The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Alex Agase

Followed Bob DeMoss. Alex Agase held Purdue at Power Program III for 4 seasons.

The ascent
50–83
1964–1976 · 2 stints
NorthwesternPurdue
← all coaches

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.

Stature score reached, by season of his head-coaching careerNORTHWESTERNPURDUEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelNorthwestern, 1964: 3-6, National Program I1964Northwestern, 1965: 4-6, National Program II1965Northwestern, 1966: 3-6, National Program II1966Northwestern, 1967: 3-7, National Program III1967Northwestern, 1968: 1-9, Regional Program I1968Northwestern, 1969: 3-7, Regional Program II1969Northwestern, 1970: 6-4, Regional Program II1970Northwestern, 1971: 7-4, Regional Program I1971Northwestern, 1972: 2-9, Regional Program I1972-9.6Purdue, 1973: 5-6, Power Program III1973Purdue, 1974: 4-6, National Program I1974Purdue, 1975: 4-7, National Program I1975Purdue, 1976: 5-6, National Program II1976-8.7One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 10th career season — faster than 7% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #356 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Northwestern, 9 seasons
−9.6
National Program I → Regional Program I.
Purdue, 4 seasons
−8.7
Power Program III → National Program II.

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.

6–7 against his rivals. Just 1–5 against Bob Blackman.

Rivalry record
6–7
46.2% · 2 rivals
One-score games
22–25–2
44.9% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
2–20
9.1%
Rivalry ledger
Illinois3–633%
Indiana3–175%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Bob Blackman1–5
6 meetings, 1971–1976
’71 L’72 L’73 L’74 L’75 W’76 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
2–20 9.1%
Power Program
12–39 23.5%
National Program
8–11 42.1%
Regional Program
28–13 68.3%

Coaching career

1973–1976
Purduecaretaker
Power Program III → Power Program III
Alex Agase held Purdue at Power Program III for 4 seasons.

3rd-best Purdue tenure of 21 by the numbers.

Followed Bob DeMoss (1970–1972) · succeeded by Jim Young (1977–1981).

18 NFL Draft picks: Dave Butz (1973), Otis Armstrong (1973), Darryl Stingley (1973), Gary Hrivnak (1973), Steve Baumgartner (1973), Gregg Bingham (1973), Brent Myers (1973), Donn Smith (1973) + 10 more

18–25
1964–1972
Northwesterncaretaker
National Program I → National Program I
Alex Agase held Northwestern at National Program I for 9 seasons.

4th-best Northwestern tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Followed Ara Parseghian (1956–1963) · succeeded by John Pont (1973–1977).

32–58