The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Don Morton

Followed Jim Hilles. Don Morton slid Wisconsin from National Program II to National Program III in 3 seasons.

The journeyman
19–36
1985–1989 · 2 stints
TulsaWisconsin
← all coaches

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 careerTULSAWISCONSINNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelTulsa, 1985: 6-5, National Program II1985Tulsa, 1986: 7-4, National Program II1986-2.9Wisconsin, 1987: 3-8, National Program III1987Wisconsin, 1988: 1-10, Regional Program I1988Wisconsin, 1989: 2-9, Regional Program II1989-10.6One 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).

Tulsa, 2 seasons
−2.9
National Program II → National Program II.
Wisconsin, 3 seasons
−10.6
National Program III → Regional 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.

1–5 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Bo Schembechler.

Rivalry record
1–5
16.7% · 2 rivals
One-score games
7–11
38.9% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Iowa0–30%
Minnesota1–233%
The toughest matchup
vs. Bo Schembechler0–3
3 meetings, 1987–1989
’87 L’88 L’89 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
Dynasty
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
0–2 0.0%
Power Program
1–15 6.2%
National Program
5–4 55.6%
Regional Program
7–13 35.0%

Coaching career

1987–1989
Wisconsincaretaker
National Program II → National Program III
Don Morton slid Wisconsin from National Program II to National Program III in 3 seasons.

12th-best Wisconsin tenure of 14 by the numbers.

Followed Jim Hilles (1986–1986) · succeeded by Barry Alvarez (1990–2014).

4 NFL Draft picks: Nate Odomes (1987), Rick Graf (1987), Tim Jordan (1987), Michael Reid (1987)

6–27
1985–1986
Tulsacaretaker
National Program II → National Program II
Don Morton held Tulsa at National Program II for 2 seasons.

8th-best Tulsa tenure of 22 by the numbers.

Followed John Cooper (1977–1984) · succeeded by George Henshaw (1987–1987).

3 NFL Draft picks: David Alexander (1987), Steve Gage (1987), Chris Pike (1987)

13–9