The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Mike DeBord

Followed Dick Flynn. Mike DeBord held Central Michigan at Regional Program IV for 4 seasons.

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2000–2003 · 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).

Central Michigan, 4 seasons

−4.8

Regional Program IV → Regional Program V.

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.

4–4 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against Joe Novak.

Rivalry record

4–4

50.0% · 2 rivals

One-score games

4–5

44.4% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–1

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

Eastern Michigan3–175%

Western Michigan1–325%

The toughest matchup

vs. Joe Novak0–4

4 meetings, 2000–2003

’00 L’01 L’02 L’03 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

0–1 0.0%

Power Program

0–2 0.0%

National Program

0–7 0.0%

Regional Program

8–23 25.8%

Coaching career

2000–2003

Central Michigancaretaker

Regional Program IV → Regional Program IV

Mike DeBord held Central Michigan at Regional Program IV for 4 seasons.

10th-best Central Michigan tenure of 10 by the numbers.

Followed Dick Flynn (1994–1999) · succeeded by Brian Kelly (2004–2006).

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