The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Bert LaBrucherie

Followed Babe Horrell. Bert LaBrucherie raised UCLA from National Program III to National Program I.

23–16

1945–1948 · 1 stint

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.

Reached National Program in his 1st career season — faster than 41% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #1 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

UCLA, 4 seasons

+14.4

National Program III → National Program I.

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.

1–4 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Jeff Cravath.

Rivalry record

1–4

20.0% · 1 rival

One-score games

2–7

22.2% · margin ≤8

Rivalry ledger

USC1–420%

The toughest matchup

vs. Jeff Cravath1–4

5 meetings, 1945–1948

’45 L’45 L’46 W’47 L’48 L

20% 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

Power Program

2–6 25.0%

National Program

10–9 52.6%

Regional Program

5–0 100.0%

Coaching career

1945–1948

UCLAbuilder

National Program III → National Program I

Bert LaBrucherie raised UCLA from National Program III to National Program I.

15th-best UCLA tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Babe Horrell (1939–1944) · succeeded by Red Sanders (1949–1957).

23–16