The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Art Lewis

Followed Dudley DeGroot. Art Lewis raised West Virginia from Regional Program II to National Program I.

The ascent
69–55
1946–1959 · 2 stints
Washington and LeeWest Virginia
← all coaches

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 careerWASHINGTON AND LEEWEST VIRGINIAPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelWashington and Lee, 1946: 2-6, Regional Program V1946Washington and Lee, 1947: 5-5, Regional Program V1947Washington and Lee, 1948: 4-6, Regional Program V1948+0.0West Virginia, 1950: 2-8, Regional Program III1950West Virginia, 1951: 5-5, Regional Program IV1951West Virginia, 1952: 7-2, Regional Program III1952West Virginia, 1953: 8-2, Regional Program II1953West Virginia, 1954: 8-1, Regional Program I1954West Virginia, 1955: 8-2, National Program II1955West Virginia, 1956: 6-4, National Program II1956West Virginia, 1957: 7-2, National Program I1957West Virginia, 1958: 4-5, National Program I1958West Virginia, 1959: 3-7, National Program II1959+17.9One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 9th career season — faster than 5% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #630 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Washington and Lee, 3 seasons
+0.0
Regional Program V → Regional Program V.
West Virginia, 10 seasons
+17.9
Regional Program III → 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.

4–5 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Ben Schwartzwalder.

Rivalry record
4–5
44.4% · 1 rival
One-score games
13–12–2
48.1% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Pittsburgh4–544%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Ben Schwartzwalder1–4
5 meetings, 1955–1959
’55 L’56 L’57 W’58 L’59 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
0–2 0.0%
Power Program
1–11 8.3%
National Program
11–16 40.7%
Regional Program
20–14 58.8%

Coaching career

1950–1959
West Virginiabuilder
Regional Program II → National Program I
Art Lewis raised West Virginia from Regional Program II to National Program I.

5th-best West Virginia tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Dudley DeGroot (1948–1949) · succeeded by Gene Corum (1960–1965).

58–38
1946–1948
Washington and Leecaretaker
Regional Program V
Art Lewis held Washington and Lee at Regional Program V for 3 seasons.

2nd-best Washington and Lee tenure of 2 by the numbers.

Succeeded by George Barclay (1949–1951).

11–17