The 1924 Western State Normal Hilltoppers football team represented
Western State Normal School
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers. ...
(later renamed Western Michigan University) as an independent during the
1924 college football season
The 1924 college football season was the year of the Four Horsemen as the Notre Dame team, coached by Knute Rockne, won all of its games, including the Rose Bowl, to be acclaimed as the best team in the nation. Notre Dame and Stanford were bot ...
. In their first season under head coach
Earl Martineau
Earl Thomas Martineau (August 30, 1896 – January 20, 1966) was an American college football player and coach. He played Halfback (American football), halfback at the University of Minnesota and was selected as an All-American in 1922 College Foo ...
, the Hilltoppers compiled a 5–1–1 record and outscored their opponents, 101 to 46. Tackle Oscar Johnson was the team captain.
Martineau was hired as the Hilltoppers' head coach in June 1924. He had played college football for Minnesota the prior year and been selected by
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage and the system ...
to the
1923 College Football All-America Team
The 1923 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1923. The only two selectors recognized by t ...
. Minnesota coach
William H. Spaulding
William H. Spaulding (May 4, 1880 – October 12, 1966) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. Spaulding coached at UCLA from 1925 to 1938. He had a successful tenure, compiling a 72–51–8 () record. H ...
, who had previously coached the Hilltoppers, recommended Martineau for the job.
Schedule
References
Western State Normal
Western Michigan Broncos football seasons
Western State Normal Hilltoppers football
{{collegefootball-1924-season-stub