The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Bill Yeoman

Followed Hal Lahar. Bill Yeoman took Houston from National Program III to Power Program I.

160–108
1962–1986 · 1 stint
Houston
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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 careerHOUSTONBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelHouston, 1962: 7-4, National Program III1962Houston, 1963: 2-8, National Program IIIHouston, 1964: 2-6, National Program IIIHouston, 1965: 4-5, National Program IIIHouston, 1966: 8-2, National Program IIHouston, 1967: 7-3, National Program IHouston, 1968: 6-2, Power Program IIIHouston, 1969: 9-2, Power Program IIIHouston, 1970: 8-3, Power Program IIHouston, 1971: 9-3, Power Program IIHouston, 1972: 6-4, Power Program IIHouston, 1973: 11-1, Power Program IIHouston, 1974: 8-3, Power Program IIHouston, 1975: 2-8, Power Program IIHouston, 1976: 10-2, Power Program IIHouston, 1977: 6-5, Power Program IIHouston, 1978: 9-3, Power Program IHouston, 1979: 11-1, Power Program IHouston, 1980: 7-5, Power Program IHouston, 1981: 7-4, Power Program IHouston, 1982: 5-5, Power Program IIHouston, 1983: 4-7, Power Program IIIHouston, 1984: 7-5, Power Program IIIHouston, 1985: 4-7, National Program IHouston, 1986: 1-10, National Program II1986+26.1One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 7th career season — faster than 21% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #297 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Houston, 25 seasons
+26.1
National Program III → National 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.

12–4 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Bobby Collins.

Rivalry record
12–4
75.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
46–36–8
51.1% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
3–9
25.0%
Rivalry ledger
Rice12–475%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Bobby Collins1–4
5 meetings, 1982–1986
’82 L’83 L’84 W’85 L’86 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
3–9 25.0%
Power Program
24–44 35.3%
National Program
53–37 58.9%
Regional Program
67–18 78.8%

Coaching career

1962–1986
Houstontransformer
National Program III → Power Program I
Bill Yeoman took Houston from National Program III to Power Program I.

1st-best Houston tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Hal Lahar (1957–1961) · succeeded by Jack Pardee (1987–1989).

160–108