The Zeitgeist List · coaching

James Phelan

James Phelan held Washington at Power Program III for 6 seasons.

33–20

1936–1941 · 1 stint

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.

Reached Power Program in his 1st career season — faster than 57% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #1 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Washington, 6 seasons

+0.0

Power Program III → 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.

8–3 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against Bernie Bierman.

Rivalry record

8–3–1

66.7% · 2 rivals

One-score games

11–15–3

37.9% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–1

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

Oregon4–267%

Washington State4–1–167%

The toughest matchup

vs. Bernie Bierman0–4

4 meetings, 1936–1941

’36 L’38 L’40 L’41 L

0% win rate across a real, 4-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

Dynasty

0–1 0.0%

Blue Blood

0–4 0.0%

Power Program

11–6 64.7%

National Program

13–9 59.1%

Regional Program

2–0 100.0%

Coaching career

1936–1941

Washingtoncaretaker

Power Program III

James Phelan held Washington at Power Program III for 6 seasons.

10th-best Washington tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Ralph Welch (1942–1947).

33–20