The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Doug Barfield

Followed Ralph Jordan. Doug Barfield slid Auburn from Power Program II to Power Program III in 5 seasons.

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1976–1980 · 1 stint
Auburn
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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 careerAUBURNPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyAuburn, 1976: 3-8, Power Program III1976Auburn, 1977: 5-6, Power Program III1977Auburn, 1978: 6-4, Power Program III1978Auburn, 1979: 8-3, Power Program III1979Auburn, 1980: 5-6, Power Program III1980-5.9One 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).

Auburn, 5 seasons
−5.9
Power Program III → Power Program III.

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.

2–7 against his rivals. Winless in 5 tries against Bear Bryant.

Rivalry record
2–7–1
20.0% · 2 rivals
One-score games
8–9–1
44.4% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Georgia2–2–140%
Alabama0–50%
The toughest matchup
vs. Bear Bryant0–5
5 meetings, 1976–1980
’76 L’77 L’78 L’79 L’80 L
0% win rate across a real, 5-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
Dynasty
0–2 0.0%
Blue Blood
0–2 0.0%
Power Program
9–8 52.9%
National Program
9–14 39.1%
Regional Program
8–1 88.9%

Coaching career

1976–1980
Auburncaretaker
Power Program II → Power Program III
Doug Barfield slid Auburn from Power Program II to Power Program III in 5 seasons.

13th-best Auburn tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Ralph Jordan (1951–1975) · succeeded by Pat Dye (1981–1992).

8 NFL Draft picks: Neil O'Donoghue (1977), Reese McCall (1978), William Andrews (1979), Mike Burrow (1979), Joe Cribbs (1980), James Brooks (1981), Byron Franklin (1981), Frank Warren (1981)

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