The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Bobby Dodd

Followed William Alexander. Bobby Dodd raised Georgia Tech from Power Program II to Power Program I.

165–64
1945–1966 · 1 stint
Georgia Tech
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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 careerGEORGIA TECHBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderGeorgia Tech, 1945: 4-6, Power Program II1945Georgia Tech, 1946: 9-2, Power Program IIGeorgia Tech, 1947: 10-1, Power Program IIGeorgia Tech, 1948: 7-3, Power Program IIGeorgia Tech, 1949: 7-3, Power Program IIGeorgia Tech, 1950: 5-6, Power Program IIGeorgia Tech, 1951: 11-0, Power Program IIGeorgia Tech, 1952: 12-0, Power Program IGeorgia Tech, 1953: 9-2, Power Program IGeorgia Tech, 1954: 8-3, Power Program IGeorgia Tech, 1955: 9-1, Power Program IGeorgia Tech, 1956: 10-1, Power Program IGeorgia Tech, 1957: 4-4, Power Program IGeorgia Tech, 1958: 5-4, Power Program IGeorgia Tech, 1959: 6-5, Power Program IGeorgia Tech, 1960: 5-5, Power Program IIGeorgia Tech, 1961: 7-4, Power Program IIGeorgia Tech, 1962: 7-3, Power Program IIGeorgia Tech, 1963: 7-3, Power Program IIGeorgia Tech, 1964: 7-3, Power Program IIGeorgia Tech, 1965: 7-3, Power Program IIGeorgia Tech, 1966: 9-2, Power Program II1966+12.9One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 1st career season — faster than 57% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #1 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Georgia Tech, 22 seasons
+12.9
Power Program II → Power 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.

12–10 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Vince Dooley.

Rivalry record
12–10
54.5% · 1 rival
One-score games
52–36–8
54.2% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
4–9
30.8%
Rivalry ledger
Georgia12–1055%
The toughest matchup
vs. Vince Dooley0–3
3 meetings, 1964–1966
’64 L’65 L’66 L
0% win rate across a real, 3-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
Blue Blood
4–9 30.8%
Power Program
69–36 65.7%
National Program
49–16 75.4%
Regional Program
31–2 93.9%

Coaching career

1945–1966
Georgia Techbuilderborderline
Power Program II → Power Program I
Bobby Dodd raised Georgia Tech from Power Program II to Power Program I.

1st-best Georgia Tech tenure of 14 by the numbers.

Followed William Alexander (1936–1944) · succeeded by Bud Carson (1967–1971).

165–64