The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Bob Blackman

Bob Blackman held Cornell at Regional Program III for 5 seasons.

Peak, then fade
152–100
1955–1981 · 3 stints
DartmouthIllinoisCornell
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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 careerDARTMOUTHILLINOISCORNELLPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelDartmouth, 1955: 3-6, Regional Program II1955Dartmouth, 1956: 5-3, Regional Program IIDartmouth, 1957: 7-1, Regional Program IIDartmouth, 1958: 7-2, Regional Program IDartmouth, 1959: 5-3, Regional Program IDartmouth, 1960: 5-4, Regional Program IDartmouth, 1961: 6-3, Regional Program IDartmouth, 1962: 9-0, National Program IIIDartmouth, 1963: 7-2, National Program IIDartmouth, 1964: 6-3, National Program IIDartmouth, 1965: 9-0, National Program IDartmouth, 1966: 7-2, National Program IDartmouth, 1967: 7-2, National Program IDartmouth, 1968: 4-5, National Program IDartmouth, 1969: 8-1, National Program IDartmouth, 1970: 9-0, National Program I1970+18.0Illinois, 1971: 5-6, Regional Program II1971Illinois, 1972: 3-8, Regional Program IIIllinois, 1973: 5-6, Regional Program IIllinois, 1974: 6-4, Regional Program IIllinois, 1975: 5-6, Regional Program IIllinois, 1976: 5-6, Regional Program I1976+3.6Cornell, 1977: 1-8, Regional Program III1977Cornell, 1978: 5-3, Regional Program IIICornell, 1979: 5-4, Regional Program IIICornell, 1980: 5-5, Regional Program IIICornell, 1981: 3-7, Regional Program III1981-0.7One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 8th career season — faster than 7% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #617 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Dartmouth, 16 seasons
+18.0
Regional Program II → National Program I.
Illinois, 6 seasons
+3.6
Regional Program II → Regional Program I.
Cornell, 5 seasons
−0.7
Regional Program III → 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.

5–1 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against John Anderson.

Rivalry record
5–1
83.3% · 1 rival
One-score games
31–31–3
47.7% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–8
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Northwestern5–183%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. John Anderson1–4
5 meetings, 1977–1981
’77 L’78 L’79 L’80 L’81 W
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
0–8 0.0%
Power Program
9–15 37.5%
National Program
26–34 43.3%
Regional Program
55–23 70.5%

Coaching career

1977–1981
Cornellcaretaker
Regional Program III → Regional Program III
Bob Blackman held Cornell at Regional Program III for 5 seasons.

5th-best Cornell tenure of 5 by the numbers.

19–27
1971–1976
Illinoiscaretaker
Regional Program II → Regional Program I
Bob Blackman moved Illinois from Regional Program II to Regional Program I in 6 seasons.

12th-best Illinois tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed James Valek (1967–1970) · succeeded by Gary Moeller (1977–1979).

6 NFL Draft picks: Doug Dieken (1971), Mike Wells (1973), Gerry Sullivan (1974), Revie Sorey (1975), Tom Hicks (1975), Lonnie Perrin (1976)

29–36
1955–1970
Dartmouthbuilder
Regional Program I → National Program I
Bob Blackman raised Dartmouth from Regional Program I to National Program I.

1st-best Dartmouth tenure of 4 by the numbers.

Followed DeOrmond McLaughry (1946–1954).

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