The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Warren Powers

Followed Al Onofrio. Warren Powers moved Missouri from Power Program III to Power Program II in 7 seasons.

The empire-builder
52–38
1977–1984 · 2 stints
Washington StateMissouri
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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 careerWASHINGTON STMISSOURIPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelWashington State, 1977: 6-5, Regional Program II1977+5.1Missouri, 1978: 8-4, Power Program III1978Missouri, 1979: 7-5, Power Program III1979Missouri, 1980: 8-4, Power Program II1980Missouri, 1981: 8-4, Power Program II1981Missouri, 1982: 5-4, Power Program III1982Missouri, 1983: 7-5, Power Program III1983Missouri, 1984: 3-7, Power Program III1984+3.5One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

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).

Missouri, 7 seasons
+3.5
Power Program III → 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.

4–4 against his rivals. Just 2–6 against Tom Osborne.

Rivalry record
4–4
50.0% · 2 rivals
One-score games
13–18–3
38.2% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
5–13
27.8%
Rivalry ledger
Kansas4–357%
Washington0–10%
The toughest matchup
vs. Tom Osborne2–6
8 meetings, 1977–1984
’77 W’78 W’79 L’80 L’81 L’82 L’83 L’84 L
25% win rate across a real, 8-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
5–13 27.8%
Power Program
3–7 30.0%
National Program
21–15 58.3%
Regional Program
22–3 88.0%

Coaching career

1978–1984
Missouricaretaker
Power Program III → Power Program II
Warren Powers moved Missouri from Power Program III to Power Program II in 7 seasons.

2nd-best Missouri tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Followed Al Onofrio (1971–1977) · succeeded by Woody Widenhofer (1985–1988).

21 NFL Draft picks: James Taylor (1978), Pete Woods (1978), Joe Stewart (1978), Kellen Winslow (1979), Earl Gant (1979), Kurt Petersen (1980), Gerry Ellis (1980), Howard Richards (1981) + 13 more

46–33
1977–1977
Washington Statecaretaker
Regional Program III → Regional Program II
Warren Powers moved Washington State from Regional Program III to Regional Program II in 1 season.

19th-best Washington State tenure of 21 by the numbers.

Followed Jackie Sherrill (1976–1976) · succeeded by Jim Walden (1978–1986).

4 NFL Draft picks: Ken Greene (1978), Don Schwartz (1978), Mike Levenseller (1978), Dan Doornink (1978)

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