| Year: | 1979 |
| Team: | VMI Keydets |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Southern Conference |
| Short Conf: | SoCon |
| Record: | 6–4–1 |
| Conf Record: | 4–1 |
| Head Coach: | Bob Thalman |
| Hc Year: | 9th |
| Stadium: | Alumni Memorial Field |
The 1979 VMI Keydets football team was an American football team that represented the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their ninth year under head coach Bob Thalman, the team compiled an overall record of 6–4–1 with a mark of 4–1 in conference play, placing second in the SoCon.[1]