The Zeitgeist List · coaching

John Ray

Followed Charley Bradshaw. John Ray slid Kentucky from National Program II to National Program III in 4 seasons.

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1969–1972 · 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 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).

Kentucky, 4 seasons

−8.8

National Program III → Regional Program II.

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.

0–4 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against Charles McClendon.

Rivalry record

0–4

0.0% · 1 rival

One-score games

7–8

46.7% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–1

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

Tennessee0–40%

The toughest matchup

vs. Charles McClendon0–4

4 meetings, 1969–1972

’69 L’70 L’71 L’72 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

Blue Blood

0–1 0.0%

Power Program

1–19 5.0%

National Program

3–7 30.0%

Regional Program

5–6 45.5%

Coaching career

1969–1972

Kentuckycaretaker

National Program II → National Program III

John Ray slid Kentucky from National Program II to National Program III in 4 seasons.

10th-best Kentucky tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Charley Bradshaw (1962–1968) · succeeded by Fran Curci (1973–1981).

4 NFL Draft picks: Dicky Lyons (1969), David Hardt (1971), Joe Federspiel (1972), Bill Bushong (1972)

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