The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Elmer Layden

Elmer Layden held Notre Dame at Power Program II for 5 seasons.

34–9
1936–1940 · 1 stint
Notre Dame
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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 careerNOTRE DAMEPower Programperennial contenderNotre Dame, 1936: 6-2, Power Program II1936Notre Dame, 1937: 6-2, Power Program II1937Notre Dame, 1938: 8-1, Power Program II1938Notre Dame, 1939: 7-2, Power Program II1939Notre Dame, 1940: 7-2, Power Program II1940+0.0One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

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).

Notre Dame, 5 seasons
+0.0
Power Program II → Power 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.

2–2 against his rivals.

Rivalry record
2–2–1
40.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
18–4–2
75.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
2–1
66.7%
Rivalry ledger
USC2–2–140%
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
2–1 66.7%
Power Program
6–4 60.0%
National Program
18–1 94.7%
Regional Program
2–2 50.0%

Coaching career

1936–1940
Notre Damecaretaker
Power Program II
Elmer Layden held Notre Dame at Power Program II for 5 seasons.

15th-best Notre Dame tenure of 15 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Frank Leahy (1941–1953).

34–9