1941 Western Michigan Broncos football team

{{short description|American college football season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1941

| team = Western Michigan Broncos

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Independent

| record = 8–0

| head_coach = Mike Gary

| hc_year = 13th

| mvp = Horace Coleman

| captain = Bob Metzger

| stadium = Waldo Stadium

| prev = 1940

}}

{{1941 Midwestern college football independents records}}

The 1941 Western Michigan Broncos football team was an American football team that represented Michigan College of Education (later renamed Western Michigan University) during the 1941 college football season. In their 13th and final season under head coach Mike Gary, the Hilltoppers compiled an 8–0 record, shut out four opponents, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 183 to 27.{{cite web |title=Football Records: Year-By-Year Results - 1940-49 |work=Western Michigan Football Media Guide |publisher=Western Michigan University |access-date=December 30, 2015 |url=http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4600&ATCLID=204947846}} The team played its home games at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan.{{cite web |title=Waldo Stadium |publisher=Western Michigan University |access-date=July 5, 2016 |url=http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=120527 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165153/http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=120527 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 }}

End Bob Metzger was the team captain.{{cite web |title=Football History: All-Time Captains |publisher=Western Michigan University |access-date=July 5, 2016 |url=http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4600&ATCLID=204948804}} For the second consecutive year, halfback Horace Coleman received the team's most outstanding player award.{{cite web |title=Football History: Team Awards |publisher=Western Michigan University |access-date=July 5, 2016 |url=http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4600&ATCLID=204950513}}

Western Michigan was ranked at No. 85 (out of 681 teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score System for 1941.{{cite news|title=Gophers Grid Kings Over 6-Year Span: Tennessee 2d, Pitt 3d Over Period Litkenhous Ratins Are Published|newspaper=The Courier-Journal|author=Dr. E. E. Litkenhous|date=December 26, 1941|page=Sports 4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123088221/gophers-grid-kings-over-6-year-span/|via=Newspapers.com}}

With the United States entry into World War II after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Mike Gary left his position as head football coach at Western Michigan and served three years in the Naval Air Corps with the rank of commander.{{cite news |title=Mike Gary Dies |newspaper=The News-Palladium |date=December 31, 1969 |page=14 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5805311/mike_gary_dies/}}