The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Milt Bruhn

Followed Ivy Williamson. Milt Bruhn moved Wisconsin from Power Program III to Power Program II in 11 seasons.

52–45
1956–1966 · 1 stint
Wisconsin
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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 careerWISCONSINPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelWisconsin, 1956: 1-5, Power Program III1956Wisconsin, 1957: 6-3, National Program I1957Wisconsin, 1958: 7-1, Power Program III1958Wisconsin, 1959: 7-3, Power Program III1959Wisconsin, 1960: 4-5, Power Program III1960Wisconsin, 1961: 6-3, Power Program III1961Wisconsin, 1962: 8-2, Power Program II1962Wisconsin, 1963: 5-4, Power Program II1963Wisconsin, 1964: 3-6, Power Program III1964Wisconsin, 1965: 2-7, National Program II1965Wisconsin, 1966: 3-6, National Program III1966+5.6One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 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).

Wisconsin, 11 seasons
+5.6
Power 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.

13–10 against his rivals. Just 1–5 against Duffy Daugherty.

Rivalry record
13–10–1
54.2% · 3 rivals
One-score games
19–9–6
55.9% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
2–11
15.4%
Rivalry ledger
Iowa6–555%
Minnesota7–3–164%
Nebraska0–20%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Duffy Daugherty1–5
6 meetings, 1956–1964
’56 L’57 L’58 W’61 L’63 L’64 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
2–11 15.4%
Power Program
19–28 40.4%
National Program
18–5 78.3%
Regional Program
8–1 88.9%

Coaching career

1956–1966
Wisconsincaretaker
Power Program III → Power Program II
Milt Bruhn moved Wisconsin from Power Program III to Power Program II in 11 seasons.

5th-best Wisconsin tenure of 14 by the numbers.

Followed Ivy Williamson (1949–1955) · succeeded by John Coatta (1967–1969).

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