The Zeitgeist List · coordinators · never a head coach
Alex Grinch.
Defensive coordinator · 12 seasons · 7 stints · 6 programs0 seasons ranked in the national top 10%
Own effect on the unit
Defense−0.08#276 of 458 · a typical amount
model fit as of 2026-09-04
The tenure clock
Every stop re-aligned to its own first year, so the stops stack instead of scrolling past each other. The gray dashed line is a reference, not a path: each point is the median of whoever was still in the job that year, across every real OC/DC stint since 2014 at that role, and the pool shrinks year over year because surviving to a later year means not having been fired.
Washington State 2015–2017
Ohio State 2018–2018
Oklahoma 2019–2021
USC 2022–2023
Wisconsin 2024–2024
UCF 2025–2026
Median of those still in the job, that year of a tenure. A shrinking pool, not a path.
Washington State, 3 years
+5.2
62.1 to 67.3 percentile.
Oklahoma, 3 years
+9.2
44.2 to 53.5 percentile.
USC, 2 years
+9.8
0.4 to 10.2 percentile.
UCF, 2 years
+20.9
57.0 to 77.9 percentile.
Median defensive coordinator
−1.5
first season to last, across 239 stints of 3+ years. 48.1% improve at all.
Every stop on the calendar
| Years | Program | Walked into | Year 1 | Best | Vs. talent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–2017 | Washington State | 13.7 | 62.1 | 67.3 | +7.8 |
| 2018–2018 | Ohio State | 95.0 | 48.8 | 48.8 | −26.9 |
| 2019–2021 | Oklahoma | 4.2 | 44.2 | 69.7 | −10.8 |
| 2022–2022 | USC | 14.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | −64.1 |
| 2023–2023 | USC | 0.4 | 10.2 | 10.2 | −56.1 |
| 2024–2024 | Wisconsin | 59.8 | 48.1 | 48.1 | −10.8 |
| 2025–2026 | UCF | 70.5 | 57.0 | 77.9 | +1.9 |
Ohio State 2018–2018: ranked 95th the year before he arrived, 49th at its best — went backwards.
USC 2022–2022: ranked 14th the year before he arrived, 0th at its best — went backwards.
Wisconsin 2024–2024: ranked 60th the year before he arrived, 48th at its best — went backwards.