The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Lloyd Eaton

Followed Bob Devaney. Lloyd Eaton moved Wyoming from National Program I to Power Program II in 9 seasons.

57–33
1962–1970 · 1 stint
Wyoming
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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 careerWYOMINGPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyWyoming, 1962: 5-5, National Program I1962Wyoming, 1963: 6-4, National Program II1963Wyoming, 1964: 6-2, National Program II1964Wyoming, 1965: 6-4, National Program II1965Wyoming, 1966: 10-1, National Program I1966Wyoming, 1967: 10-1, Power Program III1967Wyoming, 1968: 7-3, Power Program II1968Wyoming, 1969: 6-4, Power Program III1969Wyoming, 1970: 1-9, National Program I1970+7.6One 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).

Wyoming, 9 seasons
+7.6
National Program I → National Program I.

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.

8–1 against his rivals. Just 1–2 against Bill Meek.

Rivalry record
8–1
88.9% · 1 rival
One-score games
13–13–2
46.4% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Colorado State8–189%
The toughest matchup
vs. Bill Meek1–2
3 meetings, 1968–1970
’68 W’69 L’70 L
33% win rate across a real, 3-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
5–9 35.7%
National Program
13–9 59.1%
Regional Program
35–14 71.4%

Coaching career

1962–1970
Wyomingcaretaker
National Program I → Power Program II
Lloyd Eaton moved Wyoming from National Program I to Power Program II in 9 seasons.

1st-best Wyoming tenure of 22 by the numbers.

Followed Bob Devaney (1957–1961) · succeeded by Fritz Shurmur (1971–1974).

10 NFL Draft picks: Ron Billingsley (1967), Rick Egloff (1967), Jerry DePoyster (1968), Mike LaHood (1968), Jim Kiick (1968), Mike Dirks (1968), Paul Toscano (1968), Gene Huey (1969) + 2 more

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