |
| 1980s | 18-90-2 | 17.3% |
| 1970s | 28-80-1 | 26.1% |
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