The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Ron Prince

Ron Prince slid Kansas State from Power Program II to Power Program III in 3 seasons.

17–20
2006–2008 · 1 stint
Kansas State
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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 careerKANSAS STATEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyKansas State, 2006: 7-6, Power Program III2006Kansas State, 2007: 5-7, Power Program III2007Kansas State, 2008: 5-7, Power Program III2008-8.4One 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).

Kansas State, 3 seasons
−8.4
Power Program III → Power 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.

0–3 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Gary Pinkel.

Rivalry record
0–3
0.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
4–3
57.1% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
2–4
33.3%
Rivalry ledger
Kansas0–30%
The toughest matchup
vs. Gary Pinkel0–3
3 meetings, 2006–2008
’06 L’07 L’08 L
0% win rate across a real, 3-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
2–4 33.3%
Power Program
2–5 28.6%
National Program
3–7 30.0%
Regional Program
7–4 63.6%

Coaching career

2006–2008
Kansas Statecaretaker
Power Program II → Power Program III
Ron Prince slid Kansas State from Power Program II to Power Program III in 3 seasons.

2nd-best Kansas State tenure of 18 by the numbers.

7 NFL Draft picks: Jeromey Clary (2006), Yamon Figurs (2007), Thomas Clayton (2007), Zach Diles (2007), Jordy Nelson (2008), Rob Jackson (2008), Josh Freeman (2009)

17–20