The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Leon Burtnett

Followed Jim Young. Leon Burtnett slid Purdue from National Program I to National Program II in 5 seasons.

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1982–1986 · 1 stint
Purdue
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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 careerPURDUENational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelPurdue, 1982: 3-8, National Program II1982Purdue, 1983: 3-7, National Program II1983Purdue, 1984: 7-5, National Program II1984Purdue, 1985: 5-6, National Program III1985Purdue, 1986: 3-8, National Program III1986-9.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

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).

Purdue, 5 seasons
−9.3
National Program II → National 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.

4–1 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Hayden Fry.

Rivalry record
4–1
80.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
10–9–1
50.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
2–3
40.0%
Rivalry ledger
Indiana4–180%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Hayden Fry1–4
5 meetings, 1982–1986
’82 W’83 L’84 L’85 L’86 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
2–3 40.0%
Power Program
2–15 11.8%
National Program
4–9 30.8%
Regional Program
13–7 65.0%

Coaching career

1982–1986
Purduecaretaker
National Program I → National Program II
Leon Burtnett slid Purdue from National Program I to National Program II in 5 seasons.

12th-best Purdue tenure of 21 by the numbers.

Followed Jim Young (1977–1981) · succeeded by Fred Akers (1987–1990).

11 NFL Draft picks: Steve Bryant (1982), Chris Scott (1984), Cliff Benson (1984), Scott Campbell (1984), Don Anderson (1985), Bruce King (1985), Jim Everett (1986), Ray Wallace (1986) + 3 more

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