The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Ivy Williamson

Followed Harry Stuhldreher. Ivy Williamson raised Wisconsin from National Program II to Power Program III.

41–19
1949–1955 · 1 stint
Wisconsin
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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 careerWISCONSINPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyWisconsin, 1949: 5-3, National Program II1949Wisconsin, 1950: 6-3, National Program II1950Wisconsin, 1951: 7-1, National Program I1951Wisconsin, 1952: 6-3, National Program I1952Wisconsin, 1953: 6-2, National Program I1953Wisconsin, 1954: 7-2, Power Program III1954Wisconsin, 1955: 4-5, Power Program III1955+12.2One 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).

Wisconsin, 7 seasons
+12.2
National Program II → Power 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.

9–3 against his rivals. Winless in 5 tries against Woody Hayes.

Rivalry record
9–3–2
64.3% · 2 rivals
One-score games
8–7–4
42.1% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
1–4
20.0%
Rivalry ledger
Iowa6–186%
Minnesota3–2–243%
The toughest matchup
vs. Woody Hayes0–4–1
5 meetings, 1951–1955
’51 T’52 L’53 L’54 L’55 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
Blue Blood
1–4 20.0%
Power Program
8–12 40.0%
National Program
19–3 86.4%
Regional Program
6–0 100.0%

Coaching career

1949–1955
Wisconsinbuilderborderline
National Program II → Power Program III
Ivy Williamson raised Wisconsin from National Program II to Power Program III.

8th-best Wisconsin tenure of 14 by the numbers.

Followed Harry Stuhldreher (1936–1948) · succeeded by Milt Bruhn (1956–1966).

41–19