The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Ray Nagel

Followed Jerry Burns. Iowa fell from Power Program III to Regional Program I under Ray Nagel.

The builder
58–71
1958–1970 · 2 stints
UtahIowa
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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 careerUTAHIOWAPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelUtah, 1958: 4-7, National Program II1958Utah, 1959: 5-5, National Program II1959Utah, 1960: 7-3, National Program II1960Utah, 1961: 6-4, National Program II1961Utah, 1962: 4-5, National Program II1962Utah, 1963: 4-6, National Program II1963Utah, 1964: 9-2, National Program I1964Utah, 1965: 3-7, National Program I1965+5.3Iowa, 1966: 2-8, National Program II1966Iowa, 1967: 1-8, National Program III1967Iowa, 1968: 5-5, National Program III1968Iowa, 1969: 5-5, National Program III1969Iowa, 1970: 3-6, Regional Program I1970-15.9One 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).

Utah, 8 seasons
+5.3
National Program II → National Program I.
Iowa, 5 seasons
−15.9
National Program II → 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.

11–8 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Len Casanova.

Rivalry record
11–8–2
52.4% · 4 rivals
One-score games
14–32–3
28.6% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–4
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
BYU6–275%
Wisconsin2–2–140%
Minnesota1–3–120%
Colorado2–167%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Len Casanova1–4
5 meetings, 1959–1965
’59 L’60 L’61 W’62 L’65 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
0–4 0.0%
Power Program
3–23 11.5%
National Program
12–30 28.6%
Regional Program
33–13 71.7%

Coaching career

1966–1970
Iowadeclinerborderline
Power Program III → National Program II
Iowa fell from Power Program III to Regional Program I under Ray Nagel.

5th-best Iowa tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Followed Jerry Burns (1961–1965) · succeeded by Frank Lauterbur (1971–1973).

16–32
1958–1965
Utahcaretaker
National Program II → National Program I
Ray Nagel moved Utah from National Program II to National Program I in 8 seasons.

5th-best Utah tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Followed Jack Curtice (1950–1957) · succeeded by Mike Giddings (1966–1967).

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