The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Gary Barnett

Followed Rick Neuheisel. Gary Barnett inherited a Power Program I Colorado and won with it.

The ascent
84–83
1992–2005 · 2 stints
NorthwesternColorado
← 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 careerNORTHWESTERNCOLORADOBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelNorthwestern, 1992: 3-8, Regional Program V1992Northwestern, 1993: 2-9, Regional Program V1993Northwestern, 1994: 3-7, Regional Program V1994Northwestern, 1995: 10-2, Regional Program III1995Northwestern, 1996: 9-3, Regional Program I1996Northwestern, 1997: 5-7, Regional Program I1997Northwestern, 1998: 3-9, Regional Program I1998+19.6Colorado, 1999: 7-5, Power Program I1999Colorado, 2000: 3-8, Power Program II2000Colorado, 2001: 10-3, Power Program I2001Colorado, 2002: 9-5, Power Program I2002Colorado, 2003: 5-7, Power Program II2003Colorado, 2004: 8-5, Power Program II2004Colorado, 2005: 7-5, Power Program II2005-2.4One 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).

Northwestern, 7 seasons
+19.6
Regional Program V → Regional Program I.
Colorado, 7 seasons
−2.4
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.

11–9 against his rivals. Just 1–5 against Mack Brown.

Rivalry record
11–9
55.0% · 3 rivals
One-score games
35–30–1
53.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Illinois4–357%
Colorado State4–357%
Nebraska3–350%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Mack Brown1–5
6 meetings, 2000–2005
’00 L’01 L’01 W’04 L’05 L’05 L
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
0–2 0.0%
Blue Blood
5–18 21.7%
Power Program
15–30 33.3%
National Program
22–23 48.9%
Regional Program
41–10 80.4%

Coaching career

1999–2005
Coloradoinheritor
Power Program I → Power Program I
Gary Barnett inherited a Power Program I Colorado and won with it.

3rd-best Colorado tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Rick Neuheisel (1995–1998) · succeeded by Dan Hawkins (2006–2010).

24 NFL Draft picks: Hannibal Navies (1999), Darrin Chiaverini (1999), Marcus Washington (1999), Ben Kelly (2000), Damen Wheeler (2000), Brad Bedell (2000), Rashidi Barnes (2000), Daniel Graham (2002) + 16 more

49–38
1992–1998
Northwesternbuilder
Regional Program VI → Regional Program I
Gary Barnett raised Northwestern from Regional Program VI to Regional Program I.

8th-best Northwestern tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Followed Francis Peay (1986–1991) · succeeded by Randy Walker (1999–2005).

13 NFL Draft picks: Darryl Ashmore (1992), Steve Shine (1994), Lee Gissendaner (1994), Matt O'Dwyer (1995), Michael Senters (1995), Darnell Autry (1997), Tim Scharf (1997), Hudhaifa Ismaeli (1997) + 5 more

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