The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Abe Martin

Followed Dutch Meyer. Abe Martin raised TCU from National Program I to Power Program II.

74–64
1953–1966 · 1 stint
TCU
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Career arc

His real stature score, season by season, across every program he’s coached — so a stretch that stays in one tier the whole way can still climb or sink on the line, not just flatten out. Node color marks the tier reached. Which program a stretch belongs to is carried by the shaded lane behind it.

Stature score reached, by season of his head-coaching careerTCUPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyTCU, 1953: 3-7, National Program I1953TCU, 1954: 4-6, National Program I1954TCU, 1955: 9-2, Power Program III1955TCU, 1956: 8-3, Power Program III1956TCU, 1957: 5-4, Power Program II1957TCU, 1958: 8-2, Power Program II1958TCU, 1959: 8-3, Power Program II1959TCU, 1960: 4-4, Power Program II1960TCU, 1961: 3-5, Power Program II1961TCU, 1962: 6-4, Power Program III1962TCU, 1963: 4-5, Power Program III1963TCU, 1964: 4-6, National Program I1964TCU, 1965: 6-5, National Program I1965TCU, 1966: 2-8, National Program II1966+14.2One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 3rd career season — faster than 46% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #194 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

TCU, 14 seasons
+14.2
National Program I → National Program II.

The big-game ledger

How he does in the games that matter most — rivalry record, performance broken out by real opponent tier, one-score games, and his toughest historical matchup.

20–7 against his rivals. Just 1–8 against Frank Broyles.

Rivalry record
20–7–1
71.4% · 2 rivals
One-score games
31–25–7
49.2% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
2–8
20.0%
Rivalry ledger
Baylor10–471%
SMU10–3–171%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Frank Broyles1–8
9 meetings, 1958–1966
’58 W’59 L’60 L’61 L’62 L’63 L’64 L’65 L’66 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
2–8 20.0%
Power Program
22–32 40.7%
National Program
38–21 64.4%
Regional Program
10–3 76.9%

Coaching career

1953–1966
TCUbuilder
National Program I → Power Program II
Abe Martin raised TCU from National Program I to Power Program II.

3rd-best TCU tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Followed Dutch Meyer (1936–1952) · succeeded by Fred Taylor (1967–1970).

74–64