The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Bobby Collins

Followed Ron Meyer. Bobby Collins raised SMU from National Program II to Power Program II.

The empire-builder
89–46
1975–1986 · 2 stints
Southern MissSMU
← all coaches

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 careerSOUTHERN MISSSMUPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelSouthern Miss, 1975: 7-4, National Program III1975Southern Miss, 1976: 2-9, National Program III1976Southern Miss, 1977: 6-6, National Program III1977Southern Miss, 1978: 7-4, National Program III1978Southern Miss, 1979: 6-4, National Program III1979Southern Miss, 1980: 9-3, National Program II1980Southern Miss, 1981: 9-2, National Program II1981+7.5SMU, 1982: 11-0, Power Program III1982SMU, 1983: 10-2, Power Program II1983SMU, 1984: 10-2, Power Program II1984SMU, 1985: 6-5, Power Program II1985SMU, 1986: 6-5, Power Program II1986+13.6One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 8th career season — faster than 16% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #314 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Southern Miss, 7 seasons
+7.5
National Program III → National Program II.
SMU, 5 seasons
+13.6
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.

12–2 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Bobby Bowden.

Rivalry record
12–2
85.7% · 3 rivals
One-score games
27–21–3
52.9% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
TCU5–0100%
Rice5–0100%
Louisiana Tech2–250%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Bobby Bowden1–4
5 meetings, 1976–1981
’76 L’77 L’78 L’79 L’81 W
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
2–5 28.6%
Power Program
9–14 39.1%
National Program
33–21 61.1%
Regional Program
28–5 84.8%

Coaching career

1982–1986
SMUbuilderborderline
National Program II → Power Program II
Bobby Collins raised SMU from National Program II to Power Program II.

1st-best SMU tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Ron Meyer (1976–1981).

17 NFL Draft picks: Perry Hartnett (1982), Harvey Armstrong (1982), Eric Dickerson (1983), Wes Hopkins (1983), Gary Moten (1983), Craig James (1983), Russell Carter (1984), Rickey Bolden (1984) + 9 more

43–14
1975–1981
Southern Misscaretaker
Regional Program I → National Program II
Bobby Collins moved Southern Miss from Regional Program I to National Program II in 7 seasons.

3rd-best Southern Miss tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed P.W. Underwood (1969–1974) · succeeded by Jim Carmody (1982–1987).

6 NFL Draft picks: Amos Fowler (1978), Eric Smith (1978), Ben Garry (1978), Hanford Dixon (1981), Marvin Harvey (1981), Sammy Winder (1982)

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