1940 East Tennessee State Teachers Buccaneers football team

The 1940 East Tennessee State Teachers Buccaneers football team was an American football team that represented State Teachers College, Johnson City—now known as East Tennessee State University (ETSU)—as a member of the Smoky Mountain Conference during the 1940 college football season. Led by ninth-year head coach Gene McMurray, the Buccaneers compiled an overall record of 4–4 with a mark of 3–3 in conference play, placing third in the Smoky Mountain Conference. Bud Carpenter and Frank Parsely were named co-captains for the year. The team played and  each twice, losing both games to Carson-Newman and splitting with Emory and Henry.

East Tennessee State was ranked at No. 461 (out of 697 college football teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score system for 1940.