The Zeitgeist List · coaching

John Bunting

Followed Carl Torbush. John Bunting held North Carolina at National Program I for 6 seasons.

27–45
2001–2006 · 1 stint
North Carolina
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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 careerNORTH CAROLINAPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelNorth Carolina, 2001: 8-5, National Program I2001North Carolina, 2002: 3-9, National Program I2002North Carolina, 2003: 2-10, National Program II2003North Carolina, 2004: 6-6, National Program II2004North Carolina, 2005: 5-6, National Program II2005North Carolina, 2006: 3-9, National Program III2006-9.2One 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).

North Carolina, 6 seasons
−9.2
National Program I → National Program III.

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.

9–2 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Chan Gailey.

Rivalry record
9–2
81.8% · 2 rivals
One-score games
16–13
55.2% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
2–6
25.0%
Rivalry ledger
NC State4–267%
Duke5–0100%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Chan Gailey1–4
5 meetings, 2002–2006
’02 L’03 L’04 W’05 L’06 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
2–6 25.0%
Power Program
5–12 29.4%
National Program
9–21 30.0%
Regional Program
9–4 69.2%

Coaching career

2001–2006
North Carolinacaretaker
National Program I → National Program I
John Bunting held North Carolina at National Program I for 6 seasons.

6th-best North Carolina tenure of 17 by the numbers.

Followed Carl Torbush (1998–2000) · succeeded by Butch Davis (2007–2010).

18 NFL Draft picks: Alge Crumpler (2001), Sedrick Hodge (2001), Brandon Spoon (2001), Dauntae' Finger (2001), Julius Peppers (2002), Ryan Sims (2002), David Thornton (2002), Joey Evans (2002) + 10 more

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