The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Tuffy Mullison

Followed Robert Davis. Tuffy Mullison slid Colorado State from Regional Program II to Regional Program III in 6 seasons.

19–40

1956–1961 · 1 stint

Colorado 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.

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).

Colorado State, 6 seasons

−5.0

Regional Program III → Regional Program IV.

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.

1–8 against his rivals. Winless in 5 tries against Bob Devaney.

Rivalry record

1–8

11.1% · 2 rivals

One-score games

6–6–1

46.2% · margin ≤8

Rivalry ledger

Wyoming0–60%

Colorado1–233%

The toughest matchup

vs. Bob Devaney0–5

5 meetings, 1957–1961

’57 L’58 L’59 L’60 L’61 L

0% win rate across a real, 5-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

1–1 50.0%

National Program

2–17 10.5%

Regional Program

6–15 28.6%

Coaching career

1956–1961

Colorado Statecaretaker

Regional Program II → Regional Program III

Tuffy Mullison slid Colorado State from Regional Program II to Regional Program III in 6 seasons.

9th-best Colorado State tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Robert Davis (1947–1955) · succeeded by Milo Lude (1962–1969).

19–40