The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Bo McMillin

Bo McMillin held Indiana at Power Program III for 12 seasons.

56–42
1936–1947 · 1 stint
Indiana
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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 careerINDIANAPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelIndiana, 1936: 5-2, National Program III1936Indiana, 1937: 5-3, National Program II1937Indiana, 1938: 1-6, National Program II1938Indiana, 1939: 2-4, National Program II1939Indiana, 1940: 3-5, National Program III1940Indiana, 1941: 2-6, National Program III1941Indiana, 1942: 7-3, National Program III1942Indiana, 1943: 4-4, National Program II1943Indiana, 1944: 7-3, National Program II1944Indiana, 1945: 9-0, Power Program III1945Indiana, 1946: 6-3, Power Program III1946Indiana, 1947: 5-3, Power Program III1947+0.0One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 10th career season — faster than 7% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #356 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Indiana, 12 seasons
+0.0
National 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.

7–4 against his rivals. Just 1–5 against Edward Anderson.

Rivalry record
7–4–1
58.3% · 1 rival
One-score games
21–23–7
41.2% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
1–0
100.0%
Rivalry ledger
Purdue7–4–158%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Edward Anderson1–5
6 meetings, 1939–1947
’39 L’40 W’41 L’42 L’46 L’47 L
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
1–0 100.0%
Blue Blood
1–3 25.0%
Power Program
11–19 36.7%
National Program
24–10 70.6%
Regional Program
10–6 62.5%

Coaching career

1936–1947
Indianacaretaker
Power Program III
Bo McMillin held Indiana at Power Program III for 12 seasons.

2nd-best Indiana tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Clyde Smith (1948–1951).

56–42