The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Jim Stanley

Followed Dave Smith. Jim Stanley raised Oklahoma State from Regional Program I to Power Program III.

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1973–1978 · 1 stint
Oklahoma State
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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 careerOKLAHOMA STATEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyOklahoma State, 1973: 5-4, National Program II1973Oklahoma State, 1974: 7-5, National Program II1974Oklahoma State, 1975: 7-4, National Program I1975Oklahoma State, 1976: 9-3, Power Program III1976Oklahoma State, 1977: 4-7, Power Program III1977Oklahoma State, 1978: 3-8, National Program I1978+18.0One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 4th career season — faster than 37% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #215 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Oklahoma State, 6 seasons
+18.0
National Program II → National Program I.

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. Just 1–4 against Bill Mallory.

Rivalry record
2–7
22.2% · 2 rivals
One-score games
10–10–2
45.5% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
1–1
50.0%
Rivalry ledger
Oklahoma1–517%
Texas Tech1–233%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Bill Mallory1–4
5 meetings, 1974–1978
’74 L’75 L’76 L’77 L’78 W
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
1–1 50.0%
Blue Blood
0–8 0.0%
Power Program
7–10 41.2%
National Program
14–9 60.9%
Regional Program
9–2 81.8%

Coaching career

1973–1978
Oklahoma Statebuilder
Regional Program I → Power Program III
Jim Stanley raised Oklahoma State from Regional Program I to Power Program III.

2nd-best Oklahoma State tenure of 15 by the numbers.

Followed Dave Smith (1972–1972) · succeeded by Jimmy Johnson (1979–1983).

10 NFL Draft picks: Reuben Gant (1974), Glenn Robinson (1974), Cleveland Vann (1974), James White (1976), Larry Harris (1976), Phil Dokes (1977), Cliff Parsley (1977), Derrel Gofourth (1977) + 2 more

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