The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Mike Bellotti

Followed Rich Brooks. Mike Bellotti raised Oregon from National Program II to Power Program II.

116–55
1995–2008 · 1 stint
Oregon
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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 careerOREGONPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyOregon, 1995: 9-3, National Program II1995Oregon, 1996: 6-5, National Program II1996Oregon, 1997: 7-5, National Program I1997Oregon, 1998: 8-4, National Program I1998Oregon, 1999: 9-3, Power Program III1999Oregon, 2000: 10-2, Power Program III2000Oregon, 2001: 11-1, Power Program II2001Oregon, 2002: 7-6, Power Program II2002Oregon, 2003: 8-5, Power Program II2003Oregon, 2004: 5-6, Power Program III2004Oregon, 2005: 10-2, Power Program III2005Oregon, 2006: 7-6, Power Program III2006Oregon, 2007: 9-4, Power Program III2007Oregon, 2008: 10-3, Power Program II2008+17.7One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 5th career season — faster than 30% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #251 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Oregon, 14 seasons
+17.7
National 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.

17–10 against his rivals. Just 2–4 against Jeff Tedford.

Rivalry record
17–10
63.0% · 2 rivals
One-score games
49–22
69.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Oregon State8–657%
Washington9–469%
The toughest matchup
vs. Jeff Tedford2–4
6 meetings, 2003–2008
’03 W’04 L’05 W’06 L’07 L’08 L
33% win rate across a real, 6-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
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
4–5 44.4%
Power Program
29–22 56.9%
National Program
57–23 71.2%
Regional Program
20–3 87.0%

Coaching career

1995–2008
Oregonbuilder
National Program II → Power Program II
Mike Bellotti raised Oregon from National Program II to Power Program II.

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

Followed Rich Brooks (1977–1994) · succeeded by Chip Kelly (2009–2012).

45 NFL Draft picks: Dino Philyaw (1995), Chad Cota (1995), Herman O'Berry (1995), Paul Wiggins (1997), Kenny Wheaton (1997), Tony Graziani (1997), Patrick Johnson (1998), Blake Spence (1998) + 37 more

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