The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Dick Harlow

Dick Harlow moved Harvard from National Program III to National Program II in 6 seasons.

27–19
1937–1947 · 1 stint
Harvard
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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 careerHARVARDNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelHarvard, 1937: 5-2, National Program III1937Harvard, 1938: 4-4, National Program II1938Harvard, 1939: 4-4, National Program II1939Harvard, 1940: 3-2, National Program II1940Harvard, 1946: 7-2, National Program III1946Harvard, 1947: 4-5, Regional Program I1947+0.4One 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).

Harvard, 6 seasons
+0.4
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.

Winless in 4 tries against Red Blaik.

One-score games
2–7–4
15.4% · margin ≤8
The toughest matchup
vs. Red Blaik0–4
4 meetings, 1937–1940
’37 L’38 L’39 L’40 L
0% win rate across a real, 4-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
0–2 0.0%
National Program
4–11 26.7%
Regional Program
9–5 64.3%

Coaching career

1937–1947
Harvardcaretaker
National Program III → National Program II
Dick Harlow moved Harvard from National Program III to National Program II in 6 seasons.

2nd-best Harvard tenure of 3 by the numbers.

27–19