The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Chalmer Woodward

Followed H.N. Russell. Chalmer Woodward slid SMU from Power Program II to Power Program III in 4 seasons.

19–20

1953–1956 · 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 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).

SMU, 4 seasons

−2.1

Power Program III → Power Program III.

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.

5–3 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against Bobby Dodd.

Rivalry record

5–3

62.5% · 2 rivals

One-score games

10–8–1

52.6% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

1–3

25.0%

Rivalry ledger

Rice4–0100%

TCU1–325%

The toughest matchup

vs. Bobby Dodd0–4

4 meetings, 1953–1956

’53 L’54 L’55 L’56 L

0% win rate across a real, 4-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

1–3 25.0%

Power Program

6–13 31.6%

National Program

8–4 66.7%

Regional Program

4–0 100.0%

Coaching career

1953–1956

SMUcaretaker

Power Program II → Power Program III

Chalmer Woodward slid SMU from Power Program II to Power Program III in 4 seasons.

4th-best SMU tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed H.N. Russell (1950–1952) · succeeded by Bill Meek (1957–1961).

19–20