Back to Coaches
Peak DominatorDefense-FirstLong Career

Coach Profile

Jerry Claiborne

1961-1989 • Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia Tech

3 schools coached, anchored by Maryland.

Jerry Claiborne coached 28 seasons, won 59.2%, and posted an average SRS of 5.9. Best season: 1974 Maryland. The profile was defense-first with a highly volatile profile. 3 stints shaped the career arc.

Compare this coachAll coach recordsRanked opponent recordJump to seasons
Career record
179-122-8
Career win rate
59.2%
Average SRS
5.9
Peak SRS
21.7

Career Dossier

One glance at the full arc.

The profile below keeps the headline numbers visible, then moves into tenure shape, school impact, and full season detail.

Seasons coached
28
Career span
29 years
Best finish
#8
Consistency
31.3

Primary school anchor

Maryland

Defense-First profile with 3 program stops and a peak score of 87.8.

Career Arc

Track how the coach's season-to-season performance changed over time, where the peak landed, and where each school stint appears.

Focus on where peaks separate, where floors hold, and how the shape of each career changed over time.

Jerry Claiborne
EliteStrongAverageLean
Jerry Claiborne: 1972 MarylandJerry Claiborne: 1982 Kentucky
1961Actual season year • SRS range -10.1 to 21.71989

Active comparison point

Jerry Claiborne • 1974

Selected

1974 Maryland

Best season

8-4 • SRS 21.7 • SP Overall 23.7

Win %

66.7%

YoY SRS

+5.0

SP Off / Def

32.2 / 9.1

Finish

#13

Comparison context

Focus a point to inspect how it stacks up against the rest of the field.

Ranked opponent record

Track career record against ranked opponents with switchable poll source and ranking timing.

Using AP Top 25 rankings at the time of each game; week-one games use the week-one ranking release when available.

Poll source
Ranking timing

Top 25

3-47

Games
50
Win rate
6.0%

Top 10

0-25

Games
25
Win rate
0.0%

Top 5

0-10

Games
10
Win rate
0.0%
View ranked game results50
1989 Regular Week 13KentuckyTennessee#8L10-31
1989 Regular Week 6KentuckyAuburn#11L12-24
1989 Regular Week 4KentuckyAlabama#15L3-15
1988 Regular Week 9KentuckyGeorgia#11W16-10
1988 Regular Week 8KentuckyLSU#19L12-15
1988 Regular Week 6KentuckyAlabama#12L27-31
1988 Regular Week 3KentuckyAuburn#7L10-20
1987 Regular Week 13KentuckyTennessee#16L22-24
1987 Regular Week 9KentuckyGeorgia#12L14-17
1987 Regular Week 8KentuckyLSU#5L9-34
1986 Regular Week 8KentuckyLSU#12L16-25
1985 Regular Week 13KentuckyTennessee#16L0-42
1985 Regular Week 12KentuckyFlorida#11L13-15
1985 Regular Week 8KentuckyLSU#17L0-10
1984 Regular Week 13KentuckyFlorida#4L17-25
1984 Regular Week 10KentuckyGeorgia#8L7-37
1984 Regular Week 9KentuckyLSU#7L10-36
1983 Regular Week 12KentuckyFlorida#12L7-24
1983 Regular Week 9KentuckyGeorgia#6L21-47
1983 Regular Week 7KentuckyAuburn#5L21-49
1983 Postseason Week 1KentuckyWest Virginia#16L16-20
1982 Regular Week 8KentuckyGeorgia#3L14-27
1982 Regular Week 7KentuckyLSU#16L10-34
1981 Regular Week 11MarylandClemson#2L7-21
1981 Regular Week 9MarylandNorth Carolina#9L10-17
1980 Regular Week 7MarylandPenn State#12L10-24
1980 Regular Week 6MarylandPittsburgh#4L9-38
1980 Regular Week 5MarylandNorth Carolina#10L3-17
1979 Regular Week 8MarylandWake Forest#18L17-25
1979 Regular Week 7MarylandNC State#15L0-7
1978 Regular Week 12MarylandClemson#10L24-28
1978 Regular Week 10MarylandPenn State#2L3-27
1978 Postseason Week 1MarylandTexas#9L0-42
1977 Regular Week 4MarylandPenn State#4L9-27
1977 Regular Week 3MarylandWest Virginia#17L16-24
1976 Postseason Week 1MarylandHouston#4L21-30
1975 Regular Week 9MarylandPenn State#9L13-15
1975 Regular Week 2MarylandTennessee#20L8-26
1974 Regular Week 9MarylandPenn State#10L17-24
1974 Regular Week 8MarylandNC State#17W20-10
1974 Regular Week 2MarylandAlabama#3L16-21
1974 Postseason Week 1MarylandTennessee#20L3-7
1973 Regular Week 10MarylandPenn State#6L22-42
1972 Regular Week 9MarylandPenn State#10L16-46
1970 Regular Week 4Virginia TechAlabama#17L18-51
1969 Regular Week 2Virginia TechAlabama#15L13-17
1968 Regular Week 8Virginia TechFlorida State#18W40-22
1968 Regular Week 6Virginia TechMiami#12L8-13
1968 Regular Week 2Virginia TechAlabama#7L7-14
1966 Postseason Week 1Virginia TechMiami#9L7-14

Tenure map

Each stint expands by seasons coached. Deeper color signals a stronger average SRS over that stretch.

Length = seasons coachedDeeper color = stronger stint

Kentucky

1982-1989 • 8 seasons

Avg SRS 3.1 • Win % 47.2%

Maryland

1972-1981 • 10 seasons

Avg SRS 13.5 • Win % 67.1%

Virginia Tech

1961-1970 • 10 seasons

Avg SRS 0.5 • Win % 60.8%

Longest tenure
Maryland • 10 seasons
Best tenure
Maryland • 13.5 SRS
Best tenure win rate
Maryland • 67.1%

Style and Strength Profile

Compare strength, identity, steadiness, and ceiling through normalized bars with raw SP and SRS context underneath.

These bars are normalized against the full coach dataset. Raw SP and SRS values stay visible so the profile reads as evidence, not decoration.

Overall Strength

Start with total quality before splitting style and variance.

Jerry Claiborne sets the reference point in overall strength.

Overall Strength

Decisive edge

Jerry Claiborne sets the reference point in overall strength.

Normalized score; raw SP overall stays underneath for reference.

Jerry Claiborne

Strong

Raw avg SP Overall
9.1
Percentile
83th pct

Strong

Normalized against the full tracked coach pool.

Impact by school

See how each stint compared with what that program usually looked like outside that same span.

Kentucky

1982-1989 • 41-46-3

Compared with this school's baseline outside that stint over the prior 5 seasons (5 baseline seasons found).

Avg SRS 3.1Win % 47.2%

Avg wins

Higher is better

5.1 during vs 5.0 baseline

+0.1

Avg SRS

Higher is better

3.1 during vs 7.0 baseline

-3.9

Avg SP Overall

Higher is better

4.1 during vs 5.8 baseline

-1.7

Ranked finish rate

Higher is better

12.5% during vs 20.0% baseline

-7.5%

Maryland

1972-1981 • 77-37-3

Compared with this school's baseline outside that stint over the prior 5 seasons (5 baseline seasons found).

Avg SRS 13.5Win % 67.1%

Avg wins

Higher is better

7.7 during vs 1.8 baseline

+5.9

Avg SRS

Higher is better

13.5 during vs -10.2 baseline

+23.7

Avg SP Overall

Higher is better

15.0 during vs -12.0 baseline

+27.0

Ranked finish rate

Higher is better

50.0% during vs 0.0% baseline

+50.0%

Virginia Tech

1961-1970 • 61-39-2

Compared with this school's baseline outside that stint over the prior 5 seasons (5 baseline seasons found).

Avg SRS 0.5Win % 60.8%

Avg wins

Higher is better

6.1 during vs 5.6 baseline

+0.5

Avg SRS

Higher is better

0.5 during vs -1.8 baseline

+2.4

Avg SP Overall

Higher is better

-9.4 during vs — baseline

—

Ranked finish rate

Higher is better

0.0% during vs 0.0% baseline

+0.0%

Career highs and lows

High Points

Best Season

Maryland 1974

8-4 • SRS 21.7

Biggest Improvement

Maryland 1973

8-4 • 15.1 SRS

Best Offensive Season

Maryland 1974

8-4 • SP Off 32.2

Best Defensive Season

Maryland 1974

8-4 • SP Def 9.1

Setbacks

Worst Season

Virginia Tech 1970

5-6 • SRS -10.1

Biggest Drop

Kentucky 1982

0-10-1 • -19.2 SRS

Season-by-season results

Full transparency into every season in the coaching record. Positive YoY values indicate improvement from the prior season.

Kentucky19891165054.5%——1.1-0.723.524.1-2.0+9.1%
Kentucky19881156045.5%——3.110.128.118.9-5.50.0%
Kentucky19871156045.5%——8.69.428.719.9+5.5-4.5%
Kentucky19861155150.0%——3.13.725.422.5+0.3+4.5%
Kentucky19851156045.5%——2.84.624.020.0-5.7-29.5%
Kentucky19841293075.0%—#198.510.330.521.6+3.8+20.8%
Kentucky19831265154.2%——4.76.926.320.2+11.8+49.6%
Kentucky19821101014.5%——-7.1-11.815.026.1-19.2-36.4%
Maryland19811146140.9%——12.110.828.418.3-0.2-25.8%
Maryland19801284066.7%——12.314.225.211.3-0.3+3.0%
Maryland19791174063.6%——12.616.625.610.0-0.9-11.4%
Maryland19781293075.0%—#2013.517.029.213.1+1.5+8.3%
Maryland19771284066.7%#10—12.011.326.816.3-7.1-25.0%
Maryland197612111091.7%#12#819.122.730.99.1+5.7+12.5%
Maryland19751292179.2%#17#1313.415.330.115.6-8.3+12.5%
Maryland19741284066.7%#14#1321.723.732.29.1+5.00.0%
Maryland19731284066.7%—#2016.716.631.416.0+15.1+16.7%
Maryland19721155150.0%——1.61.525.925.0+11.7+4.5%
Virginia Tech19701156045.5%——-10.1-9.419.127.7-12.3+0.4%
Virginia Tech19691045145.0%——2.2———-7.1-18.6%
Virginia Tech19681174063.6%——9.3———+3.7-6.4%
Virginia Tech19671073070.0%——5.6———-1.7-7.3%
Virginia Tech19661182177.3%——7.3———+10.1+7.3%
Virginia Tech19651073070.0%——-2.8———-4.8+10.0%
Virginia Tech19641064060.0%——2.0———-3.3-20.0%
Virginia Tech19631082080.0%——5.3———+9.7+30.0%
Virginia Tech19621055050.0%——-4.4———+4.7+5.6%
Virginia Tech1961945044.4%——-9.1—————

Similar coaches

Related profiles are matched by style, strength band, volatility band, peak range, and career length.

Ben Schwartzwalder

same defense-first identity • avg SRS within 1.1

Defense-First

Avg SRS 7.0 • Peak SRS 27.0 • 25 seasons

Best finish #1 • Volatility 8.3

Open profile →

Hayden Fry

same defense-first identity • avg SRS within 0.2

Defense-First

Avg SRS 6.1 • Peak SRS 17.7 • 37 seasons

Best finish #10 • Volatility 8.3

Open profile →

Bill Dooley

same defense-first identity • volatility within 0.5

Defense-First

Avg SRS 3.1 • Peak SRS 18.5 • 26 seasons

Best finish #12 • Volatility 7.5

Open profile →

Bill Mallory

same defense-first identity • volatility within 0.7

Defense-First

Avg SRS 2.2 • Peak SRS 17.7 • 27 seasons

Best finish #15 • Volatility 8.7

Open profile →

Pete Elliott

same defense-first identity • avg SRS within 0.1

Defense-First

Avg SRS 6.0 • Peak SRS 18.9 • 13 seasons

Best finish #3 • Volatility 8.4

Open profile →

Kirk Ferentz

same defense-first identity • volatility within 1.3

Defense-First

Avg SRS 9.5 • Peak SRS 18.3 • 27 seasons

Best finish #7 • Volatility 6.7

Open profile →