The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Terry Shea

Followed Doug Graber. Terry Shea slid Rutgers from Regional Program II to Regional Program III in 5 seasons.

Peak, then fade
26–50
1990–2000 · 2 stints
San José StateRutgers
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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 careerSAN JOSÉ STATERUTGERSNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelSan José State, 1990: 9-2, National Program III1990San José State, 1991: 6-4, National Program III1991+3.4Rutgers, 1996: 2-9, Regional Program III1996Rutgers, 1997: 0-11, Regional Program IV1997Rutgers, 1998: 5-6, Regional Program V1998Rutgers, 1999: 1-10, Regional Program V1999Rutgers, 2000: 3-8, Regional Program V2000-12.1One 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).

San José State, 2 seasons
+3.4
National Program III → National Program III.
Rutgers, 5 seasons
−12.1
Regional Program III → Regional Program V.

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.

Winless in 5 tries against Butch Davis.

One-score games
6–9–2
35.3% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–6
0.0%
The toughest matchup
vs. Butch Davis0–5
5 meetings, 1996–2000
’96 L’97 L’98 L’99 L’00 L
0% win rate across a real, 5-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
1–16 5.9%
National Program
2–11 15.4%
Regional Program
14–17 45.2%

Coaching career

1996–2000
Rutgerscaretaker
Regional Program II → Regional Program III
Terry Shea slid Rutgers from Regional Program II to Regional Program III in 5 seasons.

11th-best Rutgers tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Doug Graber (1990–1995) · succeeded by Greg Schiano (2001–2026).

1 NFL Draft pick: Mike McMahon (2001)

11–44
1990–1991
San José Statecaretaker
National Program III → National Program III
Terry Shea held San José State at National Program III for 2 seasons.

4th-best San José State tenure of 19 by the numbers.

Followed Claude Gilbert (1984–1989) · succeeded by Ron Turner (1992–1992).

2 NFL Draft picks: Johnny Johnson (1990), Sheldon Canley (1991)

15–6