The Zeitgeist List · coaching

John Blake

Followed Howard Schnellenberger. John Blake inherited a Blue Blood Oklahoma and won with it.

12–22

1996–1998 · 1 stint

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.

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).

Oklahoma, 3 seasons

−13.5

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.

2–4 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against R.C. Slocum.

Rivalry record

2–4

33.3% · 2 rivals

One-score games

7–7

50.0% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–2

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

Texas1–233%

Oklahoma State1–233%

The toughest matchup

vs. R.C. Slocum0–3

3 meetings, 1996–1998

’96 L’97 L’98 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%

Power Program

2–6 25.0%

National Program

4–8 33.3%

Regional Program

6–6 50.0%

Coaching career

1996–1998

Oklahomainheritorborderline

Blue Blood → Power Program I

John Blake inherited a Blue Blood Oklahoma and won with it.

11th-best Oklahoma tenure of 15 by the numbers.

Followed Howard Schnellenberger (1995–1995) · succeeded by Bob Stoops (1999–2021).

9 NFL Draft picks: Barron Tanner (1997), Rod Manuel (1997), Stephen Alexander (1998), Martin Chase (1998), Travian Smith (1998), Sammy Williams (1998), Jermaine Fazande (1999), De'Mond Parker (1999) + 1 more

12–22