The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Ray Morrison

Followed Fred Swan. Ray Morrison held Temple at National Program III for 9 seasons.

Peak, then fade
49–55
1936–1948 · 2 stints
VanderbiltTemple
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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 careerVANDERBILTTEMPLEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelVanderbilt, 1936: 3-5, Power Program III1936Vanderbilt, 1937: 7-2, Power Program III1937Vanderbilt, 1938: 6-3, Power Program III1938Vanderbilt, 1939: 2-7, National Program I1939+0.0Temple, 1940: 4-4, National Program III1940Temple, 1941: 7-2, National Program III1941Temple, 1942: 2-5, Regional Program I1942Temple, 1943: 2-6, Regional Program II1943Temple, 1944: 2-4, Regional Program II1944Temple, 1945: 7-1, Regional Program I1945Temple, 1946: 2-4, Regional Program I1946Temple, 1947: 3-6, Regional Program I1947Temple, 1948: 2-6, Regional Program II1948-4.2One 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).

Vanderbilt, 4 seasons
+0.0
Power Program III → National Program I.
Temple, 9 seasons
−4.2
National Program III → Regional Program II.

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.

1–4 against his rivals. Just 1–7 against Bob Higgins.

Rivalry record
1–4
20.0% · 2 rivals
One-score games
12–14–7
36.4% · margin ≤8
Rivalry ledger
Tennessee1–325%
Villanova0–10%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Bob Higgins1–7
8 meetings, 1940–1948
’40 L’41 W’43 L’44 L’45 L’46 L’47 L’48 L
Performance by opponent class
Power Program
4–19 17.4%
National Program
8–13 38.1%
Regional Program
9–10 47.4%

Coaching career

1940–1948
Templecaretaker
National Program III → National Program III
Ray Morrison held Temple at National Program III for 9 seasons.

8th-best Temple tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Fred Swan (1939–1939) · succeeded by Al Kawal (1949–1952).

31–38
1936–1939
Vanderbiltcaretaker
Power Program III
Ray Morrison held Vanderbilt at Power Program III for 4 seasons.

1st-best Vanderbilt tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Red Sanders (1940–1948).

18–17