The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Stan Parrish

Stan Parrish held Eastern Michigan at Regional Program VI for 1 season.

The journeyman
9–51
1986–2013 · 3 stints
Kansas StateBall StateEastern Michigan
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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 careerKANSAS STATEBALL STATEEASTERN MICH…Regional Programthe building-block levelKansas State, 1986: 2-9, Regional Program V1986Kansas State, 1987: 0-10, Regional Program V1987Kansas State, 1988: 0-11, Regional Program V1988-5.8Ball State, 2008: 0-1, Regional Program III2008Ball State, 2009: 2-10, Regional Program III2009Ball State, 2010: 4-8, Regional Program IV2010+1.5Eastern Michigan, 2013: 1-2, Regional Program VI2013-1.0One 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).

Kansas State, 3 seasons
−5.8
Regional Program V → Regional Program V.
Ball State, 3 seasons
+1.5
Regional Program III → Regional Program IV.

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 3 tries against Barry Switzer.

Rivalry record
1–3–1
20.0% · 2 rivals
One-score games
3–10–1
21.4% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–3
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Kansas1–1–133%
Northern Illinois0–20%
The toughest matchup
vs. Barry Switzer0–3
3 meetings, 1986–1988
’86 L’87 L’88 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
0–3 0.0%
Power Program
0–8 0.0%
National Program
0–10 0.0%
Regional Program
6–22 21.4%

Coaching career

2013–2013
Eastern Michigancaretaker
Regional Program VI → Regional Program VI
Stan Parrish held Eastern Michigan at Regional Program VI for 1 season.

13th-best Eastern Michigan tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Chris Creighton (2014–2026).

Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Edge from high school
100%
#191 of 208 stints
1–2
2008–2010
Ball Statecaretaker
Regional Program IV → Regional Program III
Stan Parrish moved Ball State from Regional Program IV to Regional Program III in 3 seasons.

6th-best Ball State tenure of 10 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Pete Lembo (2011–2015).

Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Tight end from high school
100%
#164 of 188 stints
Grows Interior line from high school
100%
#198 of 224 stints

2 NFL Draft picks: Robert Brewster (2009), Nate Davis (2009)

6–19
1986–1988
Kansas Statecaretaker
Regional Program IV → Regional Program V
Stan Parrish slid Kansas State from Regional Program IV to Regional Program V in 3 seasons.

15th-best Kansas State tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Jim Dickey (1978–1985) · succeeded by Bill Snyder (1989–2018).

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