The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Harvey Harman

Harvey Harman held Rutgers at National Program II for 10 seasons.

The journeyman
57–43
1936–1955 · 2 stints
PennsylvaniaRutgers
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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 careerPENNSYLVANIARUTGERSNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelPennsylvania, 1936: 7-1, National Program III1936Pennsylvania, 1937: 2-5, National Program III1937+0.0Rutgers, 1946: 7-2, National Program II1946Rutgers, 1947: 8-1, National Program II1947Rutgers, 1948: 7-2, National Program II1948Rutgers, 1949: 6-3, National Program II1949Rutgers, 1950: 4-4, National Program III1950Rutgers, 1951: 4-4, National Program III1951Rutgers, 1952: 4-4, National Program III1952Rutgers, 1953: 2-6, Regional Program I1953Rutgers, 1954: 3-6, Regional Program II1954Rutgers, 1955: 3-5, Regional Program II1955+0.0One 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).

Pennsylvania, 2 seasons
+0.0
National Program III → National Program III.
Rutgers, 10 seasons
+0.0
National Program II → Regional Program II.

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.

Just 1–7 against Rip Engle.

One-score games
9–14–1
37.5% · margin ≤8
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Rip Engle1–7
8 meetings, 1947–1955
’47 W’48 L’50 L’51 L’52 L’53 L’54 L’55 L
Performance by opponent class
Power Program
1–0 100.0%
National Program
4–17 19.0%
Regional Program
15–14 51.7%

Coaching career

1946–1955
Rutgerscaretaker
National Program II
Harvey Harman held Rutgers at National Program II for 10 seasons.

1st-best Rutgers tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Succeeded by John Stiegman (1956–1959).

48–37
1936–1937
Pennsylvaniacaretaker
National Program III
Harvey Harman held Pennsylvania at National Program III for 2 seasons.

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

Succeeded by George Munger (1938–1953).

9–6