The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Bill Arnsparger

Followed Jerry Stovall. Bill Arnsparger moved LSU from Power Program III to Power Program II in 3 seasons.

26–8
1984–1986 · 1 stint
LSU
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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 careerLSUPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyLSU, 1984: 8-3, Power Program III1984LSU, 1985: 9-2, Power Program III1985LSU, 1986: 9-3, Power Program II1986+4.5One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 1st career season — faster than 57% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #1 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

LSU, 3 seasons
+4.5
Power Program III → 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.

8–1 against his rivals.

Rivalry record
8–1–1
80.0% · 4 rivals
One-score games
8–3–2
61.5% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
4–1
80.0%
Rivalry ledger
Ole Miss2–167%
Alabama2–0–167%
Tulane3–0100%
Texas A&M1–0100%
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
4–1 80.0%
Power Program
5–3 62.5%
National Program
10–3 76.9%
Regional Program
6–1 85.7%

Coaching career

1984–1986
LSUcaretaker
Power Program III → Power Program II
Bill Arnsparger moved LSU from Power Program III to Power Program II in 3 seasons.

12th-best LSU tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Jerry Stovall (1980–1983) · succeeded by Mike Archer (1987–1990).

12 NFL Draft picks: Rydell Malancon (1984), Jeff Dale (1985), Lance Smith (1985), Liffort Hobley (1985), Eric Martin (1985), Garry James (1986), Dalton Hilliard (1986), Karl Wilson (1987) + 4 more

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