The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Rich Brooks

Followed Guy Morriss. Rich Brooks slid Kentucky from Regional Program I to National Program III in 7 seasons.

The builder
130–156
1977–2009 · 2 stints
OregonKentucky
← all coaches

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 careerOREGONKENTUCKYNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelOregon, 1977: 2-9, Regional Program III1977Oregon, 1978: 2-9, Regional Program IIIOregon, 1979: 6-5, Regional Program IIIOregon, 1980: 6-3, Regional Program IIOregon, 1981: 2-9, Regional Program IIOregon, 1982: 2-8, Regional Program IIOregon, 1983: 4-6, Regional Program IIOregon, 1984: 6-5, Regional Program IIOregon, 1985: 5-6, Regional Program IIOregon, 1986: 5-6, Regional Program IIOregon, 1987: 6-5, Regional Program IOregon, 1988: 6-6, Regional Program IOregon, 1989: 8-4, National Program IIIOregon, 1990: 8-4, National Program IIIOregon, 1991: 3-8, National Program IIIOregon, 1992: 6-6, National Program IIIOregon, 1993: 5-6, National Program IIIOregon, 1994: 9-4, National Program II1994+10.7Kentucky, 2003: 4-8, National Program III2003Kentucky, 2004: 2-9, Regional Program IKentucky, 2005: 3-8, Regional Program IIKentucky, 2006: 8-5, Regional Program IIKentucky, 2007: 8-5, Regional Program IKentucky, 2008: 7-6, Regional Program IKentucky, 2009: 7-6, National Program III2009-0.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 13th career season — faster than 2% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #662 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Oregon, 18 seasons
+10.7
Regional Program III → National Program II.
Kentucky, 7 seasons
−0.3
National Program III → National Program III.

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.

21–28 against his rivals. Winless in 5 tries against Steve Spurrier.

Rivalry record
21–28–1
42.0% · 4 rivals
One-score games
47–53–4
45.2% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Washington4–1422%
Oregon State14–3–178%
Louisville3–443%
Tennessee0–70%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Steve Spurrier0–5
5 meetings, 2005–2009
’05 L’06 L’07 L’08 L’09 L
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
2–13 13.3%
Power Program
30–71 29.7%
National Program
31–39 44.3%
Regional Program
52–30 63.4%

Coaching career

2003–2009
Kentuckycaretaker
Regional Program I → National Program III
Rich Brooks slid Kentucky from Regional Program I to National Program III in 7 seasons.

12th-best Kentucky tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Guy Morriss (2001–2002) · succeeded by Joker Phillips (2010–2012).

12 NFL Draft picks: Dewayne Robertson (2003), Artose Pinner (2003), Derek Abney (2004), Vincent Burns (2005), Jacob Tamme (2008), Keenan Burton (2008), Andre' Woodson (2008), Steve Johnson (2008) + 4 more

39–47
1977–1994
Oregoncaretakerborderline
Regional Program II → National Program II
Rich Brooks moved Oregon from Regional Program II to National Program II in 18 seasons.

9th-best Oregon tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Don Read (1974–1976) · succeeded by Mike Bellotti (1995–2008).

24 NFL Draft picks: Fred Quillan (1978), Terry Dion (1980), Bryan Hinkle (1981), Reggie Brown (1982), Vince Williams (1982), Mike Walter (1983), Steve Brown (1983), Steve Baack (1984) + 16 more

91–109