The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Richard Colman

Followed Charles Caldwell. Richard Colman moved Princeton from National Program II to Power Program III in 12 seasons.

75–33
1957–1968 · 1 stint
Princeton
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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 careerPRINCETONPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelPrinceton, 1957: 7-2, National Program II1957Princeton, 1958: 6-3, National Program II1958Princeton, 1959: 4-5, National Program II1959Princeton, 1960: 7-2, National Program II1960Princeton, 1961: 5-4, National Program II1961Princeton, 1962: 5-4, National Program III1962Princeton, 1963: 7-2, National Program II1963Princeton, 1964: 9-0, National Program I1964Princeton, 1965: 8-1, Power Program III1965Princeton, 1966: 7-2, Power Program III1966Princeton, 1967: 6-3, Power Program III1967Princeton, 1968: 4-5, National Program I1968+9.0One 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).

Princeton, 12 seasons
+9.0
National Program II → 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.

Just 4–8 against Bob Blackman.

One-score games
19–14
57.6% · margin ≤8
The toughest matchup
vs. Bob Blackman4–8
12 meetings, 1957–1968
’57 W’58 L’59 L’60 W’61 L’62 L’63 L’64 W’65 L’66 L’67 L’68 W
33% win rate across a real, 12-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
National Program
11–10 52.4%
Regional Program
41–18 69.5%

Coaching career

1957–1968
Princetoncaretaker
National Program II → Power Program III
Richard Colman moved Princeton from National Program II to Power Program III in 12 seasons.

1st-best Princeton tenure of 4 by the numbers.

Followed Charles Caldwell (1946–1956).

75–33