The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Edward Anderson

Followed Irl Tubbs. Edward Anderson held Iowa at Regional Program I for 8 seasons.

Peak, then fade
125–94
1938–1949 · 2 stints
Holy CrossIowa
← 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 careerHOLY CROSSIOWAPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelHoly Cross, 1938: 8-1, Power Program III1938Holy Cross, 1950: 4-5, Regional Program IHoly Cross, 1951: 8-2, Regional Program IHoly Cross, 1952: 8-2, National Program IIIHoly Cross, 1953: 5-5, National Program IIIHoly Cross, 1954: 3-7, National Program IIIHoly Cross, 1955: 6-4, Regional Program IHoly Cross, 1956: 5-3, Regional Program IHoly Cross, 1957: 5-3, Regional Program IHoly Cross, 1958: 6-3, Regional Program IHoly Cross, 1959: 6-4, Regional Program IHoly Cross, 1960: 6-4, Regional Program IHoly Cross, 1961: 7-3, Regional Program IHoly Cross, 1962: 6-4, Regional Program IHoly Cross, 1963: 2-6, Regional Program IHoly Cross, 1964: 5-5, Regional Program I1964-6.2Iowa, 1939: 6-1, Regional Program I1939Iowa, 1940: 4-4, Regional Program IIowa, 1941: 3-5, Regional Program IIowa, 1942: 6-4, Regional Program IIowa, 1946: 5-4, Regional Program IIIIowa, 1947: 3-5, Regional Program IIIowa, 1948: 4-5, Regional Program IIIowa, 1949: 4-5, Regional Program II1949+1.6One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 1st career season — faster than 57% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #1 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Holy Cross, 16 seasons
−6.2
Power Program III → Regional Program I.
Iowa, 8 seasons
+1.6
Regional Program I → Regional Program II.

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.

9–11 against his rivals. Just 2–12 against Ben Schwartzwalder.

Rivalry record
9–11
45.0% · 3 rivals
One-score games
30–26–6
48.4% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–5
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Wisconsin5–362%
Minnesota2–625%
Nebraska2–250%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Ben Schwartzwalder2–12
14 meetings, 1950–1964
’50 L’52 L’53 L’54 L’55 L’56 L’57 W’58 W’59 L’60 L’61 L’62 L’63 L’64 L
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
0–5 0.0%
Blue Blood
1–4 20.0%
Power Program
9–21 30.0%
National Program
29–32 47.5%
Regional Program
26–10 72.2%

Coaching career

1939–1949
Iowacaretaker
Regional Program I → Regional Program I
Edward Anderson held Iowa at Regional Program I for 8 seasons.

7th-best Iowa tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Followed Irl Tubbs (1937–1938) · succeeded by Leonard Raffensperger (1950–1951).

35–33
1938–1964
Holy Crosscaretaker
National Program II → Power Program III
Edward Anderson slid Holy Cross from National Program II to Power Program III in 16 seasons.

1st-best Holy Cross tenure of 4 by the numbers.

90–61