The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Tony Mason

Followed Jim Young. Tony Mason slid Arizona from National Program II to National Program III in 3 seasons.

The builder
41–37
1973–1979 · 2 stints
CincinnatiArizona
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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 careerCINCINNATIARIZONANational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelCincinnati, 1973: 4-7, Regional Program II1973Cincinnati, 1974: 7-4, Regional Program I1974Cincinnati, 1975: 6-5, Regional Program I1975Cincinnati, 1976: 8-3, National Program III1976+8.5Arizona, 1977: 5-7, National Program III1977Arizona, 1978: 5-6, National Program III1978Arizona, 1979: 6-5, National Program III1979-0.5One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 4th career season — faster than 19% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #505 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Cincinnati, 4 seasons
+8.5
Regional Program II → National Program III.
Arizona, 3 seasons
−0.5
National Program III → National 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.

5–6 against his rivals. Just 1–2 against Dick Crum.

Rivalry record
5–6
45.5% · 3 rivals
One-score games
12–21–1
35.3% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Louisville3–175%
Miami (OH)1–325%
Arizona State1–233%
The toughest matchup
vs. Dick Crum1–2
3 meetings, 1974–1976
’74 L’75 L’76 W
33% 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
0–1 0.0%
Power Program
4–13 23.5%
National Program
5–16 23.8%
Regional Program
27–6 81.8%

Coaching career

1977–1979
Arizonacaretaker
National Program II → National Program III
Tony Mason slid Arizona from National Program II to National Program III in 3 seasons.

13th-best Arizona tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Jim Young (1973–1976) · succeeded by Larry Smith (1980–1986).

3 NFL Draft picks: Cleveland Crosby (1980), Mark Streeter (1980), Larry Heater (1980)

16–18
1973–1976
Cincinnaticaretaker
Regional Program II → National Program III
Tony Mason moved Cincinnati from Regional Program II to National Program III in 4 seasons.

11th-best Cincinnati tenure of 19 by the numbers.

Followed Ray Callahan (1969–1972) · succeeded by Ralph Staub (1977–1980).

4 NFL Draft picks: Evan Jolitz (1974), Jeff West (1975), Tom Marvaso (1976), Keith Jenkins (1977)

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