The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Fritz Crisler

Followed Harry Kipke. Fritz Crisler took Michigan from National Program II to Power Program I.

The builder
79–22
1936–1947 · 2 stints
PrincetonMichigan
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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 careerPRINCETONMICHIGANBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyPrinceton, 1936: 4-2, Power Program III1936Princeton, 1937: 4-4, National Program I1937+0.0Michigan, 1938: 6-1, National Program II1938Michigan, 1939: 6-2, National Program I1939Michigan, 1940: 7-1, Power Program II1940Michigan, 1941: 6-1, Power Program II1941Michigan, 1942: 7-3, Power Program II1942Michigan, 1943: 8-1, Power Program I1943Michigan, 1944: 8-2, Power Program I1944Michigan, 1945: 7-3, Power Program I1945Michigan, 1946: 6-2, Power Program I1946Michigan, 1947: 10-0, Power Program I1947+28.4One 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).

Princeton, 2 seasons
+0.0
Power Program III → National Program I.
Michigan, 10 seasons
+28.4
National Program II → Power 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.

16–3 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against Red Blaik.

Rivalry record
16–3–1
80.0% · 3 rivals
One-score games
12–9–4
48.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Ohio State7–2–170%
Michigan State8–0100%
Notre Dame1–150%
The toughest matchup
vs. Red Blaik0–3–1
4 meetings, 1936–1946
’36 T’37 L’45 L’46 L
0% win rate across a real, 4-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
0–2 0.0%
Blue Blood
4–7 36.4%
Power Program
19–3 86.4%
National Program
31–6 83.8%
Regional Program
12–1 92.3%

Coaching career

1938–1947
Michigantransformer
National Program II → Power Program I
Fritz Crisler took Michigan from National Program II to Power Program I.

9th-best Michigan tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Followed Harry Kipke (1936–1937) · succeeded by Bennie Oosterbaan (1948–1958).

71–16
1936–1937
Princetoncaretaker
Power Program III
Fritz Crisler held Princeton at Power Program III for 2 seasons.

2nd-best Princeton tenure of 4 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Tad Wieman (1938–1942).

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