The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Gene Corum

Followed Art Lewis. Gene Corum slid West Virginia from National Program II to National Program III in 6 seasons.

29–30
1960–1965 · 1 stint
West Virginia
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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 careerWEST VIRGINIANational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelWest Virginia, 1960: 0-8, National Program III1960West Virginia, 1961: 4-6, National Program III1961West Virginia, 1962: 8-2, National Program III1962West Virginia, 1963: 4-6, National Program III1963West Virginia, 1964: 7-4, National Program III1964West Virginia, 1965: 6-4, National Program III1965-7.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 1st career season — faster than 41% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #1 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

West Virginia, 6 seasons
−7.3
National Program III → National Program III.

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.

3–3 against his rivals. Winless in 6 tries against Rip Engle.

Rivalry record
3–3
50.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
4–3–1
50.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Pittsburgh3–350%
The toughest matchup
vs. Rip Engle0–6
6 meetings, 1960–1965
’60 L’61 L’62 L’63 L’64 L’65 L
0% win rate across a real, 6-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
0–2 0.0%
Power Program
3–14 17.6%
National Program
6–7 46.2%
Regional Program
8–5 61.5%

Coaching career

1960–1965
West Virginiacaretaker
National Program II → National Program III
Gene Corum slid West Virginia from National Program II to National Program III in 6 seasons.

12th-best West Virginia tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Art Lewis (1950–1959) · succeeded by Jim Carlen (1966–1969).

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