The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Robert Voigts

Followed Pappy Waldorf. Robert Voigts slid Northwestern from National Program I to Power Program III in 8 seasons.

33–39
1947–1954 · 1 stint
Northwestern
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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 careerNORTHWESTERNPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelNorthwestern, 1947: 3-6, National Program I1947Northwestern, 1948: 8-2, Power Program III1948Northwestern, 1949: 4-5, Power Program III1949Northwestern, 1950: 6-3, National Program I1950Northwestern, 1951: 5-4, National Program I1951Northwestern, 1952: 2-6, National Program II1952Northwestern, 1953: 3-6, National Program II1953Northwestern, 1954: 2-7, National Program III1954-0.9One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 2nd career season — faster than 51% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #170 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Northwestern, 8 seasons
−0.9
National Program I → National 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.

6–2 against his rivals. Winless in 6 tries against Ivy Williamson.

Rivalry record
6–2
75.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
14–18–1
42.4% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Illinois6–275%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Ivy Williamson0–6
6 meetings, 1949–1954
’49 L’50 L’51 L’52 L’53 L’54 L
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
0–2 0.0%
Blue Blood
3–5 37.5%
Power Program
8–16 33.3%
National Program
17–13 56.7%
Regional Program
5–2 71.4%

Coaching career

1947–1954
Northwesterncaretaker
National Program I → Power Program III
Robert Voigts slid Northwestern from National Program I to Power Program III in 8 seasons.

2nd-best Northwestern tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Followed Pappy Waldorf (1936–1946) · succeeded by Lou Saban (1955–1955).

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