The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Roger Theder

Followed Mike White. Roger Theder held California at National Program I for 4 seasons.

17–28
1978–1981 · 1 stint
California
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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 careerCALIFORNIAPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyCalifornia, 1978: 6-5, National Program II1978California, 1979: 6-6, National Program I1979California, 1980: 3-8, National Program II1980California, 1981: 2-9, National Program II1981-4.4One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 1st career season — faster than 41% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #1 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

California, 4 seasons
−4.4
National Program II → National 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.

2–2 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against John Robinson.

Rivalry record
2–2
50.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
9–9
50.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–6
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Stanford2–250%
The toughest matchup
vs. John Robinson0–4
4 meetings, 1978–1981
’78 L’79 L’80 L’81 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
0–6 0.0%
Power Program
3–14 17.6%
National Program
5–4 55.6%
Regional Program
8–4 66.7%

Coaching career

1978–1981
Californiacaretaker
National Program I → National Program I
Roger Theder held California at National Program I for 4 seasons.

5th-best California tenure of 19 by the numbers.

Followed Mike White (1972–1977) · succeeded by Joe Kapp (1982–1986).

6 NFL Draft picks: Jesse Thompson (1978), Ralph DeLoach (1979), Daryle Skaugstad (1980), Paul Jones (1980), Joe Rose (1980), Rich Campbell (1981)

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