The Zeitgeist List · coaching

A.D. Kirwan

Followed C.A. Wynne. A.D. Kirwan slid Kentucky from National Program III to Regional Program I in 6 seasons.

24–28

1938–1944 · 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).

Kentucky, 6 seasons

−5.3

Regional Program I → Regional Program I.

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.

0–7 against his rivals. Winless in 6 tries against Frank Thomas.

Rivalry record

0–7

0.0% · 1 rival

One-score games

3–10–3

18.8% · margin ≤8

Rivalry ledger

Tennessee0–70%

The toughest matchup

vs. Frank Thomas0–5–1

6 meetings, 1938–1944

’38 L’39 T’40 L’41 L’42 L’44 L

0% win rate across a real, 6-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

Power Program

0–15 0.0%

National Program

4–9 30.8%

Regional Program

4–2 66.7%

Coaching career

1938–1944

Kentuckycaretaker

National Program III → Regional Program I

A.D. Kirwan slid Kentucky from National Program III to Regional Program I in 6 seasons.

14th-best Kentucky tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed C.A. Wynne (1936–1937) · succeeded by Bernie Shively (1945–1945).

24–28