The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Gary Moeller

Followed Bo Schembechler. Gary Moeller inherited a Power Program I Michigan and won with it.

The ascent
50–37
1977–1994 · 2 stints
IllinoisMichigan
← all coaches

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 careerILLINOISMICHIGANDynastythe sport's summitBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelIllinois, 1977: 3-8, Regional Program II1977Illinois, 1978: 1-8, Regional Program II1978Illinois, 1979: 2-8, Regional Program III1979-8.3Michigan, 1990: 9-3, Power Program I1990Michigan, 1991: 10-2, Power Program I1991Michigan, 1992: 9-0, Power Program I1992Michigan, 1993: 8-4, Power Program I1993Michigan, 1994: 8-4, Power Program I1994+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 4th career season — faster than 37% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #215 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Illinois, 3 seasons
−8.3
Regional Program II → Regional Program III.
Michigan, 5 seasons
+0.0
Power Program I → 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.

9–6 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Bo Schembechler.

Rivalry record
9–6–3
50.0% · 4 rivals
One-score games
12–11–6
41.4% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
3–7
30.0%
Rivalry ledger
Notre Dame2–2–140%
Michigan State3–260%
Ohio State3–1–160%
Northwestern1–1–133%
The toughest matchup
vs. Bo Schembechler0–3
3 meetings, 1977–1979
’77 L’78 L’79 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
3–7 30.0%
Power Program
12–15 44.4%
National Program
18–9 66.7%
Regional Program
17–6 73.9%

Coaching career

1990–1994
Michiganinheritor
Power Program I → Power Program I
Gary Moeller inherited a Power Program I Michigan and won with it.

8th-best Michigan tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Followed Bo Schembechler (1969–1989) · succeeded by Lloyd Carr (1995–2007).

22 NFL Draft picks: Leroy Hoard (1990), Greg McMurtry (1990), Chris Calloway (1990), Derrick Walker (1990), Jarrod Bunch (1991), Jon Vaughn (1991), David Key (1991), Tripp WeLBorne (1991) + 14 more

44–13
1977–1979
Illinoiscaretaker
Regional Program I → Regional Program II
Gary Moeller slid Illinois from Regional Program I to Regional Program II in 3 seasons.

14th-best Illinois tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Bob Blackman (1971–1976) · succeeded by Mike White (1980–1987).

2 NFL Draft picks: Derwin Tucker (1979), John Sullivan (1979)

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