The Grand Valley State Lakers football team represents Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in NCAA Division II football. The team currently competes in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and was once affiliated with the now defunct Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference. The Lakers football team has appeared in six NCAA Division II national title games, winning four championships, since 2001. The team has made the playoffs in 20 seasons. They have also won or shared 17 conference titles (GLIAC and MIFC).
Since the start of the football program in 1970, the team has an overall winning percentage of .747 (439–148–3) which places the program as the highest in NCAA D2 and among the highest regardless of division. The Lakers all time home record is 219–46–1.
Grand Valley has played its home field games at Lubbers Stadium since 1973. The stadium has undergone numerous renovations and expansions in recent years to accommodate the overflow crowds that regularly exceed the stadium's 10,444 seat capacity.
History 1970s Grand Valley State College, as it was known at the time, launched its football program with a junior varsity schedule in 1970 and became a varsity sport in 1971. Robert "Rip" Collins, a successful high school coach at Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills High School, became the program's first head coach. In their first two seasons, the Lakers did not even have a home field or stadium to host games. They played the third game of their inaugural season at Soldier Field versus University of Illinois-Chicago Circle. The Lakers lost the game 27–7. Success didn't come quickly for the Lakers as it took almost three years for them to win their first football game. Coach Collins was unable to get the program off to a successful start after going 0–13 and being outscored 534–58 in 1971 and 1972.
E. James Harkema took over as head coach in January 1973, coming to GVSU from Northern Illinois where he was an offensive backfield coach. Also awaiting Harkema was a brand new football field constructed in 1972 which featured the first "Prescription Athletic Turf" (PAT) football playing surface in the country.
1974 marked the first conference play for Grand Valley with the forming of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. GVSU went 6–3 and finished third in that inaugural year. Offensive guard Ron Stallard became the second individual Laker honored as he was awarded NAIA AAHM status at the end of the season.
1976 would be the year Grand Valley would receive national attention. The game that put Grand Valley on the map was the season finale against Northern Michigan University. The Wildcats came into Allendale as the defending NCAA Division II National Champions, boasting an 18-game winning streak, ranked No. 1 in Division II and fresh off an 82–7 win over University of Nebraska-Omaha. And, as they were the team which ended the Lakers chances from going to the NAIA National Playoffs the year prior. GVSU was seeking some payback on their home field. The Lakers, playing 21 seniors built up a 24–0 lead and went on to shock the Wildcats 31–14 before a large crowd, which included many top recruits. Winning this game allowed Grand Valley to sign many top All-State players which started the program's push to national attention.
Harkema had traditionally built his teams on defense and a solid running game, but in 1977 with the transfer of quarterback Roy Gonzalez from the University of Wyoming, a solid offensive line and using many talented freshmen, Harkema went to the air and won their first ever Great Lakes Conference Championships, ultimately winning three in the next five years. The 1977 team went 7–3 and had one NAIA All-American, offensive tackle Gary Evans and eight NAIA AAHM athletes: Roy Gonzalez-QB, Daryl Gooden-DT, Mack Lofton-DE, Tim Maki-LB, Roger McCoy-PK, Clint Nash-WR, Joe Pollard-S and Rusty Steffens-OG. Gonzalez was followed by quarterbacks David Quinley, Steve Michuta and Jeff Lynch, who gave GVSU the most feared passing attack in the Grand Lakes Conference. They had been blessed with talented receivers like Clint Nash, Rick Cunningham, Michael Woods, Rob Rubick, Jeff Chadwick and Bill Luckstead as the Lakers averaged seven wins a year from 1977 to 1982.
In 1978, with Quinley at the controls, the Lakers suffered early losses to Northern Michigan and Bowling Green State, but bounced back to win eight straight games including a repeat of the GLIAC title and an NAIA Playoff victory over University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. The team ultimately lost to Elon College in the NAIA Semi-Finals on a wet, muddy field in North Carolina. The team finished 9–3 and secured the winningest season in school history at the time. The team celebrated two NAIA All-Americans in Bob Beaudrie-C and Joe Pollard-DB and four AAHM, Wade Bent-LB, Ron Essink-OT, Roger McCoy-PK and Rick VanEss-FB. This was the highlight of the first decade of football for Grand Valley State. Two players that stood out and won individual national honors: All-American Ron Essink-OT (NCAA DII/NAIA/Kodak) who went on to have an outstanding career in the NFL as a starting tackle with the Seattle Seahawks, and NAIA AAHM Mark Szczytko-DT.
1979 also saw the completion and dedication of the new stadium and track complex named after its president, Arend D. Lubbers, on September 15. The stadium was built around the existing PAT field and had permanent seating for 4,146 fans. The team had one of its few losing seasons, finishing with a 4–5 record.
1980s Coach Harkema quickly got the Lakers back to their winning ways finishing the 1980–82 seasons with records of 7–2, 7–3, & 7–2 respectively. Harkema resigned in November 1982 to accept the head coaching job at Eastern Michigan. He was replaced by Ball State assistant Bob Giesey. Under Giesey in 1983, the Lakers were 4–4 entering their last two games of the season. The team lost its final two games by two points, 31–30 to Northwood and 15–14 to Saginaw Valley to finish 4–6. The roof caved in the following year and GV went 0–10 and managed only 99 points for the season. Giesey resigned.
Athletic Director Dr. George MacDonald hired Tom Beck away from his assistant coaching job with Chicago Blitz of the United States Football League. Beck had previously turned losing programs at Illinois Benedictine and Elmhurst College, into winners. It took Beck three games to get the Lakers back on track in 1985. Faced with a 14-game losing streak, Beck made some key personnel changes. Beck installed Guy Schuler at quarterback and moved wide receiver Ray Buckner to tailback, linebacker Sylvester Johnson to fullback, and defensive tackle Brian Mulcahy to middle linebacker. The Lakers went out and defeated Evansville 28–14 and finished the year 6–5. The next five years would see explosive offenses, outstanding players and solid coaching which would result in trips to the NCAA Division II playoffs, as well as the Lakers becoming a fixture in preseason and postseason rankings. Beck's 1986 team posted a 9–2 record, In 1987, Beck hired a 25-year-old by the name of Brian Kelly as a graduate assistant and defensive backs coach, a move that would positively impact Lakers football for the next 17 seasons.
After a pair of 7–4 seasons in 1987 and 1988, Beck coached the Lakers to their first undefeated regular season with an 11–0 record and the final Great Lakes Conference Championship in 1989. Four players obtained national honors: Mark Prins, OT was both AP and Football News AAHM in "87" and Football News AA in "88"; while Guy Schuler again was named AP AAHM and Frank Miotke was a Football News AAHM for his first time. GV led Division II in total offense, averaging 480.9 yards per game and also in points with 44.5. One of the highlights of the 1989 season was GVSU's record breaking 91–0 victory over Valparaiso. The Lakers jumped out to a 56–0 halftime lead as they rolled up 731 yards in total offense. Freshman kicker Miguel Sagaro from Spain set a Division II record when he connected on 65 of 66 extra points for the season and sophomore fullback Eric Lynch scored 21 touchdowns. Lynch went on to begin an outstanding career with the Detroit Lions. Grand Valley finished third in the final 1989 Division II poll and earned the first of three consecutive playoff berths, losing to Indiana, PA, 34–24 on a frigid November afternoon highlighted by 11 inches of snow on the ground.
1990s
In 1990, Grand Valley, along with GLIAC members Ferris State, Hillsdale, Northern Michigan, Saginaw Valley and Wayne State, joined forces with the schools from the Heartland Conference which included Ashland University, Butler, University of Indianapolis, St Joseph's College and Valparaiso to form the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference (MIFC).
The Lakers continued their winning ways, posting a 22-game regular season winning streak before falling at Hillsdale, 38–34. GV won the inaugural MIFC crown, finished with a 10–2 record and lost to East Texas State, 20–14 in the playoffs. That 1990 season saw five Lakers win national recognition: Chris Tiede, OC – AA Football Gazette; Jim Cramer, DT – AA Football Gazette; Eric Lynch, FB – AA Football Gazette; Mike Flannery, CB – AA Football Gazette and Charles Sippial, LB – AA Football Gazette.
The 1991 team had eight players earn national awards at the conclusion of the season with five AA and three AAHM. Chris Tiede and Eric Lynch earned AA honors for the second year – Tiede from the AP, Football Gazette & Kodak – Lynch from the Football Gazette; Todd Wood, DB – AA (GTE/COSIDA); Mark Smith, OT – AA (GTE/COSIDA); Jim Cramer, DT – AA Football Gazette; Jack Hull, QB – AAHM Football Gazette; Bill McGory, OG – AAHM Football Gazette and Bob Michell, TE – AAHM Football Gazette.
Grand Valley shared its second MIFC crown with Butler, Ferris and Hillsdale in 1992 with an 8–3 record. The 1993 season saw the Lakers slide a bit posting a 6–3–2 record with key losses to Indiana (PA), Ashland and Hillsdale. Kelly and the Lakers bounced back in 1994 with a return trip to the playoffs and finished with an 8–4 record and a first round playoff loss. They started and ended that 1994 season with losses to Indiana(PA), regular season opener and first round of playoffs. The Lakers then posted back-to-back 8–3 seasons in "95" and "96", finishing second in the MIFC both years, but no playoff games either season. They again started each season with games against non-conference national competition but both ended in losses – "95"-Indiana(PA) and "96"-SW Texas State.
Multiple Lakers over those years earned All-American or AAHM status. 1992 – Miguel Sagaro, PK – AA Football Gazette; Jamarl Eiland, FB – AAHM Football Gazette; Jorgen Gustafsson, OT – AAHM Football Gazette; Brian Tazic, QB – AAHM Football Gazette. 1993 – Hardie Farr, SS – AA (CM Frank/AP); Youssef Sareini, WR – AA Football Gazette; Jorgen Gustafsson, OT – AAHM Football Gazette; Dan McLean, CB – AAHM Football Gazette; Mike Sheldon, OG – AAHM Football Gazette; 1994 – saw two repeats – Mike Sheldon, AA (AFCA/CM Frank/Football Gazette) and Youssef Sareini, AAHM (CM Frank/Football Gazette);Darnell Jamison, FB – AAHM CM Frank; Kwame McKinnon, QB – AAHM CM Frank and Tim Postema, LB – AAHM CM Frank. 1995 – Four players were awarded AAHM for a second year they were Darrell Jamison, Kwame McKinnon Tim Postema and Rich Hurley, OL – AA CM Frank; Kevin Gee, OL – AA CM Frank; Matt Potter, DL – AAHM CM Frank; Paul Siembida, DB – AAHM CM Frank and the most honored from this class was Diriki Mose, WR – AA (AFCA/Football Gazette/CM Frank/CoSIDA/Daktronics). 1996 – saw one player win multiple All-American awards after earning AAHM honors the year before – Matt Potter, AA (AFCA/Football Gazette/AP/CoSIDA/Daktronics) while Doug Kochanski, PK earned AAHM honors from the Football Gazette.