The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Paul Bixler

Followed Andrew Kerr. Paul Bixler held Colgate at National Program III for 5 seasons.

Peak, then fade
18–30
1946–1951 · 2 stints
Ohio StateColgate
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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 careerOHIO STATECOLGATEBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelOhio State, 1946: 4-3, Power Program I1946-3.0Colgate, 1947: 1-5, National Program III1947Colgate, 1948: 3-6, Regional Program I1948Colgate, 1949: 1-8, Regional Program II1949Colgate, 1950: 5-3, Regional Program II1950Colgate, 1951: 4-5, Regional Program III1951-9.8One 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).

Colgate, 5 seasons
−9.8
National Program III → Regional 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.

0–1 against his rivals. Winless in 5 tries against George James.

Rivalry record
0–1
0.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
5–3–3
45.5% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Michigan0–10%
The toughest matchup
vs. George James0–5
5 meetings, 1947–1951
’47 L’48 L’49 L’50 L’51 L
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
0–1 0.0%
Power Program
2–4 33.3%
National Program
3–12 20.0%
Regional Program
3–7 30.0%

Coaching career

1947–1951
Colgatecaretaker
National Program III → National Program III
Paul Bixler held Colgate at National Program III for 5 seasons.

2nd-best Colgate tenure of 4 by the numbers.

Followed Andrew Kerr (1936–1946) · succeeded by Hal Lahar (1952–1967).

14–27
1946–1946
Ohio Stateinheritor
Blue Blood → Power Program I
Paul Bixler inherited a Blue Blood Ohio State and won with it.

10th-best Ohio State tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Followed Carroll Widdoes (1944–1945) · succeeded by Wesley Fesler (1947–1950).

4–3