The Zeitgeist List · coaching

John Coatta

Followed Milt Bruhn. John Coatta slid Wisconsin from National Program III to Regional Program I in 3 seasons.

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1967–1969 · 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 Regional Program in his 1st career season — faster than 20% of the 925 FBS coaches who have ever reached Regional Program (rank #1 of 925 by seasons-to-arrival).

Wisconsin, 3 seasons

−14.6

Regional Program I → Regional 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.

1–4 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Alex Agase.

Rivalry record

1–4–1

16.7% · 2 rivals

One-score games

2–9–1

16.7% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–2

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

Iowa1–1–133%

Minnesota0–30%

The toughest matchup

vs. Alex Agase0–3

3 meetings, 1967–1969

’67 L’68 L’69 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

Blue Blood

0–2 0.0%

Power Program

0–15 0.0%

National Program

2–7 22.2%

Regional Program

1–2 33.3%

Coaching career

1967–1969

Wisconsincaretakerborderline

National Program III → Regional Program I

John Coatta slid Wisconsin from National Program III to Regional Program I in 3 seasons.

14th-best Wisconsin tenure of 14 by the numbers.

Followed Milt Bruhn (1956–1966) · succeeded by John Jardine (1970–1977).

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