The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Dan Henning

Followed Tom Coughlin. Dan Henning slid Boston College from National Program II to National Program I in 3 seasons.

16–19
1994–1996 · 1 stint
Boston College
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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 careerBOSTON COLLEGEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyBoston College, 1994: 7-4, National Program I1994Boston College, 1995: 4-8, National Program II1995Boston College, 1996: 5-7, National Program II1996-2.1One 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).

Boston College, 3 seasons
−2.1
National Program I → National 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.

Winless in 3 tries against Don Nehlen.

One-score games
8–7–1
50.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
1–5
16.7%
The toughest matchup
vs. Don Nehlen0–3
3 meetings, 1994–1996
’94 L’95 L’96 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
1–5 16.7%
Power Program
1–8 11.1%
National Program
3–4 42.9%
Regional Program
11–2 84.6%

Coaching career

1994–1996
Boston Collegecaretaker
National Program II → National Program I
Dan Henning slid Boston College from National Program II to National Program I in 3 seasons.

8th-best Boston College tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Tom Coughlin (1991–1993) · succeeded by Tom O'Brien (1997–2006).

8 NFL Draft picks: Glenn Foley (1994), Tom Nalen (1994), Mike Mamula (1995), Pete Mitchell (1995), Stephen Boyd (1995), Michael Reed (1995), Stalin Colinet (1997), Daryl Porter (1997)

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