The Zeitgeist List · coaching

George Blackburn

Followed William Elias. George Blackburn moved Virginia from Regional Program V to Regional Program III in 6 seasons.

Peak, then fade
53–60
1955–1970 · 2 stints
CincinnatiVirginia
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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 careerCINCINNATIVIRGINIANational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelCincinnati, 1955: 1-6, National Program III1955Cincinnati, 1956: 4-5, National Program III1956Cincinnati, 1957: 5-4, National Program III1957Cincinnati, 1958: 6-2, National Program III1958Cincinnati, 1959: 5-4, National Program III1959Cincinnati, 1960: 4-6, National Program III1960-3.2Virginia, 1965: 4-6, Regional Program IV1965Virginia, 1966: 4-6, Regional Program III1966Virginia, 1967: 5-5, Regional Program III1967Virginia, 1968: 7-3, Regional Program III1968Virginia, 1969: 3-7, Regional Program III1969Virginia, 1970: 5-6, Regional Program III1970+7.6One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 1st career season — faster than 41% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #1 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Cincinnati, 6 seasons
−3.2
National Program III → National Program III.
Virginia, 6 seasons
+7.6
Regional Program IV → Regional Program III.

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.

1–2 against his rivals. Winless in 6 tries against Earle Edwards.

Rivalry record
1–2
33.3% · 1 rival
One-score games
11–17–2
36.7% · margin ≤8
Rivalry ledger
Virginia Tech1–233%
The toughest matchup
vs. Earle Edwards0–6
6 meetings, 1965–1970
’65 L’66 L’67 L’68 L’69 L’70 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
0–5 0.0%
National Program
14–24 36.8%
Regional Program
15–13 53.6%

Coaching career

1965–1970
Virginiacaretaker
Regional Program V → Regional Program III
George Blackburn moved Virginia from Regional Program V to Regional Program III in 6 seasons.

10th-best Virginia tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed William Elias (1961–1964) · succeeded by Don Lawrence (1971–1973).

28–33
1955–1960
Cincinnaticaretaker
National Program II → National Program III
George Blackburn slid Cincinnati from National Program II to National Program III in 6 seasons.

9th-best Cincinnati tenure of 19 by the numbers.

Followed Sid Gillman (1954–1954) · succeeded by Charles Studley (1961–1966).

25–27