The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Biff Jones

Followed Dana Bible. Biff Jones held Nebraska at Power Program II for 5 seasons.

The ascent
31–17
1936–1941 · 2 stints
OklahomaNebraska
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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.

Stature score reached, by season of his head-coaching careerOKLAHOMANEBRASKAPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyOklahoma, 1936: 3-3, National Program II1936+0.0Nebraska, 1937: 6-1, Power Program II1937Nebraska, 1938: 3-5, Power Program II1938Nebraska, 1939: 7-1, Power Program II1939Nebraska, 1940: 8-2, Power Program II1940Nebraska, 1941: 4-5, Power Program II1941-1.7One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 2nd career season — faster than 51% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #170 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Nebraska, 5 seasons
−1.7
Power Program II → Power 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.

5–1 against his rivals. Just 2–4 against Don Faurot.

Rivalry record
5–1
83.3% · 3 rivals
One-score games
16–11–7
47.1% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Iowa4–0100%
Texas0–10%
Oklahoma State1–0100%
The toughest matchup
vs. Don Faurot2–4
6 meetings, 1936–1941
’36 L’37 W’38 L’39 L’40 W’41 L
33% win rate across a real, 6-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
Dynasty
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
4–4 50.0%
Power Program
4–4 50.0%
National Program
8–3 72.7%
Regional Program
15–5 75.0%

Coaching career

1937–1941
Nebraskacaretaker
Power Program II → Power Program II
Biff Jones held Nebraska at Power Program II for 5 seasons.

6th-best Nebraska tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Dana Bible (1936–1936) · succeeded by Glenn Presnell (1942–1942).

28–14
1936–1936
Oklahomacaretaker
National Program II
Biff Jones held Oklahoma at National Program II for 1 season.

15th-best Oklahoma tenure of 15 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Tom Stidham (1937–1940).

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