The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Al Luginbill

Followed Dennis Stolz. Al Luginbill moved San Diego State from Regional Program I to National Program III in 5 seasons.

31–25
1989–1993 · 1 stint
San Diego State
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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 careerSAN DIEGO STATENational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelSan Diego State, 1989: 6-5, Regional Program I1989San Diego State, 1990: 6-5, Regional Program I1990San Diego State, 1991: 8-4, National Program III1991San Diego State, 1992: 5-5, National Program III1992San Diego State, 1993: 6-6, National Program III1993+4.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 3rd career season — faster than 25% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #454 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

San Diego State, 5 seasons
+4.3
Regional Program I → National Program III.

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.

0–2 against his rivals. Winless in 5 tries against Terry Donahue.

Rivalry record
0–2
0.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
10–10–2
45.5% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–3
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Fresno State0–20%
The toughest matchup
vs. Terry Donahue0–5
5 meetings, 1989–1993
’89 L’90 L’91 L’92 L’93 L
0% win rate across a real, 5-meeting series — short of the bar this site uses before badging a series “Nemesis.” Shown here as the toughest matchup on record, not an algorithmic crown.
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
0–3 0.0%
Blue Blood
0–1 0.0%
Power Program
1–8 11.1%
National Program
6–9 40.0%
Regional Program
18–4 81.8%

Coaching career

1989–1993
San Diego Statecaretaker
Regional Program I → National Program III
Al Luginbill moved San Diego State from Regional Program I to National Program III in 5 seasons.

8th-best San Diego State tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Dennis Stolz (1986–1988) · succeeded by Ted Tollner (1994–2001).

9 NFL Draft picks: Alfred Jackson (1989), Dan McGwire (1991), Pio Sagapolutele (1991), Nick Subis (1991), Patrick Rowe (1992), Ray Rowe (1992), Marshall Faulk (1994), Darnay Scott (1994) + 1 more

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