The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Chris Pella

Followed Bruce Snyder. Chris Pella slid Utah State from Regional Program I to Regional Program II in 3 seasons.

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1983–1985 · 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).

Utah State, 3 seasons

−7.1

Regional Program II → Regional 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.

0–3 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Harvey Hyde.

Rivalry record

0–3

0.0% · 1 rival

One-score games

4–4

50.0% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–2

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

BYU0–30%

The toughest matchup

vs. Harvey Hyde0–3

3 meetings, 1983–1985

’83 L’84 L’85 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

0–2 0.0%

Power Program

0–5 0.0%

National Program

1–2 33.3%

Regional Program

4–9 30.8%

Coaching career

1983–1985

Utah Statecaretaker

Regional Program I → Regional Program II

Chris Pella slid Utah State from Regional Program I to Regional Program II in 3 seasons.

11th-best Utah State tenure of 22 by the numbers.

Followed Bruce Snyder (1976–1982) · succeeded by Chuck Shelton (1986–1991).

6 NFL Draft picks: Patrick Allen (1984), Aaron Smith (1984), Hal Garner (1985), Mike Hamby (1985), Solomon Miller (1986), Ed Berry (1986)

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