The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Dick MacPherson

Followed Frank Maloney. Dick MacPherson raised Syracuse from National Program III to Power Program III.

66–46
1981–1990 · 1 stint
Syracuse
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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 careerSYRACUSEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelSyracuse, 1981: 4-6, National Program III1981Syracuse, 1982: 2-9, National Program III1982Syracuse, 1983: 6-5, National Program III1983Syracuse, 1984: 6-5, National Program III1984Syracuse, 1985: 7-5, National Program II1985Syracuse, 1986: 5-6, National Program II1986Syracuse, 1987: 11-0, National Program I1987Syracuse, 1988: 10-2, Power Program III1988Syracuse, 1989: 8-4, Power Program III1989Syracuse, 1990: 7-4, Power Program III1990+13.9One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 8th career season — faster than 16% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #314 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Syracuse, 10 seasons
+13.9
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.

Just 2–8 against Joe Paterno.

One-score games
13–17–4
38.2% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
3–11
21.4%
The toughest matchup
vs. Joe Paterno2–8
10 meetings, 1981–1990
’81 L’82 L’83 L’84 L’85 L’86 L’87 W’88 W’89 L’90 L
20% win rate across a real, 10-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
3–11 21.4%
Power Program
9–11 45.0%
National Program
21–14 60.0%
Regional Program
30–10 75.0%

Coaching career

1981–1990
Syracusebuilderborderline
National Program III → Power Program III
Dick MacPherson raised Syracuse from National Program III to Power Program III.

3rd-best Syracuse tenure of 14 by the numbers.

Followed Frank Maloney (1974–1980) · succeeded by Paul Pasqualoni (1991–2004).

20 NFL Draft picks: Jim Collins (1981), Andy Gissinger (1981), Joe Morris (1982), Craig Bingham (1982), Gary Anderson (1982), Mike Charles (1983), Blaise Winter (1984), Jamie Kimmel (1985) + 12 more

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