The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Mike Shula

Followed Dennis Franchione. Mike Shula inherited a Power Program I Alabama and won with it.

26–24

2003–2006 · 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).

Alabama, 4 seasons

−2.2

Power Program I → Power 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.

1–11 against his rivals. Winless in 4 tries against Tommy Tuberville.

Rivalry record

1–11

8.3% · 3 rivals

One-score games

6–15

28.6% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

1–8

11.1%

Rivalry ledger

Tennessee1–325%

LSU0–40%

Auburn0–40%

The toughest matchup

vs. Tommy Tuberville0–4

4 meetings, 2003–2006

’03 L’04 L’05 L’06 L

0% win rate across a real, 4-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

1–8 11.1%

Power Program

2–9 18.2%

National Program

12–4 75.0%

Regional Program

10–3 76.9%

Coaching career

2003–2006

Alabamainheritor

Power Program I → Power Program I

Mike Shula inherited a Power Program I Alabama and won with it.

11th-best Alabama tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Followed Dennis Franchione (2001–2002) · succeeded by Nick Saban (2007–2023).

21 NFL Draft picks: Jarret Johnson (2003), Kenny King (2003), Kindal Moorehead (2003), Waine Bacon (2003), Ahmaad Galloway (2003), Justin Smiley (2004), Antwan Odom (2004), Triandos Luke (2004) + 13 more

26–24