The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Jeff Bower

Followed Curley Hallman. Jeff Bower moved Southern Miss from National Program III to National Program I in 18 seasons.

118–84
1990–2007 · 1 stint
Southern Miss
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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 careerSOUTHERN MISSPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelSouthern Miss, 1990: 0-1, National Program II1990Southern Miss, 1991: 4-7, National Program IISouthern Miss, 1992: 7-4, National Program IIISouthern Miss, 1993: 2-8, National Program IIISouthern Miss, 1994: 6-5, National Program IIISouthern Miss, 1995: 6-5, Regional Program ISouthern Miss, 1996: 8-3, National Program IIISouthern Miss, 1997: 9-3, National Program IISouthern Miss, 1998: 7-5, National Program IISouthern Miss, 1999: 9-3, National Program ISouthern Miss, 2000: 8-4, National Program ISouthern Miss, 2001: 6-5, National Program ISouthern Miss, 2002: 7-6, National Program ISouthern Miss, 2003: 9-4, National Program ISouthern Miss, 2004: 7-5, National Program IISouthern Miss, 2005: 7-5, National Program IISouthern Miss, 2006: 9-5, National Program IISouthern Miss, 2007: 7-6, National Program II2007+10.6One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 1st career season — faster than 41% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #1 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Southern Miss, 18 seasons
+10.6
National Program II → National 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.

1–1 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against Phillip Fulmer.

Rivalry record
1–1
50.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
42–35–1
53.8% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Louisiana Tech1–150%
The toughest matchup
vs. Phillip Fulmer0–4
4 meetings, 1995–2007
’95 L’97 L’00 L’07 L
0% win rate across a real, 4-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
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
3–12 20.0%
Power Program
3–22 12.0%
National Program
19–19 50.0%
Regional Program
91–32 74.0%

Coaching career

1990–2007
Southern Misscaretakerborderline
National Program III → National Program I
Jeff Bower moved Southern Miss from National Program III to National Program I in 18 seasons.

1st-best Southern Miss tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Curley Hallman (1988–1989) · succeeded by Larry Fedora (2008–2011).

28 NFL Draft picks: Brett Favre (1991), Michael Jackson (1991), Simmie Carter (1991), Tony Smith (1992), Derrick Hoskins (1992), Tim Roberts (1992), Perry Carter (1994), Patrick Surtain (1998) + 20 more

118–84