The Zeitgeist List · coaching

William Jennings

Followed Pete Elliott. William Jennings slid Nebraska from Regional Program II to Regional Program III in 5 seasons.

15–34

1957–1961 · 1 stint

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.

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).

Nebraska, 5 seasons

−6.1

Regional Program III → Regional 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.

1–4 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against Dan Devine.

Rivalry record

1–4

20.0% · 1 rival

One-score games

11–8–1

55.0% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–1

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

Colorado1–420%

The toughest matchup

vs. Dan Devine0–4

4 meetings, 1958–1961

’58 L’59 L’60 L’61 L

0% win rate across a real, 4-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

0–1 0.0%

Blue Blood

2–3 40.0%

Power Program

3–6 33.3%

National Program

3–11 21.4%

Regional Program

6–13 31.6%

Coaching career

1957–1961

Nebraskacaretaker

Regional Program II → Regional Program III

William Jennings slid Nebraska from Regional Program II to Regional Program III in 5 seasons.

18th-best Nebraska tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Pete Elliott (1956–1956) · succeeded by Bob Devaney (1962–1972).

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