The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Allyn McKeen

Followed Spike Nelson. Allyn McKeen raised Mississippi State from Regional Program II to National Program I.

65–19
1939–1948 · 1 stint
Mississippi State
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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 careerMISSISSIPPI STATEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelMississippi State, 1939: 8-2, Regional Program I1939Mississippi State, 1940: 10-0, National Program II1940Mississippi State, 1941: 8-1, National Program II1941Mississippi State, 1942: 8-2, National Program I1942Mississippi State, 1944: 6-2, National Program I1944Mississippi State, 1945: 6-3, National Program I1945Mississippi State, 1946: 8-2, National Program I1946Mississippi State, 1947: 7-3, National Program I1947Mississippi State, 1948: 4-4, National Program I1948+20.2One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 2nd career season — faster than 33% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #402 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Mississippi State, 9 seasons
+20.2
Regional Program I → National 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.

5–4 against his rivals. Just 2–5 against Frank Thomas.

Rivalry record
5–4
55.6% · 1 rival
One-score games
13–8–3
54.2% · margin ≤8
Rivalry ledger
Ole Miss5–456%
The toughest matchup
vs. Frank Thomas2–5
7 meetings, 1939–1946
’39 L’40 W’41 W’42 L’44 L’45 L’46 L
29% win rate across a real, 7-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
9–10 47.4%
National Program
18–8 69.2%
Regional Program
7–0 100.0%

Coaching career

1939–1948
Mississippi Statebuilderborderline
Regional Program II → National Program I
Allyn McKeen raised Mississippi State from Regional Program II to National Program I.

4th-best Mississippi State tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Spike Nelson (1938–1938) · succeeded by Slick Morton (1949–1951).

65–19