The History of Jacksonville Dolphins

Image via Flickr by Rich Jones 

The Jacksonville Dolphins were one of the most well-known college sports teams in Jacksonville, Florida, history. Known for being a popular intercollegiate football team, the Dolphins played for Jacksonville University until the university discontinued the team in 2019. 

While Jacksonville is currently home to many impressive sports teams, here at Keith Pierson Toyota, we’re sure that the Dolphins will be deeply missed by their fans in northeast Florida and will be remembered for years to come. 

What Were the Jacksonville Dolphins Known For?

The Jacksonville Dolphins were known for being members of the Pioneer Football League (PLF), a college athletic conference operating in the U.S. They’re particularly known for competing in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), which is considered to be the second-highest level of college football, right after the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). They played all of their home games at the D. B. Milne Field, a stadium on Jacksonville University’s campus that seated up 5,000 people and first opened in 1998.

There were several notable figures that formerly played for the Dolphins, including Andy Jones, who currently plays in the NFL. While in college, he was one of the best on the team, scoring 60 receptions for 890 yards with 8 touchdowns in his senior year. Micah Ross is another notable former player who went on to play professional football with the San Diego Chargers and the Carolina Panthers. Will Weatherford, the 98th Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, also played for the Dolphins as a defensive end. 

Founding of the Jacksonville Dolphins

The Jacksonville Dolphins were originally founded in 1998, though Paul S. Tipton, Jacksonville University’s ninth president, formally announced on Nov. 25, 1996 that the school would feature a non-scholarship football team and begin constructing a new field for them to play on. 

In 1997, Jacksonville University hired Steve Gilbert to serve as the first football coach in Jacksonville University’s history. He would go on to coach until 2006. Before becoming the coach of the newly formed football team, Gilbert played college football at West Chester University in Pennsylvania and worked as the head football coach at Pennsylvania’s Ursinus College from 1998 through 1996. It was during April 1997 that the university signed on its first four recruits: linebacker Jason Anderson, offensive tackle Mike Antheil, offensive tackle Josh Payne, and quarterback Curt Hollis. 

The Dolphins’ very first football game was conducted on Sept. 12, 1998, with nearly 5,000 fans cheering in the stadium. They started off strong with a 19-14 win against the Davidson Wildcats. The formation of the new team excited students and faculty alike, bringing in additional revenue to the university and providing something to look forward to besides the university’s other weekend activities. Their second away game, held at Robinson-Hale Stadium in Mississippi against the Mississippi Choctaws, broke their attendance record with a total of  6,837 in the stadium. Their biggest win of that year was against La Salle University. 

History of the Jacksonville Dolphins

In their first year, the Dolphins held a 4-5 record, followed by a 3-6 record in the following year. In August 2000, it was decided that the Dolphins would shed their independent status and instead join the Pioneer Football League for the 2001 season. In 2001, the conference nearly doubled in size. Jacksonville University joined Austin Peay State University, Davidson College, and Morehead State University in the South Division, while the five members that joined prior to 2001 made up the North Division. 

On November 17, 2001, the Dolphins played in their first PLF game against Daytona, marking their first big loss of that season. Despite the loss, they finished the 2001 season with a 6-5 record, marking the team’s very first winning season since their creation in 1998. That same year, the team ranked an impressive No. 2 in the Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major poll. Former Dolphins receiver Micah Ross also kicked off his time in the NFL, bringing national attention to Jacksonville University and becoming only one of two players to ever join the NFL.

In 2006, after nine seasons of coaching and holding a 35-54 record, Steve Gilbert was fired as head coach of the Dolphins. Kerwin Bell, a former quarterback for the University of Florida and head coach at Ocala’s Trinity Catholic High School, was hired to take his place. Bell led the Dolphins to new heights, with the Dolphins winning their very first league title in 2008 with a 7-1 league record. That same year, Bell was named best PLF coach of the year. In 2010, the Dolphins held a 10-1 record, the best in the school’s history. 

While the team gained another title, they weren’t selected for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. In 2015, Bell left Jacksonville University after coaching for nine seasons and compiling a 66–35 record. Jacksonville University hired Ian Shields, who served as head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University, to be the Dolphins’ third and final coach. He led the team to victory in the 2017 season, but it lost 3-9 and 2-8 in its final two seasons. 

With an all-time record of 118-115, two conference titles, and two inter-conference divisional titles, Jacksonville University made the decision to discontinue the Jacksonville Dolphins in 2019. The school continued to honor the employment contract for Ian Shields and his team, in addition to continuing to provide assistance to their student-athletes, despite no longer having a football team. After just over two decades, Jacksonville University had ultimately decided to reverse course. While the university no longer attracts high school football players in the area, its basketball continues to grow in popularity and has replaced football as a favorite pastime. 

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