The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Dave McClain

Followed John Jardine. Dave McClain moved Wisconsin from Regional Program II to National Program II in 8 seasons.

The builder
72–49
1975–1985 · 2 stints
Ball StateWisconsin
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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 careerBALL STATEWISCONSINNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelBall State, 1975: 9-2, National Program III1975Ball State, 1976: 8-3, National Program II1976Ball State, 1977: 9-2, National Program II1977+0.0Wisconsin, 1978: 5-4, Regional Program II1978Wisconsin, 1979: 4-7, Regional Program II1979Wisconsin, 1980: 4-7, Regional Program II1980Wisconsin, 1981: 7-5, Regional Program I1981Wisconsin, 1982: 7-5, Regional Program I1982Wisconsin, 1983: 7-4, National Program III1983Wisconsin, 1984: 7-4, National Program II1984Wisconsin, 1985: 5-6, National Program II1985+10.6One 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).

Ball State, 3 seasons
+0.0
National Program III → National Program II.
Wisconsin, 8 seasons
+10.6
Regional Program II → 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.

9–9 against his rivals. Winless in 7 tries against Hayden Fry.

Rivalry record
9–9–1
47.4% · 3 rivals
One-score games
22–13–3
57.9% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Iowa0–7–10%
Minnesota6–275%
Northern Illinois3–0100%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Hayden Fry0–6–1
7 meetings, 1979–1985
’79 L’80 L’81 L’82 L’83 L’84 T’85 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
0–2 0.0%
Power Program
10–18 35.7%
National Program
18–12 60.0%
Regional Program
38–14 73.1%

Coaching career

1978–1985
Wisconsincaretakerborderline
Regional Program II → National Program II
Dave McClain moved Wisconsin from Regional Program II to National Program II in 8 seasons.

10th-best Wisconsin tenure of 14 by the numbers.

Followed John Jardine (1970–1977) · succeeded by Jim Hilles (1986–1986).

20 NFL Draft picks: Lawrence Johnson (1979), Ira Matthews (1979), Ray Snell (1980), Ray Sydnor (1980), Tom Schremp (1980), Dave Ahrens (1981), Von Mansfield (1982), Matt Vandenboom (1983) + 12 more

46–42
1975–1977
Ball Statecaretaker
National Program II
Dave McClain held Ball State at National Program II for 3 seasons.

2nd-best Ball State tenure of 10 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Dwight Wallace (1978–1984).

2 NFL Draft picks: Shafer Suggs (1976), Maurice Harvey (1978)

26–7