The Zeitgeist List · coaching

William Glassford

Followed Potsy Clark. William Glassford moved Nebraska from Regional Program III to Regional Program I in 7 seasons.

30–35

1949–1955 · 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).

Nebraska, 7 seasons

+5.4

Regional Program III → Regional Program I.

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.

3–3 against his rivals. Winless in 7 tries against Bud Wilkinson.

Rivalry record

3–3–1

42.9% · 1 rival

One-score games

14–9–4

51.9% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–7

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

Colorado3–3–143%

The toughest matchup

vs. Bud Wilkinson0–7

7 meetings, 1949–1955

’49 L’50 L’51 L’52 L’53 L’54 L’55 L

0% win rate across a real, 7-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

0–7 0.0%

Power Program

1–6 14.3%

National Program

9–15 37.5%

Regional Program

17–5 77.3%

Coaching career

1949–1955

Nebraskacaretaker

Regional Program III → Regional Program I

William Glassford moved Nebraska from Regional Program III to Regional Program I in 7 seasons.

14th-best Nebraska tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Potsy Clark (1945–1948) · succeeded by Pete Elliott (1956–1956).

30–35