The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Bill Michael

Followed Gil Bartosh. Bill Michael slid UTEP from Regional Program IV to Regional Program V in 5 seasons.

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1977–1981 · 1 stint

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.

Reached Regional Program in his 1st career season — faster than 20% of the 925 FBS coaches who have ever reached Regional Program (rank #1 of 925 by seasons-to-arrival).

UTEP, 5 seasons

−5.7

Regional Program V → Regional Program VI.

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.

Winless in 4 tries against LaVell Edwards.

One-score games

3–4

42.9% · margin ≤8

The toughest matchup

vs. LaVell Edwards0–4

4 meetings, 1977–1980

’77 L’78 L’79 L’80 L

0% win rate across a real, 4-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

Power Program

0–6 0.0%

National Program

2–9 18.2%

Regional Program

2–25 7.4%

Coaching career

1977–1981

UTEPcaretaker

Regional Program IV → Regional Program V

Bill Michael slid UTEP from Regional Program IV to Regional Program V in 5 seasons.

16th-best UTEP tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Gil Bartosh (1974–1976) · succeeded by Bill Yung (1982–1985).

3 NFL Draft picks: Bubba Garcia (1980), Del Thompson (1982), Joey Whitley (1982)

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