The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Don Lawrence

Followed George Blackburn. Don Lawrence held Virginia at Regional Program III for 3 seasons.

11–22

1971–1973 · 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 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).

Virginia, 3 seasons

−3.8

Regional Program III → Regional Program IV.

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.

1–2 against his rivals. Just 1–2 against Bill Dooley.

Rivalry record

1–2

33.3% · 1 rival

One-score games

8–6

57.1% · margin ≤8

Rivalry ledger

Virginia Tech1–233%

The toughest matchup

vs. Bill Dooley1–2

3 meetings, 1971–1973

’71 L’72 L’73 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

Power Program

0–1 0.0%

National Program

2–11 15.4%

Regional Program

7–10 41.2%

Coaching career

1971–1973

Virginiacaretaker

Regional Program III → Regional Program III

Don Lawrence held Virginia at Regional Program III for 3 seasons.

12th-best Virginia tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed George Blackburn (1965–1970) · succeeded by Sonny Randle (1974–1975).

1 NFL Draft pick: Harrison Davis (1974)

11–22