The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Ned McDonald

Followed Arthur Guepe. Ned McDonald slid Virginia from National Program I to National Program II in 3 seasons.

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1953–1955 · 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).

Virginia, 3 seasons

−14.9

National Program II → Regional 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.

0–3 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Frank Moseley.

Rivalry record

0–3

0.0% · 1 rival

One-score games

1–6

14.3% · margin ≤8

Rivalry ledger

Virginia Tech0–30%

The toughest matchup

vs. Frank Moseley0–3

3 meetings, 1953–1955

’53 L’54 L’55 L

0% 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

Power Program

0–2 0.0%

National Program

0–13 0.0%

Regional Program

2–6 25.0%

Coaching career

1953–1955

Virginiacaretakerborderline

National Program I → National Program II

Ned McDonald slid Virginia from National Program I to National Program II in 3 seasons.

6th-best Virginia tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Arthur Guepe (1946–1952) · succeeded by Ben Martin (1956–1957).

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