The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Bud Wilkinson

Followed Jim Tatum. Bud Wilkinson took Oklahoma from Power Program III to Dynasty — 2 Dynasty seasons.

145–29
1947–1963 · 1 stint
Oklahoma
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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 careerOKLAHOMADynastythe sport's summitBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyOklahoma, 1947: 7-2, Power Program III1947Oklahoma, 1948: 10-1, Power Program IIOklahoma, 1949: 11-0, Power Program IOklahoma, 1950: 10-1, Blue BloodOklahoma, 1951: 8-2, Blue BloodOklahoma, 1952: 8-1, Blue BloodOklahoma, 1953: 9-1, Blue BloodOklahoma, 1954: 10-0, Blue BloodOklahoma, 1955: 11-0, Blue BloodOklahoma, 1956: 10-0, DynastyOklahoma, 1957: 10-1, DynastyOklahoma, 1958: 10-1, Blue BloodOklahoma, 1959: 7-3, Blue BloodOklahoma, 1960: 3-6, Blue BloodOklahoma, 1961: 5-5, Blue BloodOklahoma, 1962: 8-3, Blue BloodOklahoma, 1963: 8-2, Blue Blood1963+43.6One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Dynasty in his 10th career season — faster than 33% of the 15 FBS coaches who have ever reached Dynasty (rank #10 of 15 by seasons-to-arrival).

Oklahoma, 17 seasons
+43.6
Power Program III → Blue Blood.

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.

26–8 against his rivals. Just 1–6 against Darrell Royal.

Rivalry record
26–8
76.5% · 2 rivals
One-score games
32–16–4
61.5% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Texas9–853%
Oklahoma State17–0100%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Darrell Royal1–6
7 meetings, 1957–1963
’57 W’58 L’59 L’60 L’61 L’62 L’63 L
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
2–4 33.3%
Power Program
24–10 70.6%
National Program
57–9 86.4%
Regional Program
60–4 93.8%

Coaching career

1947–1963
Oklahomatransformer
Power Program III → Dynasty
Bud Wilkinson took Oklahoma from Power Program III to Dynasty — 2 Dynasty seasons.

2nd-best Oklahoma tenure of 15 by the numbers.

Followed Jim Tatum (1946–1946) · succeeded by Gomer Jones (1964–1965).

145–29