The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Paul Wulff

Followed Bill Doba. Washington State fell from National Program II to Regional Program III under Paul Wulff.

9–40
2008–2011 · 1 stint
Washington State
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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 careerWASHINGTON STATENational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelWashington State, 2008: 2-11, Regional Program I2008Washington State, 2009: 1-11, Regional Program III2009Washington State, 2010: 2-10, Regional Program III2010Washington State, 2011: 4-8, Regional Program III2011-17.2One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Regional Program in his 1st career season — faster than 20% of the 925 FBS coaches who have ever reached Regional Program (rank #1 of 925 by seasons-to-arrival).

Washington State, 4 seasons
−17.2
Regional Program I → 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.

1–3 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against Jeff Tedford.

Rivalry record
1–3
25.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
3–4
42.9% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–3
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Washington1–325%
The toughest matchup
vs. Jeff Tedford0–4
4 meetings, 2008–2011
’08 L’09 L’10 L’11 L
0% win rate across a real, 4-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
0–3 0.0%
Power Program
0–14 0.0%
National Program
4–18 18.2%
Regional Program
2–5 28.6%

Coaching career

2008–2011
Washington Statedecliner
National Program II → Regional Program I
Washington State fell from National Program II to Regional Program III under Paul Wulff.

14th-best Washington State tenure of 21 by the numbers.

Followed Bill Doba (2003–2007) · succeeded by Mike Leach (2012–2019).

Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Tight end from high school
100%
#164 of 188 stints
Grows Edge from high school
100%
#191 of 208 stints

3 NFL Draft picks: Alex Brink (2008), Brandon Gibson (2009), Zachary Williams (2011)

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