The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Clyde Smith

Followed Larry Siemering. Clyde Smith moved Arizona State from Regional Program I to National Program III in 3 seasons.

The journeyman
23–40
1948–1954 · 2 stints
IndianaArizona 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 careerINDIANAARIZONA STATEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelIndiana, 1948: 2-7, National Program I1948Indiana, 1949: 1-8, National Program II1949Indiana, 1950: 3-5, National Program II1950Indiana, 1951: 2-7, National Program III1951-14.0Arizona State, 1952: 6-3, National Program III1952Arizona State, 1953: 4-5, National Program II1953Arizona State, 1954: 5-5, National Program III1954+2.9One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 1st career season — faster than 41% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #1 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Indiana, 4 seasons
−14.0
National Program I → National Program III.
Arizona State, 3 seasons
+2.9
National Program III → National 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 Bennie Oosterbaan.

Rivalry record
1–6
14.3% · 2 rivals
One-score games
6–14–1
28.6% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
1–3
25.0%
Rivalry ledger
Purdue0–40%
Arizona1–233%
The toughest matchup
vs. Bennie Oosterbaan0–4
4 meetings, 1948–1951
’48 L’49 L’50 L’51 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
Dynasty
1–3 25.0%
Blue Blood
0–4 0.0%
Power Program
1–8 11.1%
National Program
3–14 17.6%
Regional Program
14–7 66.7%

Coaching career

1952–1954
Arizona Statecaretaker
Regional Program I → National Program III
Clyde Smith moved Arizona State from Regional Program I to National Program III in 3 seasons.

13th-best Arizona State tenure of 19 by the numbers.

Followed Larry Siemering (1951–1951) · succeeded by Dan Devine (1955–1957).

15–13
1948–1951
Indianacaretakerborderline
Power Program III → National Program I
Clyde Smith slid Indiana from Power Program III to National Program I in 4 seasons.

3rd-best Indiana tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Bo McMillin (1936–1947) · succeeded by Bernie Crimmins (1952–1956).

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