The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Gary Crowton

Followed LaVell Edwards. Gary Crowton held BYU at Power Program III for 4 seasons.

The ascent
47–36
1996–2004 · 2 stints
Louisiana TechBYU
← 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 careerLOUISIANA TECHBYUPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelLouisiana Tech, 1996: 6-5, Regional Program III1996Louisiana Tech, 1997: 9-2, Regional Program III1997Louisiana Tech, 1998: 6-6, Regional Program II1998+5.8BYU, 2001: 12-2, Power Program III2001BYU, 2002: 5-7, Power Program III2002BYU, 2003: 4-8, National Program II2003BYU, 2004: 5-6, National Program II2004-8.7One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 4th career season — faster than 37% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #215 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Louisiana Tech, 3 seasons
+5.8
Regional Program III → Regional Program II.
BYU, 4 seasons
−8.7
Power Program III → National 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.

3–2 against his rivals.

Rivalry record
3–2
60.0% · 2 rivals
One-score games
20–12
62.5% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Utah1–233%
Utah State2–0100%
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
0–2 0.0%
Blue Blood
1–1 50.0%
Power Program
2–5 28.6%
National Program
10–16 38.5%
Regional Program
32–11 74.4%

Coaching career

2001–2004
BYUcaretaker
Power Program III → Power Program III
Gary Crowton held BYU at Power Program III for 4 seasons.

2nd-best BYU tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Followed LaVell Edwards (1972–2000) · succeeded by Bronco Mendenhall (2005–2015).

13 NFL Draft picks: Owen Pochman (2001), Tevita Ofahengaue (2001), Doug Jolley (2002), Ryan Denney (2002), Brandon Doman (2002), Luke Staley (2002), Brett Keisel (2002), Dustin Rykert (2003) + 5 more

26–23
1996–1998
Louisiana Techcaretaker
Regional Program III → Regional Program II
Gary Crowton moved Louisiana Tech from Regional Program III to Regional Program II in 3 seasons.

9th-best Louisiana Tech tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Joe Peace (1988–1995) · succeeded by Jack Bicknell (1999–2006).

1 NFL Draft pick: Troy Edwards (1999)

21–13