The Zeitgeist List · coaching

David McWilliams

Followed Fred Akers. David McWilliams inherited a Power Program I Texas and won with it.

31–26
1987–1991 · 1 stint
Texas
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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 careerTEXASPower Programperennial contenderTexas, 1987: 7-5, Power Program I1987Texas, 1988: 4-7, Power Program II1988Texas, 1989: 5-6, Power Program II1989Texas, 1990: 10-2, Power Program II1990Texas, 1991: 5-6, Power Program II1991-7.8One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 1st career season — faster than 57% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #1 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Texas, 5 seasons
−7.8
Power Program I → 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.

7–8 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Jack Pardee.

Rivalry record
7–8
46.7% · 3 rivals
One-score games
12–12
50.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
4–4
50.0%
Rivalry ledger
Oklahoma3–260%
Texas Tech3–260%
Texas A&M1–420%
The toughest matchup
vs. Jack Pardee0–3
3 meetings, 1987–1989
’87 L’88 L’89 L
0% win rate across a real, 3-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
Blue Blood
4–4 50.0%
Power Program
6–13 31.6%
National Program
6–9 40.0%
Regional Program
14–0 100.0%

Coaching career

1987–1991
Texasinheritor
Power Program I → Power Program I
David McWilliams inherited a Power Program I Texas and won with it.

10th-best Texas tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Followed Fred Akers (1977–1986) · succeeded by John Mackovic (1992–1997).

15 NFL Draft picks: Everett Gay (1987), Stephen Braggs (1987), Eric Metcalf (1989), Britt Hager (1989), Ken Hackemack (1990), Tony Jones (1990), Stanley Richard (1991), Stan Thomas (1991) + 7 more

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