Brian Polian

Head coach, Nevada, 2013 to 2016

Now

Career arc

Stature score reached, by season of his head-coaching careerFBS medianNevadaUNLVUNLVNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelNevada when he took over: 30.7 (National Program III), its final 2012 readingtook overNevada, 2013: 4-8, National Program IIINevada, 2013: 4-8, National Program III20134-8Nevada, 2014: 7-6, National Program III20147-6Nevada, 2015: 7-6, Regional Program I20157-6Nevada, 2016: 5-7, Regional Program INevada, 2016: 5-7, Regional Program I20165-7-6.7best: 2013gray dashed: rival programs · ○ the program when he took over · Dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Bowls and playoffs: 1-1

2014New Orleans BowlL 3-162015Arizona BowlW 28-23

Report card

Offense carries it: 62nd percentile offense, bottom-quarter defense at 17th.

Nevada, every completed season graded against the whole field, then averaged.

Offense

B
of which —62nd
efficiency — 62nd percentile success rate, 2013–16
B-57th
Standard-downs success
B63rd
Passing-downs success
B67th
Trench push (line yards)
B66th
Red-zone scoring rate
B-58th
Power-success (short yardage)
A+92nd
Ball security (giveaways per game)

Defense

D
of which —17th
17th percentile SP+ defense, 2014–16 (SP+ starts 2014)
F9th
Front-7 havoc
C+46th
Secondary havoc
C43rd
Stuff rate (run defense)
C43rd
Takeaways per game

Each season is his team’s percentile among every team with that stat (the share it beat), averaged over his completed seasons here; a mid-season takeover year and the season in progress aren’t graded. Letters: A+ 90th percentile and up, A 80, B+ 70, B 60, B− 50, C+ 45, C 40, C− 30, D 15, F below.