Football
- Title:
- Head Coach Emeritus
Veteran football coach Robert McFarland brings decades of collegiate coaching experience, with a résumé that includes head-coaching, coordinator and offensive-line positions at programs across the country.
McFarland has deep ties to Stephen F. Austin, where he served as offensive line coach from 1991 through 1999. During that span, the Lumberjacks made two NCAA playoff appearances, advanced to the 1995 national semifinals and captured the 1999 Southland Conference championship. SFA led the conference in rushing four times under McFarland and established single-season program records with 2,193 rushing yards in 1993 and 30 rushing touchdowns in 1999. Four of his offensive linemen went on to earn opportunities in NFL camps.
McFarland returned to SFA after being named the program’s 17th head coach in December 2004. In his first season, he guided one of the youngest rosters in the country through a demanding schedule that included four nationally ranked opponents. Despite relying heavily on underclassmen and newcomers, the Lumberjacks finished 5-6 and earned notable victories over eventual Southland Conference champion Nicholls State and No. 21 UC Davis.
The Lumberjacks made an immediate impact under McFarland in 2005, leading the Southland Conference and ranking 13th nationally in passing offense at 283.5 yards per game. SFA also ranked 21st nationally in total offense at 412.5 yards per game and 17th in turnover margin. Eleven Lumberjacks earned All-Southland Conference recognition, while Keldrick Holman and Ryan Luedecke collected All-America and all-region honors.
Across McFarland’s two seasons as head coach, SFA produced two All-Americans and 26 All-Southland Conference selections. The Lumberjacks finished tied for second in the conference in 2006 while leading the league in total offense, total defense and scoring defense. McFarland returned to the program as an assistant offensive line coach in 2024 and is recognized by SFA as head coach emeritus.
Before becoming SFA’s head coach, McFarland spent the 2004 season coaching the offensive line at East Carolina. He previously served four seasons as offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at UCF, where his units ranked among the nation’s best. The Knights averaged more than 436 yards and 32 points per game in 2002 while producing two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard rusher—then only the eighth such occurrence in NCAA history. Six UCF players coached by McFarland went on to play in the NFL.
McFarland’s career also includes coaching stops at Louisiana Tech, Iowa State, Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Kent State, Notre Dame and Clemson, along with professional experience in the United Football League. During six seasons at Louisiana Tech, his offensive lines helped produce four 1,000-yard rushers, numerous all-conference selections and five bowl victories. He has also been part of teams that appeared in the Citrus Bowl, Gator Bowl and Orange Bowl.
A graduate of McNeese State, McFarland began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Louisiana. He later earned a graduate degree from Clemson. McFarland and his wife, Pam, have two children, Ashley and Koy.
