The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Al Molde

Followed Jack Harbaugh. Al Molde held Western Michigan at Regional Program II for 10 seasons.

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1987–1996 · 1 stint
Western Michigan
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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 careerWESTERN MICHIGANNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelWestern Michigan, 1987: 5-6, Regional Program II1987Western Michigan, 1988: 9-3, Regional Program II1988Western Michigan, 1989: 5-6, Regional Program II1989Western Michigan, 1990: 7-4, Regional Program II1990Western Michigan, 1991: 6-5, Regional Program III1991Western Michigan, 1992: 7-3, Regional Program III1992Western Michigan, 1993: 7-3, Regional Program III1993Western Michigan, 1994: 7-4, Regional Program III1994Western Michigan, 1995: 7-4, Regional Program II1995Western Michigan, 1996: 2-9, Regional Program II1996-0.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Regional Program in his 1st career season — faster than 20% of the 925 FBS coaches who have ever reached Regional Program (rank #1 of 925 by seasons-to-arrival).

Western Michigan, 10 seasons
−0.3
Regional Program II → Regional 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.

7–12 against his rivals. Just 1–5 against Gary Pinkel.

Rivalry record
7–12
36.8% · 2 rivals
One-score games
27–17–2
58.7% · margin ≤8
Rivalry ledger
Central Michigan3–730%
Eastern Michigan4–544%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Gary Pinkel1–5
6 meetings, 1991–1996
’91 L’92 L’93 W’94 L’95 L’96 L
Performance by opponent class
Power Program
0–2 0.0%
National Program
0–6 0.0%
Regional Program
58–36 61.7%

Coaching career

1987–1996
Western Michigancaretaker
Regional Program II → Regional Program II
Al Molde held Western Michigan at Regional Program II for 10 seasons.

9th-best Western Michigan tenure of 10 by the numbers.

Followed Jack Harbaugh (1982–1986) · succeeded by Gary Darnell (1997–2004).

6 NFL Draft picks: Mark Garalczyk (1987), Kevin Haverdink (1989), Joel Smeenge (1990), Paul Hutchins (1993), Steve Hawkins (1994), Tom Nutten (1995)

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