The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Frank Kush

Followed Dan Devine. Frank Kush raised Arizona State from National Program I to Power Program I.

176–54
1958–1979 · 1 stint
Arizona 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 careerARIZONA STATEBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyArizona State, 1958: 7-3, National Program I1958Arizona State, 1959: 10-1, National Program IArizona State, 1960: 7-3, National Program IArizona State, 1961: 7-3, National Program IArizona State, 1962: 7-2, National Program IArizona State, 1963: 8-1, Power Program IIIArizona State, 1964: 8-2, Power Program IIIArizona State, 1965: 6-4, Power Program IIIArizona State, 1966: 5-5, Power Program IIIArizona State, 1967: 8-2, Power Program IIIArizona State, 1968: 8-2, Power Program IIIArizona State, 1969: 8-2, Power Program IIIArizona State, 1970: 11-0, Power Program IIArizona State, 1971: 11-1, Power Program IIArizona State, 1972: 10-2, Power Program IIArizona State, 1973: 11-1, Power Program IArizona State, 1974: 7-5, Power Program IArizona State, 1975: 12-0, Power Program IArizona State, 1976: 4-7, Power Program IArizona State, 1977: 9-3, Power Program IArizona State, 1978: 9-3, Power Program IArizona State, 1979: 3-2, Power Program I1979+16.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 6th career season — faster than 25% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #279 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Arizona State, 22 seasons
+16.3
National Program I → Power 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.

16–6 against his rivals. Just 1–2 against Al Onofrio.

Rivalry record
16–6
72.7% · 1 rival
One-score games
37–28–1
56.1% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
2–0
100.0%
Rivalry ledger
Arizona16–673%
The toughest matchup
vs. Al Onofrio1–2
3 meetings, 1972–1977
’72 W’74 L’77 L
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
Blue Blood
2–0 100.0%
Power Program
6–10 37.5%
National Program
41–23 64.1%
Regional Program
111–22 83.5%

Coaching career

1958–1979
Arizona Statebuilder
National Program I → Power Program I
Frank Kush raised Arizona State from National Program I to Power Program I.

1st-best Arizona State tenure of 19 by the numbers.

Followed Dan Devine (1955–1957) · succeeded by Darryl Rogers (1980–1984).

176–54