Stature and coaches, 1936–2026
The program’s standing over time, with every coach’s tenure beneath it — read down to see who was there for each rise and fall.
DynastyBlue BloodPower ProgramNational ProgramRegional Program
Run↔pass identity, by season
Army's highest stature since 1971
Every coach
Big movers show how many stature points they built or lost against what they inherited; steadier tenures show the tier they reached instead. A small blue arrow marks a real System Shift at that changeover — how hard the offense’s run/pass identity flipped.
2014–now
Jeff Monken Builder ◆ COY
Jeff Monken raised Army from Regional Program V to Regional Program I.
Averaged a 14% pass rate — among the most run-heavy stretches in FBS since 2004
vs. Navy
+17.0 pts over 13 seasons · top 32% of 10+-season tenures (202 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Ron McBride’s Utah run (1990–2002)
6th-best Army tenure of 13 by the numbers.
Followed Rich Ellerson (2009–2013).
System Shift, on arrival
| Season | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||||||||||
| Record | 4-8 | 2-10 | 8-5 | 10-3 | 11-2 | 5-8 | 9-3 | 9-4 | 6-6 | 6-6 | 12-2 | 7-6 | 5-3 | |
| Postseason | — | — | W bowl | W bowl | W bowl | — | L bowl | W bowl | — | — | W bowl | W bowl | — | |
| Recruiting rank | #120 | #120 | #117 | #120 | #116 | #99 | #111 | #108 | #133 | #117 | #133 | #130 | #138 | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||||||||||
| Pass rate | 13.6 | 14.9 | 13.0 | 7.6 | 10.6 | 14.5 | 9.6 | 12.7 | 13.9 | 22.3 | 13.8 | 14.4 | 16.5 | |
| Coordinators | ||||||||||||||
| OC | Brent Davis | Brent Davis | Brent Davis | Brent Davis | Brent Davis | Brent Davis | Brent Davis | Brent Davis | Brent Davis | Drew Thatcher | Cody Worley | Cody Worley | Cody Worley | |
| DC | Jay Bateman | Jay Bateman | Jay Bateman | Jay Bateman | Jay Bateman | John Loose | Greg Gasparato / Nate Woody | Nate Woody / Shiel Wood | Nate Woody | Nate Woody | Nate Woody | Nate Woody | Daryl Dixon | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||||||||||
| Offense | 54 | 30 | 79 | 93 | 96 | 71 | 41 | 57 | 63 | 17 | 88 | 73 | 95 | |
| Defense | 17 | 31 | 71 | 20 | 63 | 33 | 90 | 30 | 68 | 18 | 47 | 50 | 8 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | 10.5 | 12.1 | 9.7 | 5.0 | 6.8 | 11.9 | 7.4 | 13.7 | 12.6 | 17.1 | 10.8 | 9.5 | 17.3 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 8.0 | 16.9 | 6.5 | 3.1 | 5.3 | 9.2 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 6.7 | 10.0 | 8.1 | 12.7 | 9.7 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 38.9 | 46.4 | 55.9 | 62.5 | 57.1 | 59.4 | 65.8 | 55.3 | 53.3 | 41.7 | 66.7 | 65.3 | 47.8 | |
Recruiter or developer?
Outperforms his recruiting talent, on both sides of the ball.
Offense vs. talent
+38.1 pts
#7 of 208 · top quarter
Defense vs. talent
+18.9 pts
#36 of 208 · top quarter
Recruiting talent is team-wide (no offense/defense split exists in the source data) -- both sides are scored against the same talent input, only the outcome is side-specific.
Roster construction · portal era
Barely touches the portal — recruits and develops his own.
Portal arrivals
0
Portal departures
31
left via the portal
Net portal flow
-31
#185 of 187 FBS stints
Who won the portal our read
Talent added
0.0
position-weighted
Talent lost
47.7
position-weighted
Net
-47.7
arrivals minus departures
Biggest loss: Larry Robinson (QB) to the portal
Position-value-weighted (QB/CB weighted highest, depth-decayed within each position) — the same scoring engine as the Portal Heat feed, not a separate grade.
Does the system survive a coordinator change?
OC: Brent Davis → Drew Thatcher · 2023
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 12.6% → 17.1% (+4.5 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 50% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
OC: Drew Thatcher → Cody Worley · 2024
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 17.1% → 10.8% (-6.3 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 70% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
DC: Jay Bateman → John Loose · 2019
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
DC: John Loose → Greg Gasparato (co) / Nate Woody · 2020
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
DC: Greg Gasparato (co) / Nate Woody → Nate Woody / Shiel Wood (co) · 2021
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
DC: Nate Woody / Shiel Wood (co) → Nate Woody · 2022
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
DC: Nate Woody → Daryl Dixon · 2026
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
Roster size, by position
Skill positions · usage-weighted (real participation)
Quarterback
202 lbs
5′10″ avg · #667 of 767 · bottom quarter
Running back
220 lbs
5′11″ avg · #38 of 791 · top quarter
Wide receiver
197 lbs
6′1″ avg · #201 of 791 · middle half
Tight end
236 lbs
6′3″ avg · #650 of 731 · bottom quarter
Trench & secondary · recruited roster, not confirmed starters
Interior line
289 lbs
6′3″ avg · #769 of 779 · bottom quarter
D-line
267 lbs
6′2″ avg · #705 of 753 · bottom quarter
Linebacker
224 lbs
6′1″ avg · #616 of 772 · bottom quarter
Cornerback
192 lbs
5′11″ avg · #255 of 771 · middle half
Offensive-line size is one undifferentiated bucket — the source data almost never distinguishes tackle from guard from center, so we can't split them out.
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Long snapper from high school
100%
#13 of 13 stints
Grows Kicker from high school
100%
#52 of 56 stints
Postseason detail2016: Beat North Texas 38-31 Zaxby's Heart Of Dallas Bowl2017: Beat San Diego State 42-35 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl2018: Beat Houston 70-14 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl2020: Lost to West Virginia 21-24 AutoZone Liberty Bowl2021: Beat Missouri 24-22 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl2024: Beat Louisiana Tech 27-6 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl2025: Beat UConn 41-16 Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Coach of the Year: AAC Coach of the Year (2024)
+17.0
94-66
2009–2013
Rich Ellerson Steady
Rich Ellerson held the Black Knights at Regional Program V for 5 seasons.
Averaged a 16% pass rate — among the most run-heavy stretches in FBS since 2004
vs. Navy
+2.3 pts over 5 seasons · top 23% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Steve Sarkisian’s Washington run (2009–2013)
12th-best Army tenure of 13 by the numbers.
Followed Stan Brock (2007–2008) · succeeded by Jeff Monken (2014–now).
System Shift, on arrival
System Shift, on departure
| Season | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||
| Record | 5-7 | 7-6 | 3-9 | 2-10 | 3-9 | |
| Postseason | — | W bowl | — | — | — | |
| Recruiting rank | #114 | #113 | #88 | #123 | #124 | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||
| Pass rate | 21.4 | 15.9 | 11.6 | 12.5 | 18.2 | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||
| Offense | 5 | 47 | 90 | 81 | 65 | |
| Defense | 65 | 50 | 37 | 11 | 40 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||
| 1st-down pass% | 13.2 | 15.4 | 10.2 | 12.0 | 14.9 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 19.8 | 7.1 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 7.6 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 15.4 | 35.7 | 57.1 | 47.8 | 28.6 | |
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Edge from high school
100%
#191 of 208 stints
Grows Running back from high school
100%
#196 of 208 stints
Postseason detail2010: Beat SMU 16-14 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
+2.3
20-41
2007–2008
Stan Brock Short tenure
2007 offense ranked in the 1th percentile nationally — historically bad
vs. Navy
6-18
2004–2006
Bobby Ross Steady
Bobby Ross held Army at Regional Program V for 3 seasons.
2006 offense ranked in the 1th percentile nationally — historically bad
vs. Navy
−0.2 pts over 3 seasons · top 35% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Gerry DiNardo’s Vanderbilt run (1991–1994)
13th-best Army tenure of 13 by the numbers.
Followed John Mumford (2003) · succeeded by Stan Brock (2007–2008).
System Shift, on departure
| Season | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||
| Record | 2-9 | 4-7 | 3-9 | |
| Postseason | — | — | — | |
| Recruiting rank | #115 | #118 | #117 | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||
| Pass rate | 47.8 | 39.8 | 41.3 | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||
| Offense | 66 | 31 | 1 | |
| Defense | 33 | 26 | 21 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||
| 1st-down pass% | 35.0 | 30.3 | 35.5 | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | 27.0 | 30.2 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | 37.5 | 25.0 | |
−0.2
9-25
2003
John Mumford Short tenure
vs. Navy
0-7
2000–2003
Todd Berry Steady
Todd Berry slid Army from Regional Program IV to Regional Program V in 4 seasons.
vs. Navy
−8.9 pts over 4 seasons · bottom 17% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Scottie Montgomery’s East Carolina run (2016–2018)
10th-best Army tenure of 13 by the numbers.
Followed Bob Sutton (1991–1999) · succeeded by John Mumford (2003).
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Interior line from high school
100%
#198 of 224 stints
Grows Safety from high school
100%
#201 of 218 stints
−8.9
5-35
1991–1999
Bob Sutton Steady
Bob Sutton slid the Black Knights from Regional Program III to Regional Program IV in 9 seasons.
vs. Navy
−2.3 pts over 9 seasons · bottom 35% of 6-9-season tenures (368 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Randy Walker’s Northwestern run (1999–2005)
7th-best Army tenure of 13 by the numbers.
Followed Jim Young (1983–1990) · succeeded by Todd Berry (2000–2003).
| Season | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||||||
| Record | 4-7 | 5-6 | 6-5 | 4-7 | 5-5-1 | 10-2 | 4-7 | 3-8 | 3-8 | |
| Postseason | — | — | — | — | — | L bowl | — | — | — | |
| Recruiting rank | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||||||
| Pass rate | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||||||
| Offense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Defense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Postseason detail1996: Lost to Auburn 29-32 Bowl
1 NFL Draft pick: Ronnie McAda (1997)
−2.3
44-55-1
1983–1990
Jim Young Steady
Jim Young moved the Black Knights from Regional Program V to Regional Program III in 8 seasons.
vs. Navy
+7.3 pts over 8 seasons · top 26% of 6-9-season tenures (368 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Steve Sarkisian’s Texas run (2021–now)
8th-best Army tenure of 13 by the numbers.
Followed Ed Cavanaugh (1980–1982) · succeeded by Bob Sutton (1991–1999).
| Season | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | |||||||||
| Record | 2-9 | 8-3-1 | 9-3 | 6-5 | 5-6 | 9-3 | 6-5 | 6-5 | |
| Postseason | — | W bowl | W bowl | — | — | L bowl | — | — | |
| Recruiting rank | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Style — pass rate | |||||||||
| Pass rate | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | |||||||||
| Offense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Defense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | |||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Postseason detail1984: Beat Michigan State 10-6 Bowl1985: Beat Illinois 31-29 Bowl1988: Lost to Alabama 28-29 Bowl
+7.3
51-39-1
1980–1982
Ed Cavanaugh Steady
Ed Cavanaugh slid Army from Regional Program IV to Regional Program V in 3 seasons.
vs. Navy
−1.1 pts over 3 seasons · top 39% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Joe Hollis’s Arkansas State run (1997–2001)
11th-best Army tenure of 13 by the numbers.
Followed Lou Saban (1979) · succeeded by Jim Young (1983–1990).
−1.1
10-21-2
1979
Lou Saban Short tenure
vs. Navy
2-8-1
1974–1978
Homer Smith Steady
Homer Smith slid Army from Regional Program III to Regional Program IV in 5 seasons.
vs. Navy
−5.2 pts over 5 seasons · bottom 35% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Paul Hackett’s USC run (1998–2000)
9th-best Army tenure of 13 by the numbers.
Followed Thomas Cahill (1966–1973) · succeeded by Lou Saban (1979).
−5.2
21-33-1
1966–1973
Thomas Cahill Steady
Thomas Cahill slid Army from Power Program III to National Program I in 8 seasons.
vs. Navy
−20.7 pts over 8 seasons · bottom 1% of 6-9-season tenures (368 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Kim Helton’s Houston run (1993–1999)
5th-best Army tenure of 13 by the numbers.
Followed Paul Dietzel (1962–1965) · succeeded by Homer Smith (1974–1978).
−20.7
40-39-2
1962–1965
Paul Dietzel Steady
Paul Dietzel slid Army from Power Program II to Power Program III in 4 seasons.
vs. Navy
−10.4 pts over 4 seasons · bottom 12% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Bob Diaco’s UConn run (2014–2016)
3rd-best Army tenure of 13 by the numbers.
Followed Dale Hall (1959–1961) · succeeded by Thomas Cahill (1966–1973).
−10.4
21-18-1
1959–1961
Dale Hall Inheritor
Dale Hall inherited the Black Knights at Power Program I and saw it slip to Power Program II.
vs. Navy
−4.3 pts over 3 seasons · bottom 40% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Bobby Hauck’s UNLV run (2010–2014)
2nd-best Army tenure of 13 by the numbers.
Followed Red Blaik (1941–1958) · succeeded by Paul Dietzel (1962–1965).
−4.3
16-11-2
1941–1958
Red Blaik Transformer
Red Blaik took the Black Knights from National Program II to Blue Blood.
vs. Navy
+36.6 pts over 18 seasons · top 5% of 10+-season tenures (202 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Dabo Swinney’s Clemson run (2008–now)
1st-best Army tenure of 13 by the numbers.
Followed William Wood (1938–1940) · succeeded by Dale Hall (1959–1961).
+36.6
121-33-10
1938–1940
William Wood Steady
William Wood slid Army from Power Program III to National Program I in 3 seasons.
vs. Navy
−8.2 pts over 3 seasons · bottom 20% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Danny Ford’s Arkansas run (1993–1997)
4th-best Army tenure of 13 by the numbers.
Followed Gar Davidson (1936–1937) · succeeded by Red Blaik (1941–1958).
−8.2
12-13-3
1936–1937
Gar Davidson Short tenure
vs. Navy
13-5