The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Hal Lahar

Followed Bill Meek. Hal Lahar held Houston at National Program II for 5 seasons.

The ascent
77–63
1952–1961 · 2 stints
ColgateHouston
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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 careerCOLGATEHOUSTONNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelColgate, 1952: 6-3, Regional Program III1952Colgate, 1953: 3-4, Regional Program IIIColgate, 1954: 5-2, Regional Program IIIColgate, 1955: 6-3, Regional Program IIColgate, 1956: 4-5, Regional Program IIColgate, 1962: 3-5, Regional Program VColgate, 1963: 3-4, Regional Program VColgate, 1964: 7-2, Regional Program IVColgate, 1965: 6-3, Regional Program IVColgate, 1966: 8-1, Regional Program IIIColgate, 1967: 2-8, Regional Program III1967+3.0Houston, 1957: 5-4, National Program II1957Houston, 1958: 5-4, National Program IIHouston, 1959: 3-7, National Program IIHouston, 1960: 6-4, National Program IIHouston, 1961: 5-4, National Program III1961-2.9One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 12th career season — faster than 2% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #659 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Colgate, 11 seasons
+3.0
Regional Program III → Regional Program III.
Houston, 5 seasons
−2.9
National Program II → National 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.

Winless in 5 tries against Ben Schwartzwalder.

One-score games
23–18–7
47.9% · margin ≤8
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Ben Schwartzwalder0–5
5 meetings, 1952–1956
’52 L’53 L’54 L’55 L’56 L
Performance by opponent class
Power Program
4–13 23.5%
National Program
23–23 50.0%
Regional Program
22–14 61.1%

Coaching career

1957–1961
Houstoncaretaker
National Program II → National Program II
Hal Lahar held Houston at National Program II for 5 seasons.

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

Followed Bill Meek (1955–1956) · succeeded by Bill Yeoman (1962–1986).

24–23
1952–1967
Colgatecaretaker
Regional Program III → Regional Program II
Hal Lahar moved Colgate from Regional Program III to Regional Program II in 11 seasons.

3rd-best Colgate tenure of 4 by the numbers.

Followed Paul Bixler (1947–1951) · succeeded by Neil Wheelwright (1968–1975).

53–40