The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Cecil Isbell

Followed Elmer Burnham. Cecil Isbell slid Purdue from National Program II to National Program I in 3 seasons.

14–14

1944–1946 · 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).

Purdue, 3 seasons

−0.6

National Program II → National Program II.

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.

0–3 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Bo McMillin.

Rivalry record

0–3

0.0% · 1 rival

One-score games

2–3–1

33.3% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

1–1

50.0%

Rivalry ledger

Indiana0–30%

The toughest matchup

vs. Bo McMillin0–3

3 meetings, 1944–1946

’44 L’45 L’46 L

0% win rate across a real, 3-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

Blue Blood

1–1 50.0%

Power Program

1–6 14.3%

National Program

4–4 50.0%

Regional Program

3–1 75.0%

Coaching career

1944–1946

Purduecaretaker

National Program II → National Program I

Cecil Isbell slid Purdue from National Program II to National Program I in 3 seasons.

9th-best Purdue tenure of 21 by the numbers.

Followed Elmer Burnham (1942–1943) · succeeded by Stuart Holcomb (1947–1955).

14–14