The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Ken Hatfield

Followed Fred Goldsmith. Ken Hatfield moved Rice from Regional Program IV to Regional Program III in 12 seasons.

Peak, then fade
168–140
1979–2005 · 4 stints
Air ForceArkansasClemsonRice
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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 careerAIR FORCEARKANSASCLEMSONRICEBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelAir Force, 1979: 2-9, Regional Program IV1979Air Force, 1980: 2-9, Regional Program IVAir Force, 1981: 4-7, Regional Program IVAir Force, 1982: 8-5, Regional Program IVAir Force, 1983: 10-2, Regional Program III1983+0.7Arkansas, 1984: 7-4, Power Program II1984Arkansas, 1985: 10-2, Power Program IIArkansas, 1986: 9-3, Power Program IIArkansas, 1987: 9-4, Power Program IIArkansas, 1988: 10-2, Power Program IIArkansas, 1989: 10-2, Power Program II1989-2.4Clemson, 1990: 10-2, Power Program I1990Clemson, 1991: 9-2, Power Program IClemson, 1992: 5-6, Power Program IClemson, 1993: 8-3, Power Program II1993-1.7Rice, 1994: 5-6, Regional Program III1994Rice, 1995: 2-8, Regional Program IIIRice, 1996: 7-4, Regional Program IIIRice, 1997: 7-4, Regional Program IIIRice, 1998: 5-6, Regional Program IIIRice, 1999: 5-6, Regional Program IIIRice, 2000: 3-8, Regional Program IIIRice, 2001: 8-4, Regional Program IIIRice, 2002: 4-7, Regional Program IIIRice, 2003: 5-7, Regional Program IIIRice, 2004: 3-8, Regional Program IVRice, 2005: 1-10, Regional Program IV2005+2.7One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 6th career season — faster than 25% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #279 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Air Force, 5 seasons
+0.7
Regional Program IV → Regional Program III.
Arkansas, 6 seasons
−2.4
Power Program II → Power Program II.
Clemson, 4 seasons
−1.7
Power Program I → Power Program II.
Rice, 12 seasons
+2.7
Regional Program III → Regional Program IV.

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.

21–13 against his rivals. Winless in 6 tries against Pat Hill.

Rivalry record
21–13
61.8% · 5 rivals
One-score games
52–54–4
47.3% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
2–11
15.4%
Rivalry ledger
SMU8–467%
Houston4–544%
Navy3–260%
Army4–180%
South Carolina2–167%
The toughest matchup
vs. Pat Hill0–6
6 meetings, 1999–2004
’99 L’00 L’01 L’02 L’03 L’04 L
0% win rate across a real, 6-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
2–11 15.4%
Power Program
14–27 34.1%
National Program
45–36 55.6%
Regional Program
93–60 60.8%

Coaching career

1994–2005
Ricecaretaker
Regional Program IV → Regional Program III
Ken Hatfield moved Rice from Regional Program IV to Regional Program III in 12 seasons.

7th-best Rice tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Fred Goldsmith (1989–1993) · succeeded by Todd Graham (2006–2006).

4 NFL Draft picks: Bert Emanuel (1994), Ndukwe Kalu (1997), Ryan Pontbriand (2003), Brandon Green (2003)

55–78
1990–1993
Clemsoninheritor
Power Program I → Power Program I
Ken Hatfield inherited a Power Program I Clemson and won with it.

3rd-best Clemson tenure of 10 by the numbers.

Followed Danny Ford (1978–1989).

17 NFL Draft picks: Jerome Henderson (1991), Doug Thomas (1991), John Johnson (1991), Chris Gardocki (1991), Dexter Davis (1991), Vance Hammond (1991), Chester McGlockton (1992), Levon Kirkland (1992) + 9 more

32–13
1984–1989
Arkansasinheritor
Power Program I → Power Program II
Ken Hatfield inherited a Power Program I Arkansas and won with it.

3rd-best Arkansas tenure of 22 by the numbers.

Followed Lou Holtz (1977–1983) · succeeded by Jack Crowe (1990–1992).

13 NFL Draft picks: Ron Faurot (1984), Greg Lasker (1986), Ravin Caldwell (1986), Bobby Joe Edmonds (1986), Nick Miller (1986), Kevin Wyatt (1986), Greg Horne (1987), Wayne Martin (1989) + 5 more

55–17
1979–1983
Air Forcecaretaker
Regional Program IV → Regional Program III
Ken Hatfield moved Air Force from Regional Program IV to Regional Program III in 5 seasons.

5th-best Air Force tenure of 6 by the numbers.

Followed Bill Parcells (1978–1978) · succeeded by Fisher DeBerry (1984–2006).

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