The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Ralph Welch

Followed James Phelan. Ralph Welch held Washington at Power Program III for 5 seasons.

23–19
1942–1947 · 1 stint
Washington
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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 careerWASHINGTONPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyWashington, 1942: 4-3, Power Program III1942Washington, 1944: 5-3, National Program I1944Washington, 1945: 6-3, National Program I1945Washington, 1946: 5-4, National Program II1946Washington, 1947: 3-6, National Program II1947-7.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 1st career season — faster than 57% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #1 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Washington, 5 seasons
−7.3
Power Program III → 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.

7–2 against his rivals. Just 1–3 against Jeff Cravath.

Rivalry record
7–2–1
70.0% · 2 rivals
One-score games
5–7–2
35.7% · margin ≤8
Rivalry ledger
Oregon4–180%
Washington State3–1–160%
The toughest matchup
vs. Jeff Cravath1–3–1
5 meetings, 1942–1947
’42 T’44 L’45 W’46 L’47 L
20% win rate across a real, 5-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
Power Program
2–6 25.0%
National Program
11–10 52.4%
Regional Program
1–0 100.0%

Coaching career

1942–1947
Washingtoncaretaker
Power Program III → Power Program III
Ralph Welch held Washington at Power Program III for 5 seasons.

12th-best Washington tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed James Phelan (1936–1941) · succeeded by Howard Odell (1948–1952).

23–19