The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Pete Elliott

Followed Fran Curci. Pete Elliott held Miami at National Program II for 2 seasons.

Peak, then fade
56–72
1956–1974 · 4 stints
NebraskaCaliforniaIllinoisMiami
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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 careerNEBRASKACALIFORNIAILLINOISMIAMIPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelNebraska, 1956: 4-6, Regional Program II1956-2.4California, 1957: 1-9, National Program I1957California, 1958: 7-4, National Program I1958California, 1959: 2-8, National Program II1959-6.9Illinois, 1960: 5-4, Power Program III1960Illinois, 1961: 0-9, National Program I1961Illinois, 1962: 2-7, National Program II1962Illinois, 1963: 8-1, National Program I1963Illinois, 1964: 6-3, Power Program III1964Illinois, 1965: 6-4, Power Program III1965Illinois, 1966: 4-6, Power Program III1966+0.9Miami, 1973: 5-6, National Program II1973Miami, 1974: 6-5, National Program II1974-1.6One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 5th career season — faster than 30% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #251 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

California, 3 seasons
−6.9
National Program I → National Program II.
Illinois, 7 seasons
+0.9
Power Program III → Power Program III.
Miami, 2 seasons
−1.6
National Program II → National Program II.

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.

7–7 against his rivals. Just 1–6 against Bump Elliott.

Rivalry record
7–7
50.0% · 5 rivals
One-score games
22–27–1
44.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Northwestern3–443%
Stanford2–167%
Florida State1–150%
Colorado0–10%
Virginia Tech1–0100%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Bump Elliott1–6
7 meetings, 1960–1966
’60 L’61 L’62 L’63 L’64 L’65 L’66 W
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
1–14 6.7%
Power Program
21–32 39.6%
National Program
17–18 48.6%
Regional Program
13–6 68.4%

Coaching career

1973–1974
Miamicaretaker
National Program II → National Program II
Pete Elliott held Miami at National Program II for 2 seasons.

16th-best Miami tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Fran Curci (1971–1972) · succeeded by Carl Selmer (1975–1976).

9 NFL Draft picks: Chuck Foreman (1973), Burgess Owens (1973), Mike Barnes (1973), Tom Smith (1973), Dennis Harrah (1975), Woody Thompson (1975), Joe Wysock (1975), Rubin Carter (1975) + 1 more

11–11
1960–1966
Illinoiscaretaker
Power Program III → Power Program III
Pete Elliott held Illinois at Power Program III for 7 seasons.

2nd-best Illinois tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Ray Eliot (1942–1959) · succeeded by James Valek (1967–1970).

31–34
1957–1959
Californiacaretaker
National Program I → National Program I
Pete Elliott held California at National Program I for 3 seasons.

7th-best California tenure of 19 by the numbers.

Followed Pappy Waldorf (1947–1956) · succeeded by Marv Levy (1960–1963).

10–21
1956–1956
Nebraskacaretaker
Regional Program I → Regional Program II
Pete Elliott slid Nebraska from Regional Program I to Regional Program II in 1 season.

17th-best Nebraska tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed William Glassford (1949–1955) · succeeded by William Jennings (1957–1961).

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