The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Ray Perkins

Followed Al Kincaid. Ray Perkins slid Arkansas State from Regional Program IV to Regional Program V in 1 season.

Peak, then fade
34–24
1983–1992 · 2 stints
AlabamaArkansas State
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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 careerALABAMAARKANSAS STATEDynastythe sport's summitBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelAlabama, 1983: 8-4, Blue Blood1983Alabama, 1984: 5-6, Blue Blood1984Alabama, 1985: 9-2, Blue Blood1985Alabama, 1986: 10-3, Blue Blood1986-10.8Arkansas State, 1992: 2-9, Regional Program V1992-3.9One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Blue Blood in his 1st career season — faster than 59% of the 100 FBS coaches who have ever reached Blue Blood (rank #1 of 100 by seasons-to-arrival).

Alabama, 4 seasons
−10.8
Blue Blood → Blue Blood.

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.

4–7 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Bill Arnsparger.

Rivalry record
4–7–1
33.3% · 3 rivals
One-score games
7–11–1
36.8% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
3–5
37.5%
Rivalry ledger
Tennessee1–325%
LSU1–2–125%
Auburn2–250%
The toughest matchup
vs. Bill Arnsparger0–2–1
3 meetings, 1984–1986
’84 L’85 T’86 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
3–5 37.5%
Power Program
10–7 58.8%
National Program
9–4 69.2%
Regional Program
11–6 64.7%

Coaching career

1992–1992
Arkansas Statecaretaker
Regional Program IV → Regional Program V
Ray Perkins slid Arkansas State from Regional Program IV to Regional Program V in 1 season.

10th-best Arkansas State tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Followed Al Kincaid (1990–1991) · succeeded by John Bobo (1993–1996).

2–9
1983–1986
Alabamainheritor
Blue Blood → Blue Blood
Ray Perkins inherited a Blue Blood Alabama and won with it.

4th-best Alabama tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Followed Bear Bryant (1958–1982) · succeeded by Bill Curry (1987–1989).

15 NFL Draft picks: Mike Pitts (1983), Jeremiah Castille (1983), Steve Mott (1983), Joe Carter (1984), Jesse Bendross (1984), Emanuel King (1985), Ricky Moore (1985), Jon Hand (1986) + 7 more

32–15