The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Don Nehlen

Followed Frank Cignetti. Don Nehlen raised West Virginia from Regional Program I to Power Program III.

The ascent
202–128
1968–2000 · 2 stints
Bowling GreenWest Virginia
← all coaches

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 careerBOWLING GREENWEST VIRGINIAPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelBowling Green, 1968: 6-3, National Program II1968Bowling Green, 1969: 6-4, National Program IIBowling Green, 1970: 2-6, National Program IIBowling Green, 1971: 6-4, National Program IIIBowling Green, 1972: 6-3, National Program IIIBowling Green, 1973: 7-3, National Program IIIBowling Green, 1974: 6-4, National Program IIIBowling Green, 1975: 8-3, National Program IIBowling Green, 1976: 6-5, National Program II1976-1.7West Virginia, 1980: 6-6, Regional Program I1980West Virginia, 1981: 9-3, National Program IIIWest Virginia, 1982: 9-3, National Program IIWest Virginia, 1983: 9-3, National Program IIWest Virginia, 1984: 8-4, National Program IIWest Virginia, 1985: 7-3, National Program IWest Virginia, 1986: 4-7, National Program IIWest Virginia, 1987: 6-6, National Program IIWest Virginia, 1988: 11-1, National Program IWest Virginia, 1989: 8-3, Power Program IIIWest Virginia, 1990: 4-7, National Program IWest Virginia, 1991: 6-5, National Program IWest Virginia, 1992: 5-4, National Program IWest Virginia, 1993: 11-1, Power Program IIIWest Virginia, 1994: 7-6, Power Program IIIWest Virginia, 1995: 5-6, National Program IWest Virginia, 1996: 8-4, National Program IWest Virginia, 1997: 7-5, National Program IWest Virginia, 1998: 8-4, Power Program IIIWest Virginia, 1999: 4-7, Power Program IIIWest Virginia, 2000: 7-5, National Program I2000+20.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 19th career season — faster than 1% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #391 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Bowling Green, 9 seasons
−1.7
National Program II → National Program II.
West Virginia, 21 seasons
+20.3
Regional Program I → 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.

15–12 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Frank Lauterbur.

Rivalry record
15–12–3
50.0% · 3 rivals
One-score games
54–53–7
47.4% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
1–2
33.3%
Rivalry ledger
Pittsburgh10–8–250%
Toledo4–4–144%
Marshall1–0100%
The toughest matchup
vs. Frank Lauterbur0–2–1
3 meetings, 1968–1970
’68 T’69 L’70 L
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
Dynasty
1–2 33.3%
Blue Blood
6–22 21.4%
Power Program
12–33 26.7%
National Program
71–36 66.4%
Regional Program
95–30 76.0%

Coaching career

1980–2000
West Virginiabuilderborderline
Regional Program I → Power Program III
Don Nehlen raised West Virginia from Regional Program I to Power Program III.

4th-best West Virginia tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Frank Cignetti (1976–1979) · succeeded by Rich Rodriguez (2001–2026).

35 NFL Draft picks: Delbert Fowler (1981), Fulton Walker (1981), Oliver Luck (1982), Darryl Talley (1983), Jeff Hostetler (1984), Ron Wolfley (1985), Brian Jozwiak (1986), Fred Smalls (1986) + 27 more

149–93
1968–1976
Bowling Greencaretaker
National Program II → National Program II
Don Nehlen held Bowling Green at National Program II for 9 seasons.

3rd-best Bowling Green tenure of 14 by the numbers.

Followed Bob Gibson (1965–1967) · succeeded by Dennis Stolz (1977–1985).

4 NFL Draft picks: Tom Lloyd (1970), Phil Villapiano (1971), Fred Sturt (1973), Tony Bell (1974)

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