The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Rip Scherer

Followed Chuck Stobart. Rip Scherer slid Memphis from National Program III to Regional Program I in 6 seasons.

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1995–2000 · 1 stint
Memphis
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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 careerMEMPHISNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelMemphis, 1995: 3-8, Regional Program I1995Memphis, 1996: 4-7, Regional Program I1996Memphis, 1997: 4-7, Regional Program I1997Memphis, 1998: 2-9, Regional Program II1998Memphis, 1999: 5-6, Regional Program II1999Memphis, 2000: 4-7, Regional Program I2000-4.5One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Regional Program in his 1st career season — faster than 20% of the 925 FBS coaches who have ever reached Regional Program (rank #1 of 925 by seasons-to-arrival).

Memphis, 6 seasons
−4.5
Regional Program I → Regional 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.

0–2 against his rivals. Winless in 6 tries against Jackie Sherrill.

Rivalry record
0–2
0.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
11–18
37.9% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–3
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Ole Miss0–20%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Jackie Sherrill0–6
6 meetings, 1995–2000
’95 L’96 L’97 L’98 L’99 L’00 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
0–3 0.0%
Power Program
1–1 50.0%
National Program
1–21 4.5%
Regional Program
20–18 52.6%

Coaching career

1995–2000
Memphiscaretaker
National Program III → Regional Program I
Rip Scherer slid Memphis from National Program III to Regional Program I in 6 seasons.

11th-best Memphis tenure of 15 by the numbers.

Followed Chuck Stobart (1989–1994) · succeeded by Tommy West (2001–2009).

8 NFL Draft picks: Ken Irvin (1995), Tony Williams (1997), Richard Hogans (1997), Marvin Thomas (1997), Mike McKenzie (1999), Idrees Bashir (2001), Michael Stone (2001), Marcus Bell (2001)

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