The Muhlenberg Mules football team represents Muhlenberg College in college football at the NCAA Division III level. The team, known as the Muhlenberg Mules, have been members of the Centennial Conference since 1983. The Mules play their home games at Scotty Wood Stadium in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Muhlenberg Mules football program was founded in 1900.
The team's current head coach is Nate Milne, who took over the position beginning in the 2018 season.
Muhlenberg was known as the Cardinal and Grey until 1923, Cardinals from 1924 to 1928, and Mules 1929 onward.
In 1900, Muhlenberg launched its football program, which was the college's first varsity sport. In 1925, Haps Benfer became Muhlenberg head football coach, and the team finished the 1925 season 6-3-1.
From 1936 to 1945, Doggie Julian was head coach. He recorded a career record of 56âÂÂ49âÂÂ2. Julian was also head basketball coach during this time and, from 1942 to 1944, head baseball coach.
In 1946, Ben Schwartzwalder became head football coach. In his first season, he guided the Mules to a 9âÂÂ1 record and a national championship with Muhlenberg defeating St. Bonaventure University in the Tobacco Bowl. The following year, in the 1947 season, Schwartzwalder again led the Mules to a 9âÂÂ1 record; the season's only loss came by one point, in a 7âÂÂ6 loss at Temple. The Mules declined an invitation that season to appear in the Tangerine Bowl. In 1949, Schwartzwalder departed to coach Syracuse.
Mike Donnelly became the head football coach in 1997. Despite a 1âÂÂ9 inaugural season, Donnelly turned the team around; from 2000 to 2004, the Mules won five straight Centennial Conference championships and earned five straight postseason berths. In 2007, the Mules again won the Centennial Conference and received another berth in the NCAA playoffs, winning their first-round game before falling in the second round. Donnelly's team won the Centennial Conference again in 2008 and earned a playoff berth, but lost in the playoff's first round. In 2010, they returned to the playoffs with the same result.
Since the 2000 season, Muhlenberg has compiled a 66âÂÂ28 overall record in the Centennial Conference, second best among all active and former members behind only Johns Hopkins University. Seven times in the 2000s, the Muhlenberg football team won the Centennial Conference championship.
Nate Milne became Muhlenberg's head football coach in the 2018 season. He has a 35âÂÂ5 record over his first three seasons. In 2019, he was named AFCA Coach of the Year Award for NCAA Division III.
Since the start of the Muhlenberg football program in 1900, at least three Muhlenberg players have gone on to play in the National Football League: