The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Ben Martin

Followed Buck Shaw. Ben Martin moved Air Force from Regional Program I to National Program III in 20 seasons.

The ascent
102–116
1956–1977 · 2 stints
VirginiaAir Force
← 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 careerVIRGINIAAIR FORCENational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelVirginia, 1956: 3-7, Regional Program II1956Virginia, 1957: 3-6, Regional Program II1957-2.2Air Force, 1958: 9-0, Regional Program I1958Air Force, 1959: 5-4, National Program IIIAir Force, 1960: 4-6, National Program IIIAir Force, 1961: 3-7, Regional Program IAir Force, 1962: 5-5, Regional Program IIAir Force, 1963: 7-4, Regional Program IAir Force, 1964: 4-5, Regional Program IAir Force, 1965: 3-6, Regional Program IAir Force, 1966: 4-6, Regional Program IAir Force, 1967: 2-6, Regional Program IIAir Force, 1968: 7-3, Regional Program IIAir Force, 1969: 6-4, Regional Program IAir Force, 1970: 9-3, National Program IIIAir Force, 1971: 6-4, National Program IIIAir Force, 1972: 6-4, National Program IIIAir Force, 1973: 6-4, National Program IIIAir Force, 1974: 2-9, Regional Program IAir Force, 1975: 2-8, Regional Program IIAir Force, 1976: 4-7, Regional Program IIAir Force, 1977: 2-8, Regional Program III1977+5.0One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 4th career season — faster than 19% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #505 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Virginia, 2 seasons
−2.2
Regional Program II → Regional Program II.
Air Force, 20 seasons
+5.0
Regional Program I → Regional 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.

11–12 against his rivals. Just 2–8 against Eddie Crowder.

Rivalry record
11–12–1
45.8% · 3 rivals
One-score games
39–37–10
45.3% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–6
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Army5–6–142%
Navy5–550%
Virginia Tech1–150%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Eddie Crowder2–8
10 meetings, 1963–1973
’63 W’64 L’65 L’66 L’67 L’68 W’70 L’71 L’72 L’73 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
0–6 0.0%
Power Program
15–32 31.9%
National Program
31–46 40.3%
Regional Program
42–31 57.5%

Coaching career

1958–1977
Air Forcecaretaker
Regional Program I → National Program III
Ben Martin moved Air Force from Regional Program I to National Program III in 20 seasons.

2nd-best Air Force tenure of 6 by the numbers.

Followed Buck Shaw (1956–1957) · succeeded by Bill Parcells (1978–1978).

96–103
1956–1957
Virginiacaretaker
Regional Program I → Regional Program II
Ben Martin slid Virginia from Regional Program I to Regional Program II in 2 seasons.

9th-best Virginia tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Ned McDonald (1953–1955) · succeeded by Richard Voris (1958–1960).

6–13