Richmond: a football coaching history

See Richmond’s full 91-year Zeitgeist History →
← all coaches

Stature and coaches, 1936–1983

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.

DynastyBlue BloodPower ProgramNational ProgramRegional Program
FBS medianbest: 1973program stature (★ = Dynasty-tier season)Glenn Thistlethwaite · 1936–1941ThistlethwaiteEdwin Merrick · 1951–1965Merrick194019601980

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.

1951–1965
Edwin Merrick Steady
Edwin Merrick moved the Spiders from Regional Program V to Regional Program IV in 15 seasons.
+5.9 pts over 15 seasons · bottom 25% of 10+-season tenures (202 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Pat Fitzgerald’s Northwestern run (2006–2022)

2nd-best Richmond tenure of 2 by the numbers.

+5.9
53-87-6
1936–1941
Glenn Thistlethwaite Steady
Glenn Thistlethwaite held Richmond at Regional Program II for 6 seasons.

1st-best Richmond tenure of 2 by the numbers.