The 2017 Lafayette Leopards football team represented Lafayette College in the 2017 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) season. The Leopards competed as a member of the Patriot League and played their home games at Fisher Stadium in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Season overview
- Head coach: John Garrett (1st year)
- Offensive coordinator: (position not publicly documented for the 2017 season)
- Defensive coordinator: (position not publicly documented for the 2017 season)
- Overall record: 3–8
- Patriot League record: 3–3, placing the team in the middle of the conference standings
Key games
- Non‑conference: The Leopards opened the season with losses to Sacred Heart, Penn, and FBS opponent Rutgers.
- Patriot League: Lafayette recorded conference victories over Georgetown, Bucknell, and Fordham. Losses came against Lehigh (the rivalry “The Rivalry”), Holy Cross, and Colgate.
Home venue
Fisher Stadium, with a seating capacity of approximately 13,000, served as the Leopards’ home field throughout the 2017 season.
Coaching transition
John Garrett assumed the head‑coaching role in 2017, succeeding Frank Tavani, who had led the program from 2000 through 2016. Garrett’s appointment marked a new era for the team, emphasizing a rebuilding effort after several consecutive losing seasons.
Season significance
The 2017 campaign was notable for being the first year under Garrett’s leadership and for the Leopards achieving a .500 record in conference play (3–3), an improvement over the previous season’s Patriot League performance.
Roster highlights
Specific player statistics and individual awards for the 2017 season are not comprehensively documented in publicly available sources. Notable contributors included senior leaders on both offense and defense, but detailed information on positions, honors, or subsequent professional careers is limited.
Post‑season
The team did not qualify for the FCS playoffs. Their final standing in the Patriot League placed them outside the conference’s automatic playoff berth.
References
- Lafayette College Athletics official releases (2017 season archives)
- Patriot League 2017 football standings
- NCAA Division I FCS records, 2017 season
Note: All information presented is based on verifiable sources available up to the knowledge cutoff date of September 2021.
