The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Frank Broyles

Followed Jack Mitchell. Frank Broyles took Arkansas from National Program I to Power Program I.

The ascent
149–62
1957–1976 · 2 stints
MissouriArkansas
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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 careerMISSOURIARKANSASBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelMissouri, 1957: 5-4, Regional Program I1957+0.0Arkansas, 1958: 4-6, National Program I1958Arkansas, 1959: 9-2, National Program IArkansas, 1960: 8-3, Power Program IIIArkansas, 1961: 8-3, Power Program IIIArkansas, 1962: 9-2, Power Program IIArkansas, 1963: 5-5, Power Program IIArkansas, 1964: 11-0, Power Program IArkansas, 1965: 10-1, Power Program IArkansas, 1966: 8-2, Power Program IArkansas, 1967: 4-5, Power Program IArkansas, 1968: 10-1, Power Program IArkansas, 1969: 9-2, Power Program IArkansas, 1970: 9-2, Power Program IArkansas, 1971: 8-3, Power Program IArkansas, 1972: 6-5, Power Program IArkansas, 1973: 5-5, Power Program IIArkansas, 1974: 6-4, Power Program IIArkansas, 1975: 10-2, Power Program IIArkansas, 1976: 5-5, Power Program I1976+22.9One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 4th career season — faster than 37% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #215 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Arkansas, 19 seasons
+22.9
National Program I → Power 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.

0–3 against his rivals. Winless in 6 tries against John Vaught.

Rivalry record
0–3–1
0.0% · 4 rivals
One-score games
40–35–6
49.4% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Vanderbilt0–0–10%
Kansas0–10%
Missouri0–10%
LSU0–10%
The toughest matchup
vs. John Vaught0–6
6 meetings, 1958–1969
’58 L’59 L’60 L’61 L’62 L’69 L
0% win rate across a real, 6-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
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
5–13 27.8%
Power Program
15–19 44.1%
National Program
71–21 77.2%
Regional Program
49–8 86.0%

Coaching career

1958–1976
Arkansastransformerborderline
National Program I → Power Program I
Frank Broyles took Arkansas from National Program I to Power Program I.

1st-best Arkansas tenure of 22 by the numbers.

Followed Jack Mitchell (1955–1957) · succeeded by Lou Holtz (1977–1983).

144–58
1957–1957
Missouricaretaker
Regional Program I → Regional Program I
Frank Broyles held Missouri at Regional Program I for 1 season.

10th-best Missouri tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Followed Don Faurot (1936–1956) · succeeded by Dan Devine (1958–1970).

5–4