The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Bruce Arians

Followed Wayne Hardin. Bruce Arians held Temple at National Program III for 6 seasons.

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1983–1988 · 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 National Program in his 2nd career season — faster than 33% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #402 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Temple, 6 seasons

+2.8

Regional Program I → Regional Program I.

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.

Just 1–5 against Jack Bicknell.

One-score games

10–13

43.5% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

1–10

9.1%

The toughest matchupNemesis

vs. Jack Bicknell1–5

6 meetings, 1983–1988

’83 L’84 L’85 L’86 L’87 L’88 W

Performance by opponent class

Blue Blood

1–10 9.1%

Power Program

2–6 25.0%

National Program

6–14 30.0%

Regional Program

14–7 66.7%

Coaching career

1983–1988

Templecaretaker

National Program III → National Program III

Bruce Arians held Temple at National Program III for 6 seasons.

3rd-best Temple tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Wayne Hardin (1971–1982) · succeeded by Jerry Berndt (1989–1992).

6 NFL Draft picks: Kevin Ross (1984), Anthony Young (1985), John Rienstra (1986), Lloyd Yancey (1986), Paul Palmer (1987), Willie Marshall (1987)

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