The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Mike Archer

Followed Bill Arnsparger. Mike Archer moved LSU from Power Program II to Power Program I in 4 seasons.

27–18
1987–1990 · 1 stint
LSU
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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 careerLSUPower Programperennial contenderLSU, 1987: 10-1, Power Program II1987LSU, 1988: 8-4, Power Program I1988LSU, 1989: 4-7, Power Program I1989LSU, 1990: 5-6, Power Program II1990+2.0One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 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).

LSU, 4 seasons
+2.0
Power Program II → 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.

11–5 against his rivals.

Rivalry record
11–5
68.8% · 4 rivals
One-score games
9–5–1
60.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
1–4
20.0%
Rivalry ledger
Texas A&M3–175%
Ole Miss3–175%
Alabama1–325%
Tulane4–0100%
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
1–4 20.0%
Power Program
8–9 47.1%
National Program
8–2 80.0%
Regional Program
9–2 81.8%

Coaching career

1987–1990
LSUcaretaker
Power Program II → Power Program I
Mike Archer moved LSU from Power Program II to Power Program I in 4 seasons.

11th-best LSU tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Bill Arnsparger (1984–1986) · succeeded by Curley Hallman (1991–1994).

17 NFL Draft picks: Karl Wilson (1987), Henry Thomas (1987), Michael Brooks (1987), Toby Caston (1987), Roland Barbay (1987), Eric Hill (1989), Ralph Norwood (1989), Greg Jackson (1989) + 9 more

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