The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Pat Hill

Followed Jim Sweeney. Pat Hill moved Fresno State from National Program II to National Program I in 15 seasons.

112–80
1997–2011 · 1 stint
Fresno State
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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 careerFRESNO STATEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelFresno State, 1997: 6-6, National Program III1997Fresno State, 1998: 5-6, National Program IIIFresno State, 1999: 8-5, National Program IIIFresno State, 2000: 7-5, National Program IIIFresno State, 2001: 11-3, National Program IIFresno State, 2002: 9-5, National Program IIFresno State, 2003: 9-5, National Program IIFresno State, 2004: 9-3, National Program IIFresno State, 2005: 8-5, National Program IFresno State, 2006: 4-8, National Program IIFresno State, 2007: 9-4, National Program IIFresno State, 2008: 7-6, National Program IIFresno State, 2009: 8-5, National Program IIIFresno State, 2010: 8-5, National Program IIIFresno State, 2011: 4-9, Regional Program I2011+6.7One 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).

Fresno State, 15 seasons
+6.7
National Program III → Regional 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.

2–13 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Dan Hawkins.

Rivalry record
2–13
13.3% · 2 rivals
One-score games
33–38
46.5% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Boise State1–109%
San Diego State1–325%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Dan Hawkins1–4
5 meetings, 2001–2005
’01 L’02 L’03 L’04 L’05 W
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
0–3 0.0%
Power Program
8–21 27.6%
National Program
17–27 38.6%
Regional Program
72–27 72.7%

Coaching career

1997–2011
Fresno Statecaretaker
National Program II → National Program I
Pat Hill moved Fresno State from National Program II to National Program I in 15 seasons.

2nd-best Fresno State tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Followed Jim Sweeney (1976–1996) · succeeded by Tim DeRuyter (2012–2016).

Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Edge from high school
100%
#191 of 208 stints
Grows Running back from high school
100%
#196 of 208 stints

28 NFL Draft picks: Chris Bayne (1997), Omar Stoutmire (1997), Chris Conrad (1998), Michael Pittman (1998), Cory Hall (1999), Orlando Huff (2001), David Carr (2002), Alan Harper (2002) + 20 more

112–80