The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Ears Whitworth

Followed Red Drew. Alabama fell from Power Program I to National Program I under Ears Whitworth.

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1955–1957 · 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).

Alabama, 3 seasons

−18.1

Power Program II → National Program I.

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.

0–7 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Abe Martin.

Rivalry record

0–7

0.0% · 3 rivals

One-score games

3–4–1

37.5% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–2

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

Tennessee0–30%

Auburn0–30%

LSU0–10%

The toughest matchup

vs. Abe Martin0–3

3 meetings, 1955–1957

’55 L’56 L’57 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

Blue Blood

0–2 0.0%

Power Program

0–10 0.0%

National Program

3–12 20.0%

Coaching career

1955–1957

Alabamadecliner

Power Program I → Power Program II

Alabama fell from Power Program I to National Program I under Ears Whitworth.

12th-best Alabama tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Followed Red Drew (1947–1954) · succeeded by Bear Bryant (1958–1982).

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