The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Don Coryell

Don Coryell held San Diego State at National Program I for 4 seasons.

36–8
1969–1972 · 1 stint
San 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 careerSAN DIEGO STATEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakySan Diego State, 1969: 11-0, National Program II1969San Diego State, 1970: 9-2, National Program I1970San Diego State, 1971: 6-5, National Program I1971San Diego State, 1972: 10-1, National Program I1972+0.0One 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).

San Diego State, 4 seasons
+0.0
National Program II → National 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.

3–1 against his rivals. Just 1–2 against Johnny Majors.

Rivalry record
3–1
75.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
1–2
33.3% · margin ≤8
Rivalry ledger
Fresno State3–175%
The toughest matchup
vs. Johnny Majors1–2
3 meetings, 1970–1972
’70 L’71 L’72 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
0–1 0.0%
National Program
5–0 100.0%
Regional Program
16–5 76.2%

Coaching career

1969–1972
San Diego Statecaretaker
National Program I
Don Coryell held San Diego State at National Program I for 4 seasons.

2nd-best San Diego State tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Claude Gilbert (1973–1980).

18 NFL Draft picks: Fred Dryer (1969), Lloyd Edwards (1969), Tom Nettles (1969), Dennis Shaw (1970), Billie Hayes (1970), Lon Woodard (1970), Ken Burrow (1971), Henry Allison (1971) + 10 more

36–8