| Year: | 1949 |
| Team: | Idaho Vandals |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Pacific Coast Conference |
| Short Conf: | PCC |
| Record: | 3–5 |
| Conf Record: | 1–4 |
| Head Coach: | Dixie Howell |
| Hc Year: | 3rd |
| Stadium: | Neale Stadium |
The 1949 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1949 college football season. The Vandals were led by third-year head coach Dixie Howell and were members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus at Neale Stadium in Moscow, with one game in Boise, a final time at Public School Field.
Idaho was overall and won one of their five PCC games.
The Vandals' losing streak in the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State reached 21 games, with a homecoming loss in Moscow. Idaho tied the Cougars the next year, but the winless streak continued until five years later.[1]
In the rivalry game with Montana in Missoula the following week, Idaho won to retain the Little Brown Stein in the Grizzlies' last year in the PCC. Montana returned the favor in Moscow the next year with a one-point upset, then the Vandals won eight straight, through 1959.
Babe Curfman was hired as the ends coach in February 1949;[2] [3] he became head coach in
Tackle Carl Kiilsgaard was named to the All-Coast team; honorable mention were tackle Will Overgaard,[4] guard Roy Colquitt, quarterback John Brogan, and halfback Jerry Diehl.[5] [6]
Two seniors from the 1949 Vandals were selected in the 1950 NFL draft:[7]
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise | |
| Carl Kiilsgaard | 61 | Chicago Cardinals | |||
| Jerry Diehl | HB | 360 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Three juniors were selected in the 1951 NFL draft:[8]
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise | |
| Bill Fray | 191 | New York Yanks | |||
| King Block | FB | 250 | Detroit Lions | ||
| Jim Chadband | HB | 335 | New York Yanks |
One sophomore was selected in the 1952 NFL draft:[9]
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise | |
| Glen Christian | HB | 105 | San Francisco 49ers |