The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Tom Coughlin

Followed Jack Bicknell. Tom Coughlin moved Boston College from National Program III to National Program II in 3 seasons.

21–13
1991–1993 · 1 stint
Boston College
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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 careerBOSTON COLLEGENational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelBoston College, 1991: 4-7, National Program III1991Boston College, 1992: 8-3, National Program III1992Boston College, 1993: 9-3, National Program II1993+5.2One 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).

Boston College, 3 seasons
+5.2
National 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.

Winless in 3 tries against Don Nehlen.

One-score games
4–6–1
36.4% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
The toughest matchup
vs. Don Nehlen0–2–1
3 meetings, 1991–1993
’91 L’92 T’93 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
Dynasty
0–2 0.0%
Blue Blood
2–2 50.0%
Power Program
3–4 42.9%
National Program
3–2 60.0%
Regional Program
13–2 86.7%

Coaching career

1991–1993
Boston Collegecaretaker
National Program III → National Program II
Tom Coughlin moved Boston College from National Program III to National Program II in 3 seasons.

12th-best Boston College tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Jack Bicknell (1981–1990) · succeeded by Dan Henning (1994–1996).

4 NFL Draft picks: Mark Chmura (1992), Ron Stone (1993), Glenn Foley (1994), Tom Nalen (1994)

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