The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Dennis Fitzgerald

Followed Don James. Dennis Fitzgerald held Kent State at National Program III for 3 seasons.

18–16
1975–1977 · 1 stint
Kent 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 careerKENT STATENational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelKent State, 1975: 4-7, National Program III1975Kent State, 1976: 8-4, National Program III1976Kent State, 1977: 6-5, Regional Program I1977-2.8One 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).

Kent State, 3 seasons
−2.8
National Program III → Regional Program I.

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 1–2 against Bill Hess.

One-score games
7–6
53.8% · margin ≤8
The toughest matchup
vs. Bill Hess1–2
3 meetings, 1975–1977
’75 L’76 L’77 W
33% 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
1–3 25.0%
National Program
3–9 25.0%
Regional Program
13–4 76.5%

Coaching career

1975–1977
Kent Statecaretaker
National Program III → National Program III
Dennis Fitzgerald held Kent State at National Program III for 3 seasons.

2nd-best Kent State tenure of 19 by the numbers.

Followed Don James (1971–1974) · succeeded by Ron Blackledge (1978–1980).

2 NFL Draft picks: Larry "Abdul Salaam" Faulk (1976), Art Best (1977)

18–16