| Year: | 1941 |
| Team: | Detroit Titans |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Independent |
| Record: | 7–2 |
| Head Coach: | Gus Dorais |
| Hc Year: | 17th |
| Captain: | Vince Banonis |
| Stadium: | University of Detroit Stadium |
The 1941 Detroit Titans football team represented the University of Detroit in the 1941 college football season. Detroit outscored its opponents by a combined total of 195 to 43, and finished with a 7–2 record in its 17th year under head coach and College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Gus Dorais. Significant games included victories over Indiana (14–7) and Oklahoma A&M (20–14) and a close loss to Arkansas (6–9).[1]
In addition to Dorais, the team's coaching staff included Lloyd Brazil (backfield coach, 11th year), Bud Boeringer (line coach, 15th year), and Michael H. "Dad" Butler (trainer, 15th year).[2] During a ceremony at halftime on November 8, Butler, at age 71, was honored for his many years of service as the school's trainer and track and boxing coach; he was presented with $600 in cash, a radio, a "D" blanket, a trophy, a plaque, and scrolls.[3]
Center Vince Banonis, who was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, was the team captain.[4] At the end of the 1941 season, Banonis was chosen as a first-round All-American by Collier's Weekly (selected by Grantland Rice),[5] International News Service,[6] and Paramount News.[7] He was also chosen as a second-team All-American by the Newspaper Enterprise Association.[8]
Louis Harrington picked three Titans as first-team players on his All-Michigan football team for 1941: Vince Banonis, halfback Elmer L. "Tippy" Madarik, and guard Thomas McLoughlin.[9]
Detroit was ranked at No. 44 (out of 681 teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score System for 1941.[10]