The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Warren Woodson

Followed Tony Cavallo. Warren Woodson raised New Mexico State from Regional Program VI to Regional Program II.

Peak, then fade
205–106
1941–1967 · 3 stints
Hardin SimmonsArizonaNew Mexico 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 careerHARDIN SIMMONSARIZONANEW MEXICO STATEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelHardin Simmons, 1941: 7-3, National Program II1941Hardin Simmons, 1942: 9-1, National Program IHardin Simmons, 1946: 11-0, National Program IHardin Simmons, 1947: 8-3, National Program IHardin Simmons, 1948: 6-2, National Program IHardin Simmons, 1949: 6-4, National Program IHardin Simmons, 1950: 5-5, National Program IHardin Simmons, 1951: 6-6, National Program I1951+7.3Arizona, 1952: 6-4, Regional Program III1952Arizona, 1953: 4-5, Regional Program IIArizona, 1954: 7-3, Regional Program IArizona, 1955: 5-4, National Program IIIArizona, 1956: 4-6, National Program III1956+11.2New Mexico State, 1958: 4-6, Regional Program VI1958New Mexico State, 1959: 8-3, Regional Program VNew Mexico State, 1960: 11-0, Regional Program IVNew Mexico State, 1961: 5-4, Regional Program IIINew Mexico State, 1962: 4-6, Regional Program IIINew Mexico State, 1963: 3-6, Regional Program IIINew Mexico State, 1964: 6-4, Regional Program IIINew Mexico State, 1965: 8-2, Regional Program IIINew Mexico State, 1966: 7-3, Regional Program IIINew Mexico State, 1967: 7-2, Regional Program II1967+16.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

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).

Hardin Simmons, 8 seasons
+7.3
National Program II → National Program I.
Arizona, 5 seasons
+11.2
Regional Program III → National Program III.
New Mexico State, 10 seasons
+16.3
Regional Program VI → Regional Program II.

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.

9–6 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Robert Dobbs.

Rivalry record
9–6
60.0% · 2 rivals
One-score games
18–24–7
36.7% · margin ≤8
Rivalry ledger
New Mexico6–460%
Arizona State3–260%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Robert Dobbs1–4
5 meetings, 1959–1967
’59 L’60 W’65 L’66 L’67 L
Performance by opponent class
Power Program
2–5 28.6%
National Program
20–32 38.5%
Regional Program
53–21 71.6%

Coaching career

1958–1967
New Mexico Statebuilder
Regional Program VI → Regional Program II
Warren Woodson raised New Mexico State from Regional Program VI to Regional Program II.

3rd-best New Mexico State tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Tony Cavallo (1955–1957) · succeeded by Jim Wood (1968–1972).

63–36
1952–1956
Arizonacaretakerborderline
Regional Program III → National Program III
Warren Woodson moved Arizona from Regional Program III to National Program III in 5 seasons.

15th-best Arizona tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Robert Winslow (1949–1951) · succeeded by Edward Doherty (1957–1958).

26–22
1941–1951
Hardin Simmonscaretaker
National Program II → National Program I
Warren Woodson moved Hardin Simmons from National Program II to National Program I in 8 seasons.

1st-best Hardin Simmons tenure of 2 by the numbers.

Followed Frank Kimbrough (1939–1940).

116–48