The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Tex Oliver

Followed Prink Callison. Tex Oliver slid Oregon from National Program II to National Program III in 6 seasons.

The journeyman
36–32
1936–1946 · 2 stints
ArizonaOregon
← 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 careerARIZONAOREGONPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelArizona, 1936: 5-2, National Program I1936Arizona, 1937: 8-2, National Program I1937+0.0Oregon, 1938: 4-5, National Program III1938Oregon, 1939: 3-4, National Program III1939Oregon, 1940: 4-4, National Program III1940Oregon, 1941: 5-5, National Program III1941Oregon, 1945: 3-6, National Program III1945Oregon, 1946: 4-4, Regional Program I1946-1.1One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

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).

Arizona, 2 seasons
+0.0
National Program I → National Program I.
Oregon, 6 seasons
−1.1
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.

5–11 against his rivals. Just 1–6 against Lon Stiner.

Rivalry record
5–11
31.2% · 3 rivals
One-score games
8–11–5
33.3% · margin ≤8
Rivalry ledger
Washington2–529%
Oregon State1–614%
Arizona State2–0100%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Lon Stiner1–6
7 meetings, 1938–1946
’38 L’39 L’40 W’41 L’45 L’45 L’46 L
Performance by opponent class
Power Program
6–13 31.6%
National Program
9–17 34.6%
Regional Program
12–0 100.0%

Coaching career

1938–1946
Oregoncaretaker
National Program II → National Program III
Tex Oliver slid Oregon from National Program II to National Program III in 6 seasons.

13th-best Oregon tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Prink Callison (1936–1937) · succeeded by Jim Aiken (1947–1950).

23–28
1936–1937
Arizonacaretaker
National Program I
Tex Oliver held Arizona at National Program I for 2 seasons.

4th-best Arizona tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Orian Landreth (1938–1938).

13–4