The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Dick Crum

Followed Glen Mason. Dick Crum held Kent State at Regional Program V for 3 seasons.

Peak, then fade
113–77
1974–1990 · 3 stints
Miami (OH)North CarolinaKent 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 careerMIAMI (OH)NORTH CAROLINAKENT STATEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelMiami (OH), 1974: 10-0, National Program I1974Miami (OH), 1975: 11-1, Power Program IIIMiami (OH), 1976: 3-8, Power Program IIIMiami (OH), 1977: 10-1, Power Program III1977+4.9North Carolina, 1978: 5-6, National Program II1978North Carolina, 1979: 8-3, National Program INorth Carolina, 1980: 11-1, Power Program IIINorth Carolina, 1981: 10-2, Power Program IIINorth Carolina, 1982: 8-4, Power Program IINorth Carolina, 1983: 8-4, Power Program IINorth Carolina, 1984: 5-5, Power Program IIINorth Carolina, 1985: 5-6, Power Program IIINorth Carolina, 1986: 7-4, National Program INorth Carolina, 1987: 5-6, National Program I1987+14.6Kent State, 1988: 5-6, Regional Program V1988Kent State, 1989: 0-11, Regional Program VKent State, 1990: 2-9, Regional Program V1990-1.8One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 2nd career season — faster than 51% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #170 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Miami (OH), 4 seasons
+4.9
National Program I → Power Program III.
North Carolina, 10 seasons
+14.6
National Program II → National Program I.
Kent State, 3 seasons
−1.8
Regional Program V → Regional Program V.

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.

22–9 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Bobby Bowden.

Rivalry record
22–9
71.0% · 5 rivals
One-score games
38–33–4
50.7% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
1–3
25.0%
Rivalry ledger
NC State8–280%
Duke7–370%
Ohio3–175%
Cincinnati3–175%
Akron1–233%
The toughest matchup
vs. Bobby Bowden0–2–1
3 meetings, 1983–1986
’83 L’85 L’86 T
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
Blue Blood
1–3 25.0%
Power Program
11–19 36.7%
National Program
39–17 69.6%
Regional Program
54–36 60.0%

Coaching career

1988–1990
Kent Statecaretaker
Regional Program V → Regional Program V
Dick Crum held Kent State at Regional Program V for 3 seasons.

11th-best Kent State tenure of 19 by the numbers.

Followed Glen Mason (1986–1987) · succeeded by Pete Cordelli (1991–1993).

1 NFL Draft pick: Andy Harmon (1991)

7–26
1978–1987
North Carolinabuilder
National Program II → Power Program II
Dick Crum raised North Carolina from National Program II to Power Program II.

2nd-best North Carolina tenure of 17 by the numbers.

Followed Bill Dooley (1967–1977) · succeeded by Mack Brown (1988–2024).

24 NFL Draft picks: Dee Hardison (1978), Bob Hukill (1979), Dave Simmons (1979), Mike Salzano (1979), Buddy Curry (1980), Doug Paschal (1980), Lawrence Taylor (1981), Donnell Thompson (1981) + 16 more

72–41
1974–1977
Miami (OH)caretaker
National Program I → Power Program III
Dick Crum moved Miami (OH) from National Program I to Power Program III in 4 seasons.

1st-best Miami (OH) tenure of 14 by the numbers.

Followed Bill Mallory (1969–1973) · succeeded by Tom Reed (1978–1982).

5 NFL Draft picks: Mike Biehle (1975), Sherman Smith (1976), Pete Rome (1976), Mike Watson (1977), Rob Carpenter (1977)

34–10