The Zeitgeist List · coaching

George James

Followed Ed McKeever. George James held Cornell at National Program II for 14 seasons.

66–58
1947–1960 · 1 stint
Cornell
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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 careerCORNELLNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelCornell, 1947: 4-5, National Program II1947Cornell, 1948: 8-1, National Program II1948Cornell, 1949: 8-1, National Program II1949Cornell, 1950: 7-2, National Program II1950Cornell, 1951: 6-3, National Program II1951Cornell, 1952: 2-7, National Program III1952Cornell, 1953: 4-3, National Program III1953Cornell, 1954: 5-4, National Program III1954Cornell, 1955: 5-4, Regional Program I1955Cornell, 1956: 1-8, Regional Program I1956Cornell, 1957: 3-6, Regional Program II1957Cornell, 1958: 6-3, Regional Program II1958Cornell, 1959: 5-4, Regional Program III1959Cornell, 1960: 2-7, Regional Program IV1960+0.3One 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).

Cornell, 14 seasons
+0.3
National Program II → Regional Program IV.

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 6 tries against Bob Blackman.

One-score games
22–12–2
61.1% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
1–2
33.3%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Bob Blackman0–6
6 meetings, 1955–1960
’55 L’56 L’57 L’58 L’59 L’60 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
1–2 33.3%
Power Program
1–5 16.7%
National Program
16–24 40.0%
Regional Program
24–18 57.1%

Coaching career

1947–1960
Cornellcaretaker
National Program II → National Program II
George James held Cornell at National Program II for 14 seasons.

2nd-best Cornell tenure of 5 by the numbers.

Followed Ed McKeever (1946–1946) · succeeded by Tom Harp (1961–1965).

66–58