The Coordinators’ Climb

Every season he has ever coached, laid end to end on a real calendar axis. Height is where his unit ranked nationally that year. The line breaks when he changes programs and breaks again when he isn’t coordinating anywhere — unemployment becomes part of the story instead of a hole in the data.

319 coordinators have run two or more programs since 2014. 40 climbed from below-average or worse all the way to a strong or elite unit.

A season he coached: higher is a better national rank, 100 the best in FBS
What he inherited: the unit’s rank the year before he arrived
Program and years: one block per job
Out of a job: not an FBS coordinator that year. In the strip below the tape, not measured
▲ Beat or ▼ missed expectations: vs. that season’s full roster talent (247/On3-style composite, not just that year’s incoming class)
±Marginal impact: his own effect on the unit, net of roster talent, returning production and the head coach, pooled across every program he has coordinated

Every other coordinator who ran two or more programs

The gallery above shows the top 24 by elite seasons. 214 more never became a head coach and have their own Tenure Clock page.

NameSideProgramsElite seasons
Billy GonzalesOffense22
Blake BakerDefense42
Bob ShoopDefense32
Corey BatoonDefense32
Corey HethermanDefense22
James ColeyOffense32
Jeff GrimesOffense42
John HevesyOffense22
Josh HensonOffense32
Kevin SteeleDefense42
Kurt MattixDefense32
Mike ShanahanOffense22
Rob EzellOffense22
Rod SmithOffense42
Ryan GrubbOffense32
Shiel WoodDefense52
Spence NowinskyDefense42
Tony FranklinOffense32
Vince KehresDefense22
Aaron RoderickOffense21
Alex AtkinsOffense21
Andy LudwigOffense31
Bob DeBesseOffense21
Brad WhiteDefense21
Brian SmithDefense21
Brian WrightOffense21
Bryan EllisOffense21
Calvin MageeOffense21
Chris HamptonDefense21
Chuck HeaterDefense21
David YostOffense41
Derek NicholsonDefense21
Erik ChinanderDefense31
Garin JusticeOffense21
Greg MattisonDefense21
Jason BeckOffense41
Jim LeavittDefense41
Joe GillespieDefense21
Joe KlandermanDefense21
Joel GordonOffense21
John ChavisDefense31
John RudzinskiDefense21
Johnny NansenDefense21
Jordan DavisOffense21
Kane IoaneDefense21
Keith PattersonDefense31
Kevin JohnsOffense61
Lance GuidryDefense31
Luke HuardOffense21
Lyle HemphillDefense41
Maurice Crum Jr.Defense31
Mike BloeschOffense21
Mike JohnsonOffense21
Mike YurcichOffense31
Rob AurichDefense21
Rob LikensOffense31
Robb SmithDefense41
Scottie HazeltonDefense41
Slade NagleOffense21
Tim BeckOffense21
Tim CramseyOffense41
Todd FitchOffense41
Todd OrlandoDefense71
Ty HowleOffense21
Vic KoenningDefense31
Zac AlleyDefense41
Zak HillOffense21
A. J. MilweeOffense20
A. J. RickerOffense20
Aaron HenryDefense20
Aazaar Abdul-RahimDefense30
Al BorgesOffense20
Alex GrinchDefense60
Andrew ThackerDefense20
Austin ArmstrongDefense30
Barry Lunney Jr.Offense20
Beau BaldwinOffense20
Ben ArbuckleOffense30
Brad CornelsenOffense30
Brad GlennOffense20
Bradley Dale PevetoDefense30
Brandon BaileyDefense20
Brennan MarionOffense20
Brent GuyDefense20
Brian BorlandDefense20
Brian KnorrDefense20
Brian LindgrenOffense30
Brian NorwoodDefense30
Brian VanGorderDefense30
Brian WardDefense50
Brian WilliamsDefense20
Bush HamdanOffense30
Buster FaulknerOffense50
Chad StaggsDefense20
Charlton WarrenDefense30
Chip LongOffense50
Chris BallDefense20
Chris MarveDefense20
Chuck BresnahanDefense20
Clay PattersonOffense20
Clayton WhiteDefense20
Clint BowenDefense20
Clint TrickettOffense40
Coleman HutzlerDefense20
Craig StutzmannOffense20
Danny LangsdorfOffense20
Dave BaldwinOffense20
Dave PatenaudeOffense30
David BlackwellDefense30
David DugganDefense30
David GibbsDefense30
DeMontie CrossDefense20
Dean KennedyOffense20
Doug MeachamOffense30
Ed PinkhamDefense20
Eddie GranOffense20
Elijah RobinsonDefense20
Eman NaghaviOffense20
Eric KiesauOffense30
Garrett RileyOffense30
Garrick McGeeOffense20
George McDonaldOffense20
Glenn SpencerDefense40
Gordon SammisOffense20
Harlon BarnettDefense20
Ikaika MalloeDefense20
Jason RollinsDefense20
Jason SemoreDefense30
Jay BatemanDefense40
Jay HillDefense20
Jay JohnsonOffense50
Jay NiemannDefense20
Jeff CasteelDefense20
Jeremiah JohnsonDefense20
Jesse BobbitDefense20
Joe CraddockOffense40
Joe RossiDefense30
Joe RudolphOffense20
Joe SloanOffense30
Joey LynchOffense30
John David BakerOffense20
John JancekDefense20
John McNultyOffense20
John PapuchisDefense20
Jon HeacockDefense20
Jonathan BrewerOffense20
Jordan PetersonDefense30
Josh AldridgeDefense30
Josh ConklinDefense20
Keith DudzinskiDefense20
Kelly PoppingaDefense20
Kenny EdenfieldOffense20
Kent BaerDefense20
Kevin BarbayOffense50
Kevin DeckerOffense20
Kevin KaneDefense30
Kevin McGivenOffense40
Kurt RoperOffense30
Lorenzo WardDefense20
Mack LeftwichOffense20
Marcus SatterfieldOffense30
Marcus WoodsonDefense20
Mark BankerDefense20
Mark CalaOffense20
Mark D'OnofrioDefense20
Matt BarnesDefense20
Matt BrockDefense20
Matt GuerrieriDefense20
Matt LimegroverOffense20
Matt LubickOffense50
Matt MattoxOffense20
Matt MillerOffense20
Matt MummeOffense20
Matt PowledgeDefense30
Max WarnerOffense20
Michael SchererDefense20
Mike CanalesOffense20
Mike DeBordOffense20
Mike MillerOffense20
Nathan BurtonDefense20
Nick HoltDefense20
Nick HowellDefense50
Nick PetrinoOffense20
Nick SheridanOffense30
Noel MazzoneOffense30
Phil BennettDefense30
Robert AnaeOffense50
Robert BalaDefense20
Ron EnglishDefense30
Ron RobertsDefense50
Ryan AplinOffense20
Scott PowerDefense20
Scott StokerDefense20
Sean GleesonOffense30
Seth DoegeOffense20
Shane MontgomeryOffense30
Skyler CassityDefense30
Stephen BelichickDefense20
Sterlin GilbertOffense50
Steve CasulaOffense20
Steve Spurrier Jr.Offense20
Taylor MouserOffense20
Ted RoofDefense70
Tim BanksDefense40
Tim Harris Jr.Offense20
Tim TibesarDefense20
Tom MasonDefense30
Tony PetersenOffense50
Travis TrickettOffense40
Travis WilliamsDefense20
Tyler StocktonDefense20
Tyrone NixDefense20
Will WindhamDefense20
William IngeDefense20
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