The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Jim Sutherland

Followed Alton Kircher. Jim Sutherland moved Washington State from Regional Program II to National Program III in 8 seasons.

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1956–1963 · 1 stint
Washington State
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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 careerWASHINGTON STATENational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelWashington State, 1956: 3-6, Regional Program III1956Washington State, 1957: 6-4, Regional Program II1957Washington State, 1958: 7-3, Regional Program I1958Washington State, 1959: 6-4, Regional Program I1959Washington State, 1960: 4-5, National Program III1960Washington State, 1961: 3-7, National Program III1961Washington State, 1962: 5-4, National Program III1962Washington State, 1963: 3-6, National Program III1963+9.6One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 5th career season — faster than 14% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #547 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Washington State, 8 seasons
+9.6
Regional 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.

2–6 against his rivals. Just 2–6 against Len Casanova.

Rivalry record
2–6
25.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
14–15–4
42.4% · margin ≤8
Rivalry ledger
Washington2–625%
The toughest matchup
vs. Len Casanova2–6–1
9 meetings, 1956–1963
’56 T’57 L’58 W’59 L’59 L’60 L’61 W’62 L’63 L
22% win rate across a real, 9-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
Power Program
1–9 10.0%
National Program
12–20 37.5%
Regional Program
14–7 66.7%

Coaching career

1956–1963
Washington Statecaretaker
Regional Program II → National Program III
Jim Sutherland moved Washington State from Regional Program II to National Program III in 8 seasons.

7th-best Washington State tenure of 21 by the numbers.

Followed Alton Kircher (1952–1955) · succeeded by Bert Clark (1964–1967).

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