The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Dallas Ward

Followed Jim Yeager. Dallas Ward moved Colorado from National Program II to Power Program III in 11 seasons.

63–41
1948–1958 · 1 stint
Colorado
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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 careerCOLORADOPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelColorado, 1948: 3-6, National Program III1948Colorado, 1949: 3-7, Regional Program I1949Colorado, 1950: 5-4, Regional Program I1950Colorado, 1951: 7-3, National Program III1951Colorado, 1952: 6-2, National Program II1952Colorado, 1953: 6-4, National Program II1953Colorado, 1954: 7-2, National Program I1954Colorado, 1955: 6-4, National Program I1955Colorado, 1956: 8-2, National Program I1956Colorado, 1957: 6-3, National Program I1957Colorado, 1958: 6-4, Power Program III1958+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 11th career season — faster than 6% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #370 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Colorado, 11 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.

23–8 against his rivals. Winless in 9 tries against Bud Wilkinson.

Rivalry record
23–8–2
69.7% · 3 rivals
One-score games
16–20–6
38.1% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Nebraska7–3–164%
Utah9–1–182%
Colorado State7–464%
The toughest matchup
vs. Bud Wilkinson0–8–1
9 meetings, 1950–1958
’50 L’51 L’52 T’53 L’54 L’55 L’56 L’57 L’58 L
0% win rate across a real, 9-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
Dynasty
0–2 0.0%
Blue Blood
0–6 0.0%
Power Program
0–1 0.0%
National Program
16–12 57.1%
Regional Program
46–20 69.7%

Coaching career

1948–1958
Coloradocaretakerborderline
National Program II → Power Program III
Dallas Ward moved Colorado from National Program II to Power Program III in 11 seasons.

10th-best Colorado tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Jim Yeager (1941–1947) · succeeded by Everett Grandelius (1959–1961).

63–41