Fresno State: a football coaching history
See Fresno State’s full 91-year Zeitgeist History →← all coaches
Stature and coaches, 1969–2026
The program’s standing over time, with every coach’s tenure beneath it — read down to see who was there for each rise and fall.
Run↔pass identity, by season
Every coach
Big movers show how many stature points they built or lost against what they inherited; steadier tenures show the tier they reached instead. A small blue arrow marks a real System Shift at that changeover — how hard the offense’s run/pass identity flipped.
3rd-best Fresno State tenure of 6 by the numbers.
Followed Tim DeRuyter (2012–2016) · succeeded by Kalen DeBoer (2020–2021) · returned in 2022 · succeeded by Tim Skipper (2024).
| Season | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||
| Record | 10-4 | 12-2 | 4-8 | 10-4 | 9-4 | |
| Postseason | W bowl | W bowl | — | W bowl | W bowl | |
| Recruiting rank | #84 | #92 | #87 | #72 | #83 | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||
| Pass rate | 45.9 | 46.8 | 48.6 | 50.4 | 58.3 | |
| Coordinators | ||||||
| OC | Kalen DeBoer | Kalen DeBoer | Ryan Grubb | Kirby Moore | Pat McCann | |
| DC | Orlondo Steinauer | Bert Watts | Bert Watts | Kevin Coyle | Kevin Coyle | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||
| Offense | 63 | 81 | 63 | 87 | 50 | |
| Defense | 92 | 91 | 47 | 81 | 51 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||
| 1st-down pass% | 39.9 | 44.9 | 43.4 | 53.9 | 57.6 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 31.9 | 40.0 | 42.6 | 45.6 | 55.8 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 17.0 | 19.0 | 25.0 | 20.6 | 20.0 | |
Outperforms his recruiting talent, on both sides of the ball.
A typical amount of portal roster-building.
Brings in smaller-than-position-typical players than most.
Recruits older, more experienced transfers than most.
4 NFL Draft picks: Keesean Johnson (2019), Mykal Walker (2020), Netane Muti (2020), Jake Haener (2023)
4th-best Fresno State tenure of 6 by the numbers.
Followed Pat Hill (1997–2011) · succeeded by Eric Kiesau (2016).
| Season | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||
| Record | 9-4 | 11-2 | 6-8 | 3-9 | 1-7 | |
| Postseason | L bowl | L bowl | L bowl | — | — | |
| Recruiting rank | #115 | #75 | #84 | #72 | #85 | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||
| Pass rate | 53.2 | 62.0 | 48.4 | 48.8 | 47.9 | |
| Coordinators | ||||||
| OC | — | — | Dave Schramm | Dave Schramm | Eric Kiesau | |
| DC | — | — | Nick Toth | Nick Toth | Lorenzo Ward | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||
| Offense | 38 | 81 | 21 | 7 | 6 | |
| Defense | 83 | 43 | 16 | 16 | 43 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||
| 1st-down pass% | 52.9 | 62.3 | 42.0 | 43.3 | 39.5 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 48.3 | 59.2 | 38.3 | 44.0 | 40.2 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 56.1 | 39.4 | 46.9 | 48.6 | 35.0 | |
Underperforms his recruiting talent, on both sides of the ball.
6 NFL Draft picks: Phillip Thomas (2013), Derek Carr (2014), Davante Adams (2014), Tyeler Davison (2015), Derron Smith (2015), Cody Wichmann (2015)
2nd-best Fresno State tenure of 6 by the numbers.
Followed Jim Sweeney (1980–1996) · succeeded by Tim DeRuyter (2012–2016).
| Season | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||||||||||||
| Record | 6-6 | 5-6 | 8-5 | 7-5 | 11-3 | 9-5 | 9-5 | 9-3 | 8-5 | 4-8 | 9-4 | 7-6 | 8-5 | 8-5 | 4-9 | |
| Postseason | — | — | L bowl | L bowl | L bowl | W bowl | W bowl | W bowl | L bowl | — | W bowl | L bowl | L bowl | L bowl | — | |
| Recruiting rank | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | #106 | #80 | #76 | #71 | #70 | #87 | #69 | #98 | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||||||||||||
| Pass rate | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 37.1 | 46.3 | 42.8 | 37.8 | 43.7 | 36.6 | 42.4 | 50.5 | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||||||||||||
| Offense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 84 | 93 | 27 | 98 | 82 | 85 | 65 | 80 | |
| Defense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 45 | 34 | 47 | 15 | 16 | 24 | 48 | 23 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||||||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 32.9 | 42.7 | 46.3 | 32.0 | 40.7 | 34.6 | 39.1 | 49.3 | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36.5 | 46.1 | 36.4 | 29.9 | 35.7 | 32.1 | 37.6 | 43.0 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 37.5 | 42.4 | 13.3 | 22.4 | 7.9 | 50.0 | 16.7 | 20.0 | |
26 NFL Draft picks: Chris Conrad (1998), Michael Pittman (1998), Cory Hall (1999), Orlando Huff (2001), David Carr (2002), Alan Harper (2002), Maurice Rodriguez (2002), Rodney Wright (2002) + 18 more
1st-best Fresno State tenure of 6 by the numbers.
Followed J.R. Boone (1973–1975) · succeeded by Bob Padilla (1978–1979) · returned in 1980 · succeeded by Pat Hill (1997–2011).
| Season | 1976 | 1977 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Record | 5-6 | 9-2 | 5-6 | 5-6 | 11-1 | 6-5 | 6-6 | 11-0-1 | 9-2 | 6-5 | 10-2 | 11-1 | 8-2-1 | 10-2 | 9-4 | 8-4 | 5-7-1 | 5-7 | 4-7 | |
| Postseason | — | — | — | — | W bowl | — | — | W bowl | — | — | W bowl | W bowl | — | L bowl | W bowl | L bowl | — | — | — | |
| Recruiting rank | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pass rate | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Offense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Defense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
20 NFL Draft picks: Anthony Washington (1981), Henry Ellard (1983), Stephen Baker (1987), Gene Taylor (1987), Kevin Sweeney (1987), Tracy Rogers (1989), James Williams (1990), Ron Cox (1990) + 12 more
6th-best Fresno State tenure of 6 by the numbers.
Followed Darryl Rogers (1969–1972) · succeeded by Jim Sweeney (1976–1977).
1 NFL Draft pick: Calvin Lane (1976)
5th-best Fresno State tenure of 6 by the numbers.
Succeeded by J.R. Boone (1973–1975).
3 NFL Draft picks: Ervin Hunt (1970), Dwayne Crump (1973), Gary Weaver (1973)