The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Chris Tormey

Followed Jeff Tisdel. Chris Tormey slid Nevada from Regional Program I to Regional Program III in 4 seasons.

The journeyman
43–49
1996–2003 · 2 stints
IdahoNevada
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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 careerIDAHONEVADANational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelIdaho, 1996: 6-5, Regional Program I1996Idaho, 1997: 5-6, Regional Program III1997Idaho, 1998: 9-3, Regional Program III1998Idaho, 1999: 7-4, Regional Program III1999+0.0Nevada, 2000: 2-10, Regional Program III2000Nevada, 2001: 3-8, Regional Program IV2001Nevada, 2002: 5-7, Regional Program IV2002Nevada, 2003: 6-6, Regional Program III2003-7.9One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

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).

Idaho, 4 seasons
+0.0
Regional Program I → Regional Program III.
Nevada, 4 seasons
−7.9
Regional Program III → 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.

1–6 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against John Robinson.

Rivalry record
1–6
14.3% · 2 rivals
One-score games
12–16
42.9% · margin ≤8
Rivalry ledger
UNLV0–40%
Boise State1–233%
The toughest matchup
vs. John Robinson0–4
4 meetings, 2000–2003
’00 L’01 L’02 L’03 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
Power Program
2–5 28.6%
National Program
3–18 14.3%
Regional Program
26–23 53.1%

Coaching career

2000–2003
Nevadacaretaker
Regional Program I → Regional Program III
Chris Tormey slid Nevada from Regional Program I to Regional Program III in 4 seasons.

9th-best Nevada tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Jeff Tisdel (1996–1999).

3 NFL Draft picks: Nate Burleson (2003), Jorge Cordova (2004), Maurice Mann (2004)

16–31
1996–1999
Idahocaretaker
Regional Program I
Chris Tormey held Idaho at Regional Program I for 4 seasons.

1st-best Idaho tenure of 7 by the numbers.

2 NFL Draft picks: Ryan Phillips (1997), Mao Tosi (2000)

27–18