The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Ted Tollner

Followed Al Luginbill. Ted Tollner held San Diego State at National Program III for 8 seasons.

Peak, then fade
69–68
1983–2001 · 2 stints
USCSan Diego State
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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 careerUSCSAN DIEGO STATEDynastythe sport's summitBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelUSC, 1983: 4-6, Blue Blood1983USC, 1984: 9-3, Power Program I1984USC, 1985: 6-6, Power Program I1985USC, 1986: 7-5, Power Program I1986-7.7San Diego State, 1994: 4-7, National Program III1994San Diego State, 1995: 8-4, National Program III1995San Diego State, 1996: 8-3, National Program III1996San Diego State, 1997: 5-7, National Program III1997San Diego State, 1998: 7-5, National Program III1998San Diego State, 1999: 5-6, National Program III1999San Diego State, 2000: 3-8, National Program III2000San Diego State, 2001: 3-8, National Program III2001+1.7One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Blue Blood in his 1st career season — faster than 59% of the 100 FBS coaches who have ever reached Blue Blood (rank #1 of 100 by seasons-to-arrival).

USC, 4 seasons
−7.7
Blue Blood → Power Program I.
San Diego State, 8 seasons
+1.7
National Program III → 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.

5–8 against his rivals. Just 1–5 against Fisher DeBerry.

Rivalry record
5–8
38.5% · 3 rivals
One-score games
24–21–1
52.2% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–6
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Fresno State4–180%
Notre Dame0–40%
UCLA1–325%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Fisher DeBerry1–5
6 meetings, 1994–2001
’94 L’96 W’97 L’99 L’00 L’01 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
0–6 0.0%
Power Program
7–25 21.9%
National Program
26–21 55.3%
Regional Program
34–16 68.0%

Coaching career

1994–2001
San Diego Statecaretaker
National Program III → National Program III
Ted Tollner held San Diego State at National Program III for 8 seasons.

6th-best San Diego State tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Al Luginbill (1989–1993) · succeeded by Tom Craft (2002–2005).

17 NFL Draft picks: Marshall Faulk (1994), Darnay Scott (1994), Ramondo Stallings (1994), Jamal Duff (1995), Will Blackwell (1997), Nate Jacquet (1997), George Jones (1997), Ricky Parker (1997) + 9 more

43–48
1983–1986
USCinheritor
Blue Blood → Blue Blood
Ted Tollner inherited a Blue Blood USC and won with it.

6th-best USC tenure of 17 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Larry Smith (1987–1992).

23 NFL Draft picks: Bruce Matthews (1983), Joey Browner (1983), Don Mosebar (1983), George Achica (1983), August Curley (1983), Kelly Thomas (1983), Riki Gray-Ellison (1983), Byron Darby (1983) + 15 more

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