The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Rick Forzano

Followed William Elias. Rick Forzano slid Navy from National Program II to National Program III in 4 seasons.

10–33

1969–1972 · 1 stint

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.

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).

Navy, 4 seasons

−14.7

National Program III → Regional Program III.

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.

2–4 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against Ara Parseghian.

Rivalry record

2–4

33.3% · 2 rivals

One-score games

6–6

50.0% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–5

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

Army1–325%

Air Force1–150%

The toughest matchup

vs. Ara Parseghian0–4

4 meetings, 1969–1972

’69 L’70 L’71 L’72 L

0% win rate across a real, 4-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

Blue Blood

0–5 0.0%

Power Program

1–9 10.0%

National Program

4–13 23.5%

Regional Program

4–5 44.4%

Coaching career

1969–1972

Navycaretakerborderline

National Program II → National Program III

Rick Forzano slid Navy from National Program II to National Program III in 4 seasons.

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

Followed William Elias (1965–1968) · succeeded by George Welsh (1973–1981).

10–33