The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Frank Burns

Followed John Bateman. Frank Burns moved Rutgers from Regional Program II to National Program II in 11 seasons.

78–43
1973–1983 · 1 stint
Rutgers
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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 careerRUTGERSNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelRutgers, 1973: 6-5, Regional Program III1973Rutgers, 1974: 7-3, Regional Program III1974Rutgers, 1975: 9-2, Regional Program II1975Rutgers, 1976: 11-0, National Program III1976Rutgers, 1977: 8-3, National Program III1977Rutgers, 1978: 9-3, National Program III1978Rutgers, 1979: 8-3, National Program II1979Rutgers, 1980: 7-4, National Program II1980Rutgers, 1981: 5-6, National Program III1981Rutgers, 1982: 5-6, National Program III1982Rutgers, 1983: 3-8, Regional Program I1983+11.4One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 4th career season — faster than 19% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #505 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Rutgers, 11 seasons
+11.4
Regional 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 5 tries against Joe Paterno.

One-score games
9–8
52.9% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
The toughest matchup
vs. Joe Paterno0–5
5 meetings, 1977–1983
’77 L’78 L’79 L’82 L’83 L
0% win rate across a real, 5-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
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
0–5 0.0%
Power Program
1–6 14.3%
National Program
7–13 35.0%
Regional Program
23–7 76.7%

Coaching career

1973–1983
Rutgerscaretakerborderline
Regional Program II → National Program II
Frank Burns moved Rutgers from Regional Program II to National Program II in 11 seasons.

2nd-best Rutgers tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed John Bateman (1960–1972) · succeeded by Dick Anderson (1984–1989).

4 NFL Draft picks: Dan Gray (1978), Bill Pickel (1983), Keith Woetzel (1983), Jim Dumont (1984)

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