The 1953 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos football team represented Santa Barbara College[note 1] during the 1953 college football season.
Santa Barbara competed in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).
The team was led by sixth-year head coach Stan Williamson, and played home games at La Playa Stadium in Santa Barbara, California.
They finished the season with a record of two wins, six losses and one tie (2–6–1, 1–4 CCAA).