The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Jordan Olivar

Jordan Olivar moved Yale from Regional Program I to National Program II in 11 seasons.

The builder
94–52
1943–1962 · 2 stints
VillanovaYale
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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 careerVILLANOVAYALENational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelVillanova, 1943: 5-3, National Program II1943Villanova, 1944: 4-4, National Program IIIVillanova, 1945: 4-4, National Program IIIVillanova, 1946: 6-4, National Program IIIVillanova, 1947: 6-3, National Program IIIVillanova, 1948: 8-2, National Program II1948-3.4Yale, 1952: 7-2, Regional Program I1952Yale, 1953: 5-2, Regional Program IYale, 1954: 5-3, Regional Program IYale, 1955: 7-2, National Program IIIYale, 1956: 8-1, National Program IIYale, 1957: 6-2, National Program IIYale, 1958: 2-7, National Program IIIYale, 1959: 6-3, Regional Program IYale, 1960: 9-0, National Program IIYale, 1961: 4-5, National Program IIIYale, 1962: 2-5, National Program III1962+5.7One 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).

Villanova, 6 seasons
−3.4
National Program II → National Program II.
Yale, 11 seasons
+5.7
Regional Program I → 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.

1–0 against his rivals. Winless in 5 tries against Hal Lahar.

Rivalry record
1–0
100.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
9–16–7
28.1% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–4
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Temple1–0100%
The toughest matchup
vs. Hal Lahar0–2–3
5 meetings, 1953–1962
’53 T’54 T’55 L’56 L’62 T
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
0–4 0.0%
Power Program
2–5 28.6%
National Program
12–14 46.2%
Regional Program
28–15 65.1%

Coaching career

1952–1962
Yalecaretaker
Regional Program I → National Program II
Jordan Olivar moved Yale from Regional Program I to National Program II in 11 seasons.

3rd-best Yale tenure of 5 by the numbers.

Succeeded by John Pont (1963–1964).

61–32
1943–1948
Villanovacaretaker
National Program II → National Program II
Jordan Olivar held Villanova at National Program II for 6 seasons.

1st-best Villanova tenure of 2 by the numbers.

33–20