The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Paul Davis

Followed Wade Walker. Paul Davis held Mississippi State at National Program II for 5 seasons.

20–28

1962–1966 · 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 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).

Mississippi State, 5 seasons

+2.4

National Program II → National 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.

1–3 against his rivals. Winless in 5 tries against Bear Bryant.

Rivalry record

1–3–1

20.0% · 1 rival

One-score games

10–11–2

43.5% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–2

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

Ole Miss1–3–120%

The toughest matchup

vs. Bear Bryant0–5

5 meetings, 1962–1966

’62 L’63 L’64 L’65 L’66 L

0% win rate across a real, 5-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

0–2 0.0%

Blue Blood

1–7 12.5%

Power Program

5–11 31.2%

National Program

7–7 50.0%

Regional Program

4–1 80.0%

Coaching career

1962–1966

Mississippi Statecaretaker

National Program II → National Program II

Paul Davis held Mississippi State at National Program II for 5 seasons.

11th-best Mississippi State tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Wade Walker (1956–1961) · succeeded by Charles Shira (1967–1972).

20–28