The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Francis Peay

Followed Dennis Green. Francis Peay moved Northwestern from Regional Program VI to Regional Program V in 6 seasons.

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1986–1991 · 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).

Northwestern, 6 seasons

+0.3

Regional Program VI → Regional Program VI.

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.

3–3 against his rivals. Winless in 6 tries against Bill Mallory.

Rivalry record

3–3

50.0% · 1 rival

One-score games

6–12–2

30.0% · margin ≤8

Rivalry ledger

Illinois3–350%

The toughest matchup

vs. Bill Mallory0–6

6 meetings, 1986–1991

’86 L’87 L’88 L’89 L’90 L’91 L

0% win rate across a real, 6-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

1–17 5.6%

National Program

5–10 33.3%

Regional Program

6–24 20.0%

Coaching career

1986–1991

Northwesterncaretaker

Regional Program VI → Regional Program V

Francis Peay moved Northwestern from Regional Program VI to Regional Program V in 6 seasons.

12th-best Northwestern tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Followed Dennis Green (1981–1985) · succeeded by Gary Barnett (1992–1998).

2 NFL Draft picks: Kevin Peterson (1989), Darryl Ashmore (1992)

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