The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Don Read

Followed Dick Enright. Don Read slid Oregon from National Program III to Regional Program I in 3 seasons.

9–24

1974–1976 · 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).

Oregon, 3 seasons

−10.9

Regional Program I → 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.

2–4 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Jack Christiansen.

Rivalry record

2–4

33.3% · 2 rivals

One-score games

4–7

36.4% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–1

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

Washington0–30%

Oregon State2–167%

The toughest matchup

vs. Jack Christiansen0–3

3 meetings, 1974–1976

’74 L’75 L’76 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

0–5 0.0%

Power Program

0–5 0.0%

National Program

0–9 0.0%

Regional Program

9–4 69.2%

Coaching career

1974–1976

Oregoncaretaker

National Program III → Regional Program I

Don Read slid Oregon from National Program III to Regional Program I in 3 seasons.

16th-best Oregon tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Dick Enright (1972–1973) · succeeded by Rich Brooks (1977–1994).

3 NFL Draft picks: Tim Guy (1974), Russ Francis (1975), Mario Clark (1976)

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