The Zeitgeist List · coaching

James Valek

Followed Pete Elliott. Illinois fell from Power Program III to Regional Program II under James Valek.

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1967–1970 · 1 stint

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.

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).

Illinois, 4 seasons

−19.9

National Program I → 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.

2–2 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against John Pont.

Rivalry record

2–2

50.0% · 1 rival

One-score games

5–8

38.5% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–5

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

Northwestern2–250%

The toughest matchup

vs. John Pont0–4

4 meetings, 1967–1970

’67 L’68 L’69 L’70 L

0% win rate across a real, 4-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

0–5 0.0%

Power Program

3–12 20.0%

National Program

4–6 40.0%

Regional Program

1–9 10.0%

Coaching career

1967–1970

Illinoisdecliner

Power Program III → National Program I

Illinois fell from Power Program III to Regional Program II under James Valek.

3rd-best Illinois tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Pete Elliott (1960–1966) · succeeded by Bob Blackman (1971–1976).

5 NFL Draft picks: Cyril Pinder (1968), John Wright (1968), Rich Johnson (1969), Tony Pleviak (1969), Doug Dieken (1971)

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