The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Terry Donahue

Followed Dick Vermeil. Terry Donahue moved UCLA from Power Program II to Power Program I in 20 seasons.

151–74
1976–1995 · 1 stint
UCLA
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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 careerUCLABlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderUCLA, 1976: 9-2, Power Program II1976UCLA, 1977: 7-4, Power Program IIUCLA, 1978: 8-3, Power Program IIUCLA, 1979: 5-6, Power Program IIUCLA, 1980: 9-2, Power Program IIUCLA, 1981: 7-4, Power Program IIUCLA, 1982: 10-1, Power Program IUCLA, 1983: 7-4, Power Program IUCLA, 1984: 9-3, Power Program IUCLA, 1985: 9-2, Power Program IUCLA, 1986: 8-3, Power Program IUCLA, 1987: 10-2, Power Program IUCLA, 1988: 10-2, Power Program IUCLA, 1989: 3-7, Power Program IUCLA, 1990: 5-6, Power Program IUCLA, 1991: 9-3, Power Program IUCLA, 1992: 6-5, Power Program IIUCLA, 1993: 8-4, Power Program IIUCLA, 1994: 5-6, Power Program IIUCLA, 1995: 7-5, Power Program II1995+6.4One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 1st career season — faster than 57% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #1 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

UCLA, 20 seasons
+6.4
Power Program II → Power 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.

10–9 against his rivals. Just 1–5 against Tom Osborne.

Rivalry record
10–9–1
50.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
43–40–8
47.3% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
5–11
31.2%
Rivalry ledger
USC10–9–150%
The toughest matchup
vs. Tom Osborne1–5
6 meetings, 1983–1994
’83 L’84 L’87 L’88 W’93 L’94 L
17% win rate across a real, 6-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
5–11 31.2%
Power Program
44–30 59.5%
National Program
54–26 67.5%
Regional Program
43–7 86.0%

Coaching career

1976–1995
UCLAcaretaker
Power Program II → Power Program I
Terry Donahue moved UCLA from Power Program II to Power Program I in 20 seasons.

2nd-best UCLA tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Dick Vermeil (1974–1975) · succeeded by Bob Toledo (1996–2002).

60 NFL Draft picks: Cliff Frazier (1976), Randy Cross (1976), John Sciarra (1976), Wendell Tyler (1977), Rick Walker (1977), Frank Corral (1978), Levi Armstrong (1978), Manu Tuiasosopo (1979) + 52 more

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