The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Howard Odell

Followed Ralph Welch. Howard Odell held Washington at National Program II for 5 seasons.

The builder
58–40
1942–1952 · 2 stints
YaleWashington
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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 careerYALEWASHINGTONNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelYale, 1942: 5-3, Regional Program I1942Yale, 1943: 4-5, Regional Program I1943Yale, 1944: 7-0, Regional Program I1944Yale, 1945: 6-3, Regional Program I1945Yale, 1946: 7-1, National Program II1946Yale, 1947: 6-3, National Program II1947+7.3Washington, 1948: 2-7, National Program II1948Washington, 1949: 3-7, National Program III1949Washington, 1950: 8-2, National Program III1950Washington, 1951: 3-6, National Program II1951Washington, 1952: 7-3, National Program II1952-1.0One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 5th career season — faster than 14% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #547 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Yale, 6 seasons
+7.3
Regional Program I → National Program II.
Washington, 5 seasons
−1.0
National Program II → National 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.

7–3 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Ray Eliot.

Rivalry record
7–3
70.0% · 2 rivals
One-score games
8–11–4
34.8% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Washington State3–260%
Oregon4–180%
The toughest matchup
vs. Ray Eliot0–3
3 meetings, 1950–1952
’50 L’51 L’52 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
Dynasty
0–2 0.0%
Power Program
5–13 27.8%
National Program
19–16 54.3%
Regional Program
12–4 75.0%

Coaching career

1948–1952
Washingtoncaretaker
National Program II → National Program II
Howard Odell held Washington at National Program II for 5 seasons.

14th-best Washington tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Ralph Welch (1942–1947) · succeeded by John Cherberg (1953–1955).

23–25
1942–1947
Yalecaretaker
Regional Program I → National Program II
Howard Odell moved Yale from Regional Program I to National Program II in 6 seasons.

2nd-best Yale tenure of 5 by the numbers.

Followed Spike Nelson (1941–1941).

35–15