The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Don Clark

Followed Jess Hill. Don Clark slid USC from Power Program II to Power Program III in 3 seasons.

13–16

1957–1959 · 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 Power Program in his 1st career season — faster than 57% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #1 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

USC, 3 seasons

−4.5

Power Program III → Power 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.

0–5 against his rivals. Just 1–2 against Pete Elliott.

Rivalry record

0–5

0.0% · 2 rivals

One-score games

5–7

41.7% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

1–3

25.0%

Rivalry ledger

Notre Dame0–30%

UCLA0–20%

The toughest matchup

vs. Pete Elliott1–2

3 meetings, 1957–1959

’57 L’58 L’59 W

33% 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

1–3 25.0%

Power Program

0–4 0.0%

National Program

9–7 56.2%

Regional Program

3–2 60.0%

Coaching career

1957–1959

USCcaretaker

Power Program II → Power Program III

Don Clark slid USC from Power Program II to Power Program III in 3 seasons.

17th-best USC tenure of 17 by the numbers.

Followed Jess Hill (1951–1956) · succeeded by John McKay (1960–1975).

13–16