The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Kim Helton

Followed John Jenkins. Houston fell from Power Program III to Regional Program I under Kim Helton.

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1993–1999 · 1 stint
Houston
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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 careerHOUSTONPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelHouston, 1993: 1-9, National Program I1993Houston, 1994: 1-10, National Program II1994Houston, 1995: 2-9, National Program III1995Houston, 1996: 7-5, National Program III1996Houston, 1997: 3-8, Regional Program I1997Houston, 1998: 3-8, Regional Program I1998Houston, 1999: 7-4, Regional Program I1999-17.9One 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).

Houston, 7 seasons
−17.9
National Program I → Regional 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.

2–2 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against John Mackovic.

Rivalry record
2–2
50.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
12–8–1
57.1% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–3
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Rice2–250%
The toughest matchup
vs. John Mackovic0–3
3 meetings, 1993–1995
’93 L’94 L’95 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
Blue Blood
0–3 0.0%
Power Program
2–17 10.5%
National Program
3–11 21.4%
Regional Program
18–22 45.0%

Coaching career

1993–1999
Houstondecliner
Power Program III → National Program I
Houston fell from Power Program III to Regional Program I under Kim Helton.

7th-best Houston tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed John Jenkins (1990–1992) · succeeded by Dana Dimel (2000–2002).

11 NFL Draft picks: Allen Aldridge (1994), Lamar Smith (1994), Ryan McCoy (1994), Billy Milner (1995), Antowain Smith (1997), Delmonico Montgomery (1997), Marcus Spriggs (1997), Chuck Clements (1997) + 3 more

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