The Zeitgeist List · coaching

David Rader

Followed George Henshaw. David Rader slid Tulsa from National Program III to Regional Program I in 12 seasons.

50–83
1988–1999 · 1 stint
Tulsa
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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 careerTULSANational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelTulsa, 1988: 4-7, National Program III1988Tulsa, 1989: 6-6, Regional Program I1989Tulsa, 1990: 3-8, Regional Program I1990Tulsa, 1991: 10-2, Regional Program I1991Tulsa, 1992: 4-7, Regional Program I1992Tulsa, 1993: 4-6, Regional Program I1993Tulsa, 1994: 3-8, Regional Program II1994Tulsa, 1995: 4-7, Regional Program II1995Tulsa, 1996: 4-7, Regional Program II1996Tulsa, 1997: 2-9, Regional Program III1997Tulsa, 1998: 4-7, Regional Program III1998Tulsa, 1999: 2-9, Regional Program IV1999-3.2One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 1st career season — faster than 41% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #1 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Tulsa, 12 seasons
−3.2
National Program III → Regional Program IV.

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.

Winless in 6 tries against Ken Hatfield.

One-score games
18–27–1
39.1% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Ken Hatfield0–6
6 meetings, 1988–1999
’88 L’89 L’96 L’97 L’98 L’99 L
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
0–3 0.0%
Power Program
3–14 17.6%
National Program
8–16 33.3%
Regional Program
30–49 38.0%

Coaching career

1988–1999
Tulsacaretaker
National Program III → Regional Program I
David Rader slid Tulsa from National Program III to Regional Program I in 12 seasons.

13th-best Tulsa tenure of 22 by the numbers.

Followed George Henshaw (1987–1987) · succeeded by Keith Burns (2000–2002).

8 NFL Draft picks: Dennis Byrd (1989), Tracy Scroggins (1992), Fallon Wacasey (1992), Barry Minter (1993), Chris Penn (1994), Gus Frerotte (1994), Muadianvita Kazadi (1997), Todd Franz (2000)

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