The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Paul Brown

Followed Francis Schmidt. Paul Brown moved Ohio State from Power Program II to Power Program I in 3 seasons.

18–8

1941–1943 · 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 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).

Ohio State, 3 seasons

+4.1

Power Program II → Power 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.

1–1 against his rivals. Just 1–2 against Pappy Waldorf.

Rivalry record

1–1–1

33.3% · 1 rival

One-score games

5–2–1

62.5% · margin ≤8

Rivalry ledger

Michigan1–1–133%

The toughest matchup

vs. Pappy Waldorf1–2

3 meetings, 1941–1943

’41 L’42 W’43 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

Power Program

7–3 70.0%

National Program

6–3 66.7%

Regional Program

3–0 100.0%

Coaching career

1941–1943

Ohio Statecaretaker

Power Program II → Power Program I

Paul Brown moved Ohio State from Power Program II to Power Program I in 3 seasons.

9th-best Ohio State tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Followed Francis Schmidt (1936–1940) · succeeded by Carroll Widdoes (1944–1945).

18–8