This is a list of seasons completed by the North Carolina Tar Heels football team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Since the team's creation in 1888, the Tar Heels have participated in more than 1,100 officially sanctioned games, including 30 bowl games.
The Tar Heels have been a member of a few conferences. Initially competing as an independent school, North Carolina joined the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1895, where it was a member until 1921. Between 1922 and 1952, the Tar Heels competed in the Southern Conference, where it won 3 conference championships. In 1953, North Carolina joined the Atlantic Coast Conference as a founding member, where it has been a member ever since.
Conference Champions | Bowl game berth | Division Champions |
Year | Coach(es) | Conference | Conference Record | Conference Finish[1] | Overall Record[2] | Bowl/Postseason[3] | Final ranking | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wins | Losses | Ties | Wins | Losses | Ties | AP [4] |
Coaches' [4] | |||||
North Carolina Tar Heels | ||||||||||||
1888 | No coach | Ind | — | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1889 | No coach/Hector Cowan | Ind | — | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1890 | No games played | |||||||||||
1891 | No coach | Ind | — | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1892 | No coach | Ind | — | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1893 | No Coach | Ind | — | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1894 | Vernon K. Irvine | Ind | — | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1895 | Thomas Trenchard | Ind | — | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1896 | Gordon Johnston | Ind | — | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1897 | William A. Reynolds | Ind | — | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1898 | Ind | — | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | ||||
1899 | Ind | — | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | N/A | N/A | ||||
1900 | Ind | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | — | N/A | N/A | ||||
1901 | Charles O. Jenkins | Ind | — | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1902 | Herman Olcott | Ind | — | 5 | 1 | 3 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1903 | Ind | — | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | ||||
1904 | Robert R. Brown | Ind | — | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1905 | Bill Warner | Ind | — | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1906 | Willis Kienholz | Ind | — | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1907 | Otis Lamson | Ind | — | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1908 | Edward L. Greene | Ind | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1909 | Arthur Brides | Ind | — | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1910 | Ind | — | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | ||||
1911 | Branch Bocock | Ind | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1912 | C. W. Martin | Ind | — | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1913 | Thomas Trenchard | Ind | — | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1914 | Ind | — | 10 | 1 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | ||||
1915 | Ind | — | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | N/A | N/A | ||||
1916 | Thomas Campbell | Ind | — | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1917 | No games - World War I | |||||||||||
1918 | No games - World War I | |||||||||||
1919 | Ind | — | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | N/A | N/A | ||||
1920 | Myron Fuller | Ind | — | 2 | 6 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1921 | Bill Fetzer | Ind | — | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | N/A | N/A | |||
1922 | SoCon | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1st | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |
1923 | SoCon | 3 | 1 | 1 | 12th | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | N/A | N/A | |
1924 | SoCon | 2 | 3 | 0 | 14th | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |
1925 | SoCon | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3rd | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | N/A | N/A | |
1926 | Chuck Collins | SoCon | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10th | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A |
1927 | SoCon | 2 | 5 | 0 | 19th | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |
1928 | SoCon | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11th | 5 | 3 | 2 | — | N/A | N/A | |
1929 | SoCon | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3rd | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |
1930 | SoCon | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8th | 5 | 3 | 2 | — | N/A | N/A | |
1931 | SoCon | 2 | 3 | 3 | 13th | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | N/A | N/A | |
1932 | SoCon | 2 | 5 | 1 | 17th | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | N/A | N/A | |
1933 | SoCon | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3rd | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |
1934 | Carl Snavely | SoCon | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2nd | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | N/A | N/A |
1935 | SoCon | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2nd | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | N/A | N/A | |
1936 | Raymond Wolf | SoCon | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2nd | 8 | 2 | 0 | — | — | N/A |
1937 | SoCon | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2nd | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | 19 | N/A | |
1938 | SoCon | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4th | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | — | N/A | |
1939 | SoCon | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3rd | 8 | 1 | 1 | — | — | N/A | |
1940 | SoCon | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5th | 6 | 4 | 0 | — | — | N/A | |
1941 | SoCon | 2 | 4 | 0 | 11th | 3 | 7 | 0 | — | — | N/A | |
1942 | Jim Tatum | SoCon | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4th | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | — | N/A |
1943 | Tom Young | SoCon | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5th | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | N/A |
1944 | Gene McEver | SoCon | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9th | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | — | N/A |
1945 | Carl Snavely | SoCon | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7th | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — | N/A |
1946 | SoCon | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1st | 8 | 2 | 1 | Lost 1947 Sugar Bowl vs. Georgia, 10-20 | 9 | N/A | |
1947 | SoCon | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2nd | 8 | 2 | 0 | — | 9 | N/A | |
1948 | SoCon | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2nd | 9 | 1 | 1 | Lost 1949 Sugar Bowl vs. Oklahoma, 6-14 | 3 | N/A | |
1949 | SoCon | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1st | 7 | 4 | 0 | Lost 1950 Cotton Bowl Classic vs. Rice, 13-27 | 16 | N/A | |
1950 | SoCon | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7th | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | |
1951 | SoCon | 2 | 3 | 0 | 10th | 2 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1952 | SoCon | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12th | 2 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1953 | George T. Barclay | ACC | 2 | 3 | 0 | T-3rd | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — |
1954 | ACC | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3rd | 4 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | |
1955 | ACC | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4th | 3 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1956 | Jim Tatum | ACC | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5th | 2 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — |
1957 | ACC | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4th | 6 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1958 | ACC | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4th | 6 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1959 | Jim Hickey | ACC | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2nd | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — |
1960 | ACC | 2 | 5 | 0 | 6th | 3 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1961 | ACC | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2nd | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1962 | ACC | 3 | 4 | 0 | T-4th | 3 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1963 | ACC | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1st | 9 | 2 | 0 | Won 1963 Gator Bowl vs. Air Force, 35-0 | — | 19 | |
1964 | ACC | 4 | 3 | 0 | T-3rd | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1965 | ACC | 3 | 3 | 0 | T-5th | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1966 | ACC | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8th | 2 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1967 | Bill Dooley | ACC | 2 | 5 | 0 | 7th | 2 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — |
1968 | ACC | 1 | 6 | 0 | 8th | 3 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1969 | ACC | 3 | 3 | 0 | T-3rd | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1970 | ACC | 5 | 2 | 0 | T-2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | Lost 1970 Peach Bowl vs. Arizona State, 26-48 | — | — | |
1971 | ACC | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1st | 9 | 3 | 0 | Lost 1971 Gator Bowl vs. Georgia, 3-7 | — | 18 | |
1972 | ACC | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1st | 11 | 1 | 0 | Won 1972 Sun Bowl vs. Texas Tech, 32-28 | 12 | 14 | |
1973 | ACC | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6th | 4 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1974 | ACC | 4 | 2 | 0 | T-2nd | 7 | 5 | 0 | Lost 1974 Sun Bowl vs. Mississippi State, 24-26 | — | — | |
1975 | ACC | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6th | 3 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | |
1976 | ACC | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2nd | 9 | 3 | 0 | Lost 1976 Peach Bowl vs. Kentucky, 0-21 | — | — | |
1977 | ACC | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1st | 8 | 3 | 1 | Lost 1977 Liberty Bowl vs. Nebraska, 17-21 | 17 | 14 | |
1978 | Dick Crum | ACC | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4th | 5 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — |
1979 | ACC | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5th | 8 | 3 | 1 | Won 1979 Gator Bowl vs. Michigan, 17-15 | 15 | 14 | |
1980 | ACC | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1st | 11 | 1 | 0 | Won 1980 Bluebonnet Bowl vs. Texas, 16-7 | 10 | 9 | |
1981 | ACC | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2nd | 10 | 2 | 0 | Won 1981 Gator Bowl vs. Arkansas, 31-27 | 9 | 8 | |
1982 | ACC | 3 | 3 | 0 | T-3rd | 8 | 4 | 0 | Won 1982 Sun Bowl vs. Texas, 26-10 | 18 | 13 | |
1983 | ACC | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | Lost 1983 Peach Bowl vs. Florida State, 3-28 | — | — | |
1984 | ACC | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3rd | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | |
1985 | ACC | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5th | 5 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1986 | ACC | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2nd | 7 | 4 | 1 | Lost 1986 Aloha Bowl vs. Arizona, 21-30 | — | — | |
1987 | ACC | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6th | 5 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1988 | Mack Brown | ACC | 1 | 6 | 0 | 7th | 1 | 10 | 0 | — | — | — |
1989 | ACC | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8th | 1 | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1990 | ACC | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5th | 6 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | |
1991 | ACC | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5th | 7 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | |
1992 | ACC | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3rd | 9 | 3 | 0 | Won 1993 Peach Bowl vs. Mississippi State, 21-17 | 19 | 18 | |
1993 | ACC | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2nd | 10 | 3 | 0 | Lost 1993 Gator Bowl vs. Alabama, 10-24 | 19 | 21 | |
1994 | ACC | 5 | 3 | 0 | T-3rd | 8 | 4 | 0 | Lost 1994 Sun Bowl vs. Texas, 30-35 | — | 21 | |
1995 | ACC | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5th | 7 | 5 | 0 | Won Carquest Bowl vs. Arkansas, 20-10 | — | — | |
1996 | ACC | 6 | 2 | — | 2nd | 10 | 2 | —[A 1] | Won 1997 Gator Bowl vs. West Virginia, 20-13 | 10 | 10 | |
1997 | ACC | 7 | 1 | — | 2nd | 10 | 1 | — | did not coach bowl game. | 6 | 4 | |
Carl Torbush | ACC | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | Won 1998 Gator Bowl vs. Virginia Tech, 42-3 | |||
1998 | ACC | 4 | 4 | — | T-4th | 7 | 5 | — | Won 1998 Las Vegas Bowl vs. San Diego State, 20-13 | — | — | |
1999 | ACC | 2 | 6 | — | 9th | 3 | 8 | — | — | — | — | |
2000 | ACC | 3 | 5 | — | 6th | 6 | 5 | — | — | — | — | |
2001 | John Bunting | ACC | 5 | 3 | — | 3rd | 8 | 5 | — | Won 2001 Peach Bowl vs. Auburn, 16-10 | — | — |
2002 | ACC | 1 | 7 | — | 8th | 3 | 9 | — | — | — | — | |
2003 | ACC | 1 | 7 | — | 9th | 2 | 10 | — | — | — | — | |
2004 | ACC | 5 | 3 | — | T-3rd | 6 | 6 | — | Lost 2004 Continental Tire Bowl vs. Boston College, 24-37 | — | — | |
2005 | ACC | 4 | 4 | — | 4th (Coastal) | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | — | |
2006 | ACC | 2 | 6 | — | 5th (Coastal) | 3 | 9 | — | — | — | — | |
2007 | Butch Davis | ACC | 3 | 5 | — | 4th (Coastal) | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — |
2008[A 2] | ACC | 0 (4) | 4 | — | 3rd (Coastal) | 0 (8) | 5 | — | Lost 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl vs. West Virginia, 30-31 | — | — | |
2009 | ACC | 0 (4) | 4 | — | 4th (Coastal) | 0 (8) | 5 | — | Lost 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl vs. Pittsburgh, 17-19 | — | — | |
2010 | ACC | 4 | 4 | — | 3rd (Coastal) | 8 | 5 | — | Won 2010 Music City Bowl vs. Tennessee, 30-27 (2OT) | — | — | |
2011 | Everett Withers | ACC | 3 | 5 | — | 4th (Coastal) | 7 | 6 | — | Lost 2011 Independence Bowl vs. Missouri, 24-41 | — | — |
2012 | Larry Fedora | ACC | 5 | 3 | — | T-1st (Coastal) | 8 | 4 | — | Ineligible | — | — |
2013 | ACC | 4 | 4 | — | 5th (Coastal) | 7 | 6 | — | Won 2013 Belk Bowl vs. Cincinnati, 39-17 | — | — | |
2014 | ACC | 4 | 4 | — | 3rd (Coastal) | 6 | 7 | — | Lost 2014 Quick Lane Bowl vs. Rutgers, 21-41 | — | — | |
2015 | ACC | 8 | 0 | — | 1st (Coastal) | 11 | 3 | — | Lost 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl vs. Baylor, 38-49 | 15 | 15 | |
2016 | ACC | 5 | 3 | — | 3rd (Coastal) | 8 | 5 | — | Lost 2016 Sun Bowl vs. Stanford, 23-25 | — | — | |
2017 | ACC | 1 | 7 | — | 7th (Coastal) | 3 | 9 | — | — | — | — | |
2018 | ACC | 1 | 7 | — | 7th (Coastal) | 2 | 9 | — | — | — | — | |
2019 | Mack Brown | ACC | 4 | 4 | — | 4th (Coastal) | 7 | 6 | — | Won 2019 Military Bowl vs. Temple, 55-13 | — | — |
2020 | ACC | 7 | 3 | — | T-4th (Coastal) | 8 | 4 | — | Lost 2021 Orange Bowl vs. Texas A&M, 27-41 | 18 | 17 | |
2021 | ACC | 3 | 5 | — | 5th (Coastal) | 6 | 7 | — | Lost 2021 Duke's Mayo Bowl vs. South Carolina, 21-38 | — | — | |
2022 | ACC | 6 | 2 | — | 1st (Coastal) | 9 | 5 | — | Lost 2022 Holiday Bowl vs. Oregon, 27-28 | — | — | |
2023 | ACC | 4 | 4 | — | T-5th | 8 | 5 | — | Lost 2023 Duke's Mayo Bowl vs. West Virginia, 10-30 | |||
2024 | ACC | 3 | 3 | — | 6 | 4 | — | |||||
Totals (Through November 16, 2024) | SoCon: 98–52–17 (.638) ACC: |
All-time: 735–573–54 (.559) |
Postseason: 15–23 (.395) |