The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Dennis Stolz

Followed Doug Scovil. Dennis Stolz held San Diego State at National Program III for 3 seasons.

Peak, then fade
91–77
1973–1988 · 3 stints
Michigan StateBowling GreenSan 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 careerMICHIGAN STATEBOWLING GREENSAN DIEGO STATEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelMichigan State, 1973: 5-6, Power Program II1973Michigan State, 1974: 7-3, Power Program IIMichigan State, 1975: 7-4, Power Program III1975-4.9Bowling Green, 1977: 5-7, National Program II1977Bowling Green, 1978: 4-7, National Program IIIBowling Green, 1979: 4-7, Regional Program IBowling Green, 1980: 4-7, Regional Program IBowling Green, 1981: 5-5, Regional Program IBowling Green, 1982: 7-5, Regional Program IBowling Green, 1983: 8-3, Regional Program IBowling Green, 1984: 8-3, Regional Program IBowling Green, 1985: 11-1, Regional Program I1985-5.7San Diego State, 1986: 8-4, National Program III1986San Diego State, 1987: 5-7, National Program IIISan Diego State, 1988: 3-8, Regional Program I1988-5.2One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 1st career season — faster than 57% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #1 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Michigan State, 3 seasons
−4.9
Power Program II → Power Program III.
Bowling Green, 9 seasons
−5.7
National Program II → Regional Program I.
San Diego State, 3 seasons
−5.2
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.

5–7 against his rivals. Winless in 5 tries against Tom Reed.

Rivalry record
5–7
41.7% · 2 rivals
One-score games
40–29–2
56.3% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
2–4
33.3%
Rivalry ledger
Toledo5–456%
Michigan0–30%
The toughest matchup
vs. Tom Reed0–4–1
5 meetings, 1978–1982
’78 L’79 L’80 L’81 T’82 L
0% win rate across a real, 5-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
2–4 33.3%
Power Program
4–14 22.2%
National Program
16–26 38.1%
Regional Program
62–28 68.9%

Coaching career

1986–1988
San Diego Statecaretaker
National Program III → National Program III
Dennis Stolz held San Diego State at National Program III for 3 seasons.

7th-best San Diego State tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Doug Scovil (1981–1985) · succeeded by Al Luginbill (1989–1993).

5 NFL Draft picks: Webster Slaughter (1986), Dan Knight (1986), Vince Warren (1986), Robert Awalt (1987), Alfred Jackson (1989)

16–19
1977–1985
Bowling Greencaretaker
National Program II → National Program II
Dennis Stolz held Bowling Green at National Program II for 9 seasons.

4th-best Bowling Green tenure of 14 by the numbers.

Followed Don Nehlen (1968–1976) · succeeded by Moe Ankney (1986–1990).

3 NFL Draft picks: Mark Miller (1978), Jack Williams (1978), Martin Bayless (1984)

56–45
1973–1975
Michigan Statecaretaker
Power Program II → Power Program II
Dennis Stolz held Michigan State at Power Program II for 3 seasons.

6th-best Michigan State tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Duffy Daugherty (1954–1972) · succeeded by Darryl Rogers (1976–1979).

9 NFL Draft picks: Billy Joe DuPree (1973), Joe DeLamielleure (1973), Brad Van Pelt (1973), Gail Clark (1973), Marvin Roberts (1973), Brian McConnell (1973), Bill Simpson (1974), Raymond Nester (1974) + 1 more

19–13