The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Al Onofrio

Followed Dan Devine. Al Onofrio slid Missouri from Power Program II to Power Program III in 7 seasons.

38–41
1971–1977 · 1 stint
Missouri
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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 careerMISSOURIPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyMissouri, 1971: 1-10, Power Program III1971Missouri, 1972: 6-6, National Program I1972Missouri, 1973: 8-4, National Program I1973Missouri, 1974: 7-4, National Program I1974Missouri, 1975: 6-5, Power Program III1975Missouri, 1976: 6-5, Power Program III1976Missouri, 1977: 4-7, Power Program III1977-5.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 1st career season — faster than 57% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #1 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Missouri, 7 seasons
−5.3
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.

1–6 against his rivals. Winless in 5 tries against Barry Switzer.

Rivalry record
1–6
14.3% · 1 rival
One-score games
13–14
48.1% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–4
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Kansas1–614%
The toughest matchup
vs. Barry Switzer0–5
5 meetings, 1973–1977
’73 L’74 L’75 L’76 L’77 L
0% win rate across a real, 5-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
Dynasty
0–4 0.0%
Blue Blood
7–5 58.3%
Power Program
9–11 45.0%
National Program
11–13 45.8%
Regional Program
11–8 57.9%

Coaching career

1971–1977
Missouricaretaker
Power Program II → Power Program III
Al Onofrio slid Missouri from Power Program II to Power Program III in 7 seasons.

4th-best Missouri tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Followed Dan Devine (1958–1970) · succeeded by Warren Powers (1978–1984).

17 NFL Draft picks: Joe Moore (1971), James Harrison (1971), Larron Jackson (1971), Rocky Wallace (1971), Mel Gray (1971), Lorenzo Brinkley (1972), Scott Anderson (1974), John Kelsey (1974) + 9 more

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