The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Tom Stidham

Followed Biff Jones. Tom Stidham moved Oklahoma from National Program II to Power Program III in 4 seasons.

27–8

1937–1940 · 1 stint

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.

Reached Power Program in his 2nd career season — faster than 51% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #170 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Oklahoma, 4 seasons

+10.1

National Program II → Power 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.

6–1 against his rivals. Just 1–2 against Biff Jones.

Rivalry record

6–1–1

75.0% · 2 rivals

One-score games

7–4–3

50.0% · margin ≤8

Rivalry ledger

Texas2–1–150%

Oklahoma State4–0100%

The toughest matchup

vs. Biff Jones1–2–1

4 meetings, 1937–1940

’37 T’38 W’39 L’40 L

25% win rate across a real, 4-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

1–3 25.0%

National Program

12–2 85.7%

Regional Program

14–2 87.5%

Coaching career

1937–1940

Oklahomacaretakerborderline

National Program II → Power Program III

Tom Stidham moved Oklahoma from National Program II to Power Program III in 4 seasons.

14th-best Oklahoma tenure of 15 by the numbers.

Followed Biff Jones (1936–1936) · succeeded by Snorter Luster (1941–1945).

27–8