The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Tom Lovat

Followed Bill Meek. Tom Lovat slid Utah from National Program III to Regional Program I in 3 seasons.

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1974–1976 · 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 Regional Program in his 1st career season — faster than 20% of the 925 FBS coaches who have ever reached Regional Program (rank #1 of 925 by seasons-to-arrival).

Utah, 3 seasons

−14.3

Regional Program I → 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.

0–3 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Don Read.

Rivalry record

0–3

0.0% · 1 rival

One-score games

3–5

37.5% · margin ≤8

Rivalry ledger

BYU0–30%

The toughest matchup

vs. Don Read0–3

3 meetings, 1974–1976

’74 L’75 L’76 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

Power Program

1–6 14.3%

National Program

0–10 0.0%

Regional Program

4–12 25.0%

Coaching career

1974–1976

Utahcaretakerborderline

National Program III → Regional Program I

Tom Lovat slid Utah from National Program III to Regional Program I in 3 seasons.

12th-best Utah tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Followed Bill Meek (1968–1973) · succeeded by Wayne Howard (1977–1981).

1 NFL Draft pick: Steve Odom (1974)

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