The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Chuck Long

Followed Tom Craft. Chuck Long slid San Diego State from Regional Program I to Regional Program II in 3 seasons.

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2006–2008 · 1 stint
San Diego 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 careerSAN DIEGO STATERegional Programthe building-block levelSan Diego State, 2006: 3-9, Regional Program II2006San Diego State, 2007: 4-8, Regional Program II2007San Diego State, 2008: 2-10, Regional Program III2008-7.8One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Regional Program in his 1st career season — faster than 20% of the 925 FBS coaches who have ever reached Regional Program (rank #1 of 925 by seasons-to-arrival).

San Diego State, 3 seasons
−7.8
Regional Program II → 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.

Winless in 3 tries against Bronco Mendenhall.

One-score games
4–5
44.4% · margin ≤8
The toughest matchup
vs. Bronco Mendenhall0–3
3 meetings, 2006–2008
’06 L’07 L’08 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
Power Program
0–9 0.0%
National Program
1–5 16.7%
Regional Program
6–11 35.3%

Coaching career

2006–2008
San Diego Statecaretaker
Regional Program I → Regional Program II
Chuck Long slid San Diego State from Regional Program I to Regional Program II in 3 seasons.

11th-best San Diego State tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Tom Craft (2002–2005) · succeeded by Brady Hoke (2009–2023).

7 NFL Draft picks: Freddie Keiaho (2006), Jeff Webb (2006), Kevin O'Connell (2008), Tyler Schmitt (2008), Brett Swain (2008), Chaz Schilens (2008), Lance Louis (2009)

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