The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Jess Hill

Followed Jeff Cravath. Jess Hill moved USC from Power Program III to Power Program II in 6 seasons.

45–17
1951–1956 · 1 stint
USC
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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 careerUSCPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyUSC, 1951: 7-3, Power Program III1951USC, 1952: 10-1, Power Program II1952USC, 1953: 6-3, Power Program II1953USC, 1954: 8-4, Power Program II1954USC, 1955: 6-4, Power Program II1955USC, 1956: 8-2, Power Program II1956+5.5One 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).

USC, 6 seasons
+5.5
Power Program III → 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.

4–8 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Frank Leahy.

Rivalry record
4–8
33.3% · 2 rivals
One-score games
13–9–1
56.5% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
UCLA2–433%
Notre Dame2–433%
The toughest matchup
vs. Frank Leahy0–3
3 meetings, 1951–1953
’51 L’52 L’53 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
Dynasty
0–2 0.0%
Blue Blood
4–3 57.1%
Power Program
12–4 75.0%
National Program
18–7 72.0%
Regional Program
8–1 88.9%

Coaching career

1951–1956
USCcaretaker
Power Program III → Power Program II
Jess Hill moved USC from Power Program III to Power Program II in 6 seasons.

16th-best USC tenure of 17 by the numbers.

Followed Jeff Cravath (1942–1950) · succeeded by Don Clark (1957–1959).

45–17