The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Tom Reed

Followed Monte Kiffin. Tom Reed slid NC State from National Program I to National Program II in 3 seasons.

The journeyman
43–43
1978–1985 · 2 stints
Miami (OH)NC 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 careerMIAMI (OH)NC STATEPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelMiami (OH), 1978: 8-2, National Program I1978Miami (OH), 1979: 6-5, National Program I1979Miami (OH), 1980: 5-6, National Program I1980Miami (OH), 1981: 8-2, National Program I1981Miami (OH), 1982: 7-4, National Program II1982-7.0NC State, 1983: 3-8, National Program II1983NC State, 1984: 3-8, National Program III1984NC State, 1985: 3-8, National Program III1985-10.6One 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).

Miami (OH), 5 seasons
−7.0
National Program I → National Program II.
NC State, 3 seasons
−10.6
National Program II → 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.

6–10 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Bobby Ross.

Rivalry record
6–10
37.5% · 4 rivals
One-score games
16–15–1
50.0% · margin ≤8
Rivalry ledger
Ohio2–340%
Cincinnati3–260%
East Carolina1–233%
North Carolina0–30%
The toughest matchup
vs. Bobby Ross0–3
3 meetings, 1983–1985
’83 L’84 L’85 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
Power Program
1–12 7.7%
National Program
11–11 50.0%
Regional Program
26–18 59.1%

Coaching career

1983–1985
NC Statecaretaker
National Program I → National Program II
Tom Reed slid NC State from National Program I to National Program II in 3 seasons.

9th-best NC State tenure of 15 by the numbers.

Followed Monte Kiffin (1980–1982) · succeeded by Dick Sheridan (1986–1992).

6 NFL Draft picks: Eric Williams (1983), Perry Williams (1983), Joe McIntosh (1985), Frank Bush (1985), Joe Milinichik (1986), Raymond Phillips (1986)

9–24
1978–1982
Miami (OH)caretaker
Power Program III → National Program I
Tom Reed slid Miami (OH) from Power Program III to National Program I in 5 seasons.

2nd-best Miami (OH) tenure of 14 by the numbers.

Followed Dick Crum (1974–1977) · succeeded by Tim Rose (1983–1989).

34–19