The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Gerry DiNardo

Followed Cam Cameron. Gerry DiNardo held Indiana at Regional Program II for 3 seasons.

Peak, then fade
59–77
1991–2004 · 3 stints
VanderbiltLSUIndiana
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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 careerVANDERBILTLSUINDIANAPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelVanderbilt, 1991: 5-6, Regional Program IV1991Vanderbilt, 1992: 4-7, Regional Program IV1992Vanderbilt, 1993: 4-7, Regional Program IV1993Vanderbilt, 1994: 5-6, Regional Program IV1994-0.1LSU, 1995: 7-4, National Program I1995LSU, 1996: 10-2, Power Program III1996LSU, 1997: 9-3, Power Program III1997LSU, 1998: 4-7, Power Program III1998LSU, 1999: 3-8, Power Program III1999+8.1Indiana, 2002: 3-9, Regional Program II2002Indiana, 2003: 2-10, Regional Program III2003Indiana, 2004: 3-8, Regional Program III2004-6.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 6th career season — faster than 25% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #279 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Vanderbilt, 4 seasons
−0.1
Regional Program IV → Regional Program IV.
LSU, 5 seasons
+8.1
National Program I → Power Program III.
Indiana, 3 seasons
−6.3
Regional Program II → 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.

8–14 against his rivals. Winless in 6 tries against Gene Stallings.

Rivalry record
8–14
36.4% · 7 rivals
One-score games
17–23–1
41.5% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
3–17
15.0%
Rivalry ledger
Alabama1–420%
Arkansas4–180%
Ole Miss2–250%
Tennessee0–30%
Purdue0–30%
Texas A&M0–10%
Tulane1–0100%
The toughest matchup
vs. Gene Stallings0–6
6 meetings, 1991–1996
’91 L’92 L’93 L’94 L’95 L’96 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
Blue Blood
3–17 15.0%
Power Program
8–28 22.2%
National Program
17–17 50.0%
Regional Program
29–12 70.7%

Coaching career

2002–2004
Indianacaretaker
Regional Program II → Regional Program II
Gerry DiNardo held Indiana at Regional Program II for 3 seasons.

12th-best Indiana tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Cam Cameron (1997–2001) · succeeded by Terry Hoeppner (2005–2006).

3 NFL Draft picks: Antwaan Randle El (2002), Gibran Hamdan (2003), Courtney Roby (2005)

8–27
1995–1999
LSUcaretaker
National Program I → Power Program III
Gerry DiNardo moved LSU from National Program I to Power Program III in 5 seasons.

16th-best LSU tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Curley Hallman (1991–1994) · succeeded by Nick Saban (2000–2004).

13 NFL Draft picks: Rodney Young (1995), Marcus Price (1995), David LaFleur (1997), Denard Walker (1997), Nicky Savoie (1997), Alan Faneca (1998), Kenny Mixon (1998), Chuck Wiley (1998) + 5 more

33–24
1991–1994
Vanderbiltcaretaker
Regional Program IV → Regional Program IV
Gerry DiNardo held Vanderbilt at Regional Program IV for 4 seasons.

19th-best Vanderbilt tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Watson Brown (1986–1990) · succeeded by Ron Dowhower (1995–1996).

1 NFL Draft pick: Corey Harris (1992)

18–26