| Year: | 2017 |
| Team: | Incarnate Word Cardinals |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Southland Conference |
| Short Conf: | Southland |
| Record: | 1–10 |
| Conf Record: | 1–7 |
| Hc Year: | 6th |
| Off Coach: | Kyle Kennan |
| Oc Year: | 1st |
| Def Coach: | Brian Gamble |
| Dc Year: | 6th |
The 2017 Incarnate Word Cardinals football team represented the University of the Incarnate Word in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Cardinals were in their first full season of FCS and Southland Conference eligibility, as they had completed their four-year transition to Division I from Division II.[1] They were led by sixth-year head coach Larry Kennan. They played their home games at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium. They finished the season 1–10, 1–7 in Southland play to finish in ninth place.
On November 28, head coach Larry Kennan was fired.[2] He finished at Incarnate Word with a six-year record of 20–46.
Source: [5]
| Name | Position | Alma mater | Joined staff | |
| Head coach | La Verne (1966) | 2012 | ||
| Associate head coach for offense / Offensive Line | BYU (1996) | 2011 | ||
| Associate head coach for defense / Outside Linebackers | TCU (1984) | 2015 | ||
| Kyle Kennan | Offensive coordinator / wide receivers | Roger Williams (2001) | 2008 | |
| Brian Gamble | Defensive coordinator / Inside Linebackers | Texas A&M (2002) | 2008 | |
| Sean Davis | Pass game coordinator / quarterbacks | Azusa Pacific (2006) | 2013 | |
| Nick Debose | Defensive backs | Southeastern Oklahoma (2006) | 2008 | |
| Mike Barela | Run game coordinator / tight ends | North Texas (1996) | 2015 | |
| Jim Partee | Running backs | Occidental College (2016) | 2016 | |
| Polo Gutierrez | Special teams coordinator / Defensive Line | New Mexico State (2009) | 2017 | |
| Miguel Rodriguez | Defensive Graduate Assistant | UTSA (2014) | 2017 | |
| Patrick Banigan | Defensive Quality Control | Texas A&M (2015) | 2017 | |
| Robert Churchman | Director of football operations | Sul Ross (2013) | 2016 | |
| Darin Lovat | Strength and Conditioning Coach | UNLV (1997) | 2012 | |
| T.R. St. Charles | Head Football Athletic Trainer | Vanderbilt (1976) | 2008 |
The following Cardinals received postseason honors for the 2017 season:[6]
Associated Press FCS All–America First–Team
P Joe Zema – Senior
STATS FCS All–America First–Team
P Joe Zema – Senior
STATS FCS All–America Second–Team
KR Desmond Hite – Sophomore
AFCA FCS Coaches' All–America Second–Team
P Joe Zema – Senior
HERO Sports FCS All–America First–Team
P Joe Zema – Senior
HERO Sports FCS All–America Second–Team
KR Desmond Hite – Sophomore
All–Southland Conference First–Team
P Joe Zema – Senior
KR Desmond Hite – Sophomore
All–Southland Conference Second–Team
AP Desmond Hite – Sophomore
All–Southland Conference Honorable Mention
RB Derrick Mitchell – Senior
OL Terence Hickman II – Sophomore
LB Mar'Kel Cooks – Sophomore
Athletic Directors Association (ADA) FCS Top Collegiate Punter
P Joe Zema – Senior
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----Sources: Box Score
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