The Zeitgeist List · coaching

William Wood

Followed Gar Davidson. William Wood slid Army from Power Program III to National Program I in 3 seasons.

12–13

1938–1940 · 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 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).

Army, 3 seasons

−8.2

National Program I → National 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.

1–2 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Elmer Layden.

Rivalry record

1–2

33.3% · 1 rival

One-score games

2–4–3

22.2% · margin ≤8

Rivalry ledger

Navy1–233%

The toughest matchup

vs. Elmer Layden0–3

3 meetings, 1938–1940

’38 L’39 L’40 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

0–3 0.0%

National Program

3–7 30.0%

Regional Program

1–1 50.0%

Coaching career

1938–1940

Armycaretaker

Power Program III → National Program I

William Wood slid Army from Power Program III to National Program I in 3 seasons.

5th-best Army tenure of 17 by the numbers.

Followed Gar Davidson (1936–1937) · succeeded by Red Blaik (1941–1958).

12–13