The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Murray Warmath

Followed Wesley Fesler. Murray Warmath raised Minnesota from National Program I to Power Program I.

The ascent
97–84
1952–1971 · 2 stints
Mississippi StateMinnesota
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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 careerMISSISSIPPI …MINNESOTAPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyMississippi State, 1952: 5-4, National Program II1952Mississippi State, 1953: 5-2, National Program II1953+1.9Minnesota, 1954: 7-2, National Program I1954Minnesota, 1955: 3-6, National Program IMinnesota, 1956: 6-1, National Program IMinnesota, 1957: 4-5, National Program IMinnesota, 1958: 1-8, National Program IMinnesota, 1959: 2-7, National Program IMinnesota, 1960: 8-2, Power Program IIIMinnesota, 1961: 8-2, Power Program IIMinnesota, 1962: 6-2, Power Program IMinnesota, 1963: 3-6, Power Program IMinnesota, 1964: 5-4, Power Program IIMinnesota, 1965: 5-4, Power Program IIMinnesota, 1966: 4-5, Power Program IIIMinnesota, 1967: 8-2, Power Program IIIMinnesota, 1968: 6-4, Power Program IIIMinnesota, 1969: 4-5, Power Program IIIMinnesota, 1970: 3-6, National Program IMinnesota, 1971: 4-7, National Program I1971+13.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 9th career season — faster than 10% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #332 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Mississippi State, 2 seasons
+1.9
National Program II → National Program II.
Minnesota, 18 seasons
+13.3
National Program I → National Program I.

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.

18–17 against his rivals. Winless in 7 tries against Bob Devaney.

Rivalry record
18–17–3
47.4% · 3 rivals
One-score games
34–35–10
43.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Iowa10–7–156%
Wisconsin8–9–144%
Ole Miss0–1–10%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Bob Devaney0–7
7 meetings, 1963–1971
’63 L’64 L’67 L’68 L’69 L’70 L’71 L
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
5–9 35.7%
Power Program
35–43 44.9%
National Program
31–23 57.4%
Regional Program
22–8 73.3%

Coaching career

1954–1971
Minnesotabuilderborderline
National Program I → Power Program I
Murray Warmath raised Minnesota from National Program I to Power Program I.

3rd-best Minnesota tenure of 15 by the numbers.

Followed Wesley Fesler (1951–1953) · succeeded by Cal Stoll (1972–1978).

87–78
1952–1953
Mississippi Statecaretaker
National Program II → National Program II
Murray Warmath held Mississippi State at National Program II for 2 seasons.

14th-best Mississippi State tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Slick Morton (1949–1951) · succeeded by Darrell Royal (1954–1955).

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