The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Ron McBride

Followed Jim Fassel. Ron McBride raised Utah from Regional Program II to National Program II.

88–63
1990–2002 · 1 stint
Utah
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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 careerUTAHNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelUtah, 1990: 4-7, Regional Program III1990Utah, 1991: 7-5, Regional Program III1991Utah, 1992: 6-6, Regional Program III1992Utah, 1993: 7-6, Regional Program III1993Utah, 1994: 10-2, Regional Program I1994Utah, 1995: 7-4, National Program III1995Utah, 1996: 8-4, National Program III1996Utah, 1997: 6-5, National Program III1997Utah, 1998: 7-4, National Program III1998Utah, 1999: 9-3, National Program II1999Utah, 2000: 4-7, National Program II2000Utah, 2001: 8-4, National Program II2001Utah, 2002: 5-6, National Program II2002+16.5One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 6th career season — faster than 12% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #580 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Utah, 13 seasons
+16.5
Regional Program III → 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.

6–7 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Mike Bellotti.

Rivalry record
6–7
46.2% · 1 rival
One-score games
35–35
50.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
BYU6–746%
The toughest matchup
vs. Mike Bellotti0–3
3 meetings, 1995–2001
’95 L’97 L’01 L
0% 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
Blue Blood
0–1 0.0%
Power Program
8–13 38.1%
National Program
18–29 38.3%
Regional Program
60–19 75.9%

Coaching career

1990–2002
Utahbuilder
Regional Program II → National Program II
Ron McBride raised Utah from Regional Program II to National Program II.

7th-best Utah tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Followed Jim Fassel (1985–1989) · succeeded by Urban Meyer (2003–2004).

20 NFL Draft picks: Scott Mitchell (1990), Kurt Haws (1994), Jamal Anderson (1994), Luther Elliss (1995), Lance Scott (1995), Curtis Marsh (1995), Bronzell Miller (1995), Kevin Dyson (1998) + 12 more

88–63