The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Jim Aiken

Followed Tex Oliver. Jim Aiken moved Oregon from Regional Program I to National Program II in 4 seasons.

The builder
28–22
1946–1950 · 2 stints
NevadaOregon
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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 careerNEVADAOREGONNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelNevada, 1946: 7-2, National Program II1946+0.0Oregon, 1947: 7-3, National Program III1947Oregon, 1948: 9-2, National Program II1948Oregon, 1949: 4-6, National Program II1949Oregon, 1950: 1-9, National Program II1950+8.1One 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).

Oregon, 4 seasons
+8.1
National Program III → 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.

4–4 against his rivals. Just 1–2 against Howard Odell.

Rivalry record
4–4
50.0% · 2 rivals
One-score games
8–6
57.1% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Washington2–250%
Oregon State2–250%
The toughest matchup
vs. Howard Odell1–2
3 meetings, 1948–1950
’48 W’49 L’50 L
33% 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
0–1 0.0%
Power Program
1–6 14.3%
National Program
10–9 52.6%
Regional Program
6–3 66.7%

Coaching career

1947–1950
Oregoncaretaker
Regional Program I → National Program II
Jim Aiken moved Oregon from Regional Program I to National Program II in 4 seasons.

10th-best Oregon tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Tex Oliver (1938–1946) · succeeded by Len Casanova (1951–1966).

21–20
1946–1946
Nevadacaretaker
National Program II
Jim Aiken held Nevada at National Program II for 1 season.

2nd-best Nevada tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Joseph Sheeketski (1947–1950).

7–2