The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Joe Krivak

Followed Bobby Ross. Joe Krivak slid Maryland from Power Program II to Power Program III in 5 seasons.

20–34
1987–1991 · 1 stint
Maryland
← all coaches

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 careerMARYLANDPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyMaryland, 1987: 4-7, Power Program III1987Maryland, 1988: 5-6, National Program I1988Maryland, 1989: 3-7, National Program I1989Maryland, 1990: 6-5, National Program I1990Maryland, 1991: 2-9, National Program II1991-12.7One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 1st career season — faster than 57% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #1 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Maryland, 5 seasons
−12.7
Power Program III → 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.

Winless in 5 tries against Joe Paterno.

One-score games
12–11–2
48.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–5
0.0%
The toughest matchup
vs. Joe Paterno0–4–1
5 meetings, 1987–1991
’87 L’88 L’89 T’90 L’91 L
0% win rate across a real, 5-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
0–11 0.0%
National Program
10–12 45.5%
Regional Program
10–6 62.5%

Coaching career

1987–1991
Marylandcaretaker
Power Program II → Power Program III
Joe Krivak slid Maryland from Power Program II to Power Program III in 5 seasons.

5th-best Maryland tenure of 21 by the numbers.

Followed Bobby Ross (1982–1986) · succeeded by Mark Duffner (1992–1996).

7 NFL Draft picks: Warren Powers (1989), Vernon Joines (1989), Neil O'Donnell (1990), Scott Zolak (1991), Clarence Jones (1991), Larry Webster (1992), Derek Steele (1992)

20–34