The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Bob Wagner

Followed Dick Tomey. Bob Wagner moved Hawai'i from Regional Program I to National Program III in 9 seasons.

58–49
1987–1995 · 1 stint
Hawai'i
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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 careerHAWAI'INational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelHawai'i, 1987: 5-7, Regional Program I1987Hawai'i, 1988: 9-3, Regional Program I1988Hawai'i, 1989: 9-3, National Program III1989Hawai'i, 1990: 7-5, National Program III1990Hawai'i, 1991: 4-7, National Program III1991Hawai'i, 1992: 11-2, National Program III1992Hawai'i, 1993: 6-6, National Program III1993Hawai'i, 1994: 3-8, National Program III1994Hawai'i, 1995: 4-8, Regional Program I1995+3.7One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 3rd career season — faster than 25% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #454 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Hawai'i, 9 seasons
+3.7
Regional Program I → Regional Program I.

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.

2–0 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Al Luginbill.

Rivalry record
2–0
100.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
13–17–3
39.4% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
UNLV2–0100%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Al Luginbill1–4
5 meetings, 1989–1993
’89 W’90 L’91 L’92 L’93 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
0–1 0.0%
Power Program
4–11 26.7%
National Program
10–15 40.0%
Regional Program
30–22 57.7%

Coaching career

1987–1995
Hawai'icaretaker
Regional Program I → National Program III
Bob Wagner moved Hawai'i from Regional Program I to National Program III in 9 seasons.

2nd-best Hawai'i tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Followed Dick Tomey (1977–1986) · succeeded by Fred Vonappen (1996–1998).

7 NFL Draft picks: Colin Scotts (1987), Ron Hall (1987), Joe Onosai (1987), Leo Goeas (1990), Jeff Sydner (1992), Jason Elam (1993), Taase Faumui (1994)

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