The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Ron Cooper

Followed Howard Schnellenberger. Ron Cooper slid Louisville from Regional Program I to National Program III in 3 seasons.

The ascent
22–33
1993–1997 · 2 stints
Eastern MichiganLouisville
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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 careerEASTERN MICHIGANLOUISVILLENational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelEastern Michigan, 1993: 4-7, Regional Program V1993Eastern Michigan, 1994: 5-6, Regional Program V1994-0.4Louisville, 1995: 7-4, National Program III1995Louisville, 1996: 5-6, National Program III1996Louisville, 1997: 1-10, Regional Program I1997-0.5One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 3rd career season — faster than 25% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #454 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Eastern Michigan, 2 seasons
−0.4
Regional Program V → Regional Program V.
Louisville, 3 seasons
−0.5
National Program III → 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.

3–6 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Jeff Bower.

Rivalry record
3–6
33.3% · 4 rivals
One-score games
7–13
35.0% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Kentucky2–167%
Central Michigan1–150%
Western Michigan0–20%
Cincinnati0–20%
The toughest matchup
vs. Jeff Bower0–3
3 meetings, 1995–1997
’95 L’96 L’97 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
0–2 0.0%
Power Program
0–3 0.0%
National Program
2–9 18.2%
Regional Program
19–19 50.0%

Coaching career

1995–1997
Louisvillecaretaker
Regional Program I → National Program III
Ron Cooper slid Louisville from Regional Program I to National Program III in 3 seasons.

9th-best Louisville tenure of 15 by the numbers.

Followed Howard Schnellenberger (1985–1994) · succeeded by John Smith (1998–2002).

5 NFL Draft picks: Jamie Asher (1995), Sam Madison (1997), Tyrus McCloud (1997), Carl Powell (1997), Leland Taylor (1997)

13–20
1993–1994
Eastern Michigancaretaker
Regional Program V → Regional Program V
Ron Cooper held Eastern Michigan at Regional Program V for 2 seasons.

9th-best Eastern Michigan tenure of 13 by the numbers.

Followed Jim Harkema (1983–1992) · succeeded by Rick Rasnick (1995–1999).

9–13