| Mode: | football |
| Year: | 2012 |
| Team: | Western Kentucky Hilltoppers |
| Conference: | Sun Belt Conference |
| Short Conf: | Sun Belt |
| Record: | 7–6 |
| Conf Record: | 4–4 |
| Head Coach: | Willie Taggart |
| Hc Games: | regular season |
| Hc Year: | 3rd |
| Head Coach2: | Lance Guidry |
| Hc Games2: | interim; bowl game |
| Def Coach: | Lance Guidry |
| Dc Year: | 2nd |
| Off Scheme: | West Coast |
| Def Scheme: | 4–3 |
| Stadium: | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium |
| Bowl: | Little Caesars Pizza Bowl vs. Central Michigan |
| Bowl Result: | L 21–24 |
The 2012 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Willie Taggart and played their home games at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium. They were a member of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 7–6, 4–4 in Sun Belt play to finish in fifth place.[1] They were invited to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, their first bowl appearance since joining FBS in 2007, where they were defeated by Central Michigan.[2]
After a three-year record of 16–20, head coach Willie Taggart resigned in December to become the head coach at South Florida. Defensive coordinator Lance Guidry coached the Hilltoppers in Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Bobby Petrino was hired as the school's new head coach on December 10, 2012.
See also: 2012 Austin Peay State Governors football team.
See also: 2012 Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
See also: 2012 Kentucky Wildcats football team.
The win over the Wildcats of the SEC marks the Hilltoppers first ever win over a team from a Bowl Championship Series conference..
See also: 2012 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team.
See also: 2012 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team.
See also: 2012 Troy Trojans football team.
See also: 2012 Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football team.
See also: 2012 FIU Panthers football team.
See also: 2012 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team and Middle Tennessee–WKU football rivalry.
See also: 2012 Florida Atlantic Owls football team.
See also: 2012 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team.
See also: 2012 North Texas Mean Green football team.
See also: 2012 Central Michigan Chippewas football team and 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. This will be the Hilltoppers first bowl game since becoming a member of the FBS in 2007.