The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Carmen Cozza

Followed John Pont. Carmen Cozza moved Yale from National Program III to Power Program III in 17 seasons.

114–38
1965–1981 · 1 stint
Yale
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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 careerYALEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelYale, 1965: 3-6, National Program III1965Yale, 1966: 4-5, National Program IIIYale, 1967: 8-1, National Program IIYale, 1968: 8-0, National Program IYale, 1969: 7-2, National Program IYale, 1970: 7-2, National Program IYale, 1971: 4-5, National Program IYale, 1972: 7-2, National Program IYale, 1973: 6-3, National Program IYale, 1974: 8-1, National Program IYale, 1975: 7-2, National Program IYale, 1976: 8-1, National Program IYale, 1977: 7-2, National Program IYale, 1978: 5-2, National Program IYale, 1979: 8-1, National Program IYale, 1980: 8-2, National Program IYale, 1981: 9-1, Power Program III1981+10.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 17th career season — faster than 2% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #389 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Yale, 17 seasons
+10.3
National Program III → Power 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.

Just 2–3 against John Yovicsin.

One-score games
12–11–1
50.0% · margin ≤8
The toughest matchup
vs. John Yovicsin2–3–1
6 meetings, 1965–1970
’65 L’66 L’67 W’68 T’69 W’70 L
33% win rate across a real, 6-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
1–3 25.0%
National Program
13–13 50.0%
Regional Program
26–9 74.3%

Coaching career

1965–1981
Yalecaretakerborderline
National Program III → Power Program III
Carmen Cozza moved Yale from National Program III to Power Program III in 17 seasons.

1st-best Yale tenure of 5 by the numbers.

Followed John Pont (1963–1964).

114–38