The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Charlie Bachman

Charlie Bachman held Michigan State at National Program I for 10 seasons.

52–29
1936–1946 · 1 stint
Michigan State
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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 careerMICHIGAN STATEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyMichigan State, 1936: 6-1, National Program I1936Michigan State, 1937: 8-2, National Program I1937Michigan State, 1938: 6-3, National Program I1938Michigan State, 1939: 4-4, National Program I1939Michigan State, 1940: 3-4, National Program I1940Michigan State, 1941: 5-3, National Program I1941Michigan State, 1942: 4-3, National Program II1942Michigan State, 1944: 6-1, National Program II1944Michigan State, 1945: 5-3, National Program II1945Michigan State, 1946: 5-5, National Program II1946+0.0One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

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).

Michigan State, 10 seasons
+0.0
National Program I → 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.

4–7 against his rivals. Winless in 7 tries against Fritz Crisler.

Rivalry record
4–7
36.4% · 2 rivals
One-score games
14–6–5
56.0% · margin ≤8
Rivalry ledger
Michigan2–722%
Penn State2–0100%
The toughest matchup
vs. Fritz Crisler0–7
7 meetings, 1938–1946
’38 L’39 L’40 L’41 L’42 L’45 L’46 L
0% win rate across a real, 7-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
0–5 0.0%
National Program
15–11 57.7%
Regional Program
16–3 84.2%

Coaching career

1936–1946
Michigan Statecaretaker
National Program I
Charlie Bachman held Michigan State at National Program I for 10 seasons.

13th-best Michigan State tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Biggie Munn (1947–1953).

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