The Zeitgeist List · coaching

H.N. Russell

Followed Madison Bell. H.N. Russell held SMU at Power Program II for 3 seasons.

13–15

1950–1952 · 1 stint

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.

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).

SMU, 3 seasons

−2.8

Power Program II → Power Program II.

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.

2–4 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Dutch Meyer.

Rivalry record

2–4

33.3% · 2 rivals

One-score games

5–8–2

33.3% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

1–0

100.0%

Rivalry ledger

Rice2–167%

TCU0–30%

The toughest matchup

vs. Dutch Meyer0–3

3 meetings, 1950–1952

’50 L’51 L’52 L

0% win rate across a real, 3-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

1–0 100.0%

Power Program

4–9 30.8%

National Program

8–6 57.1%

Coaching career

1950–1952

SMUcaretaker

Power Program II → Power Program II

H.N. Russell held SMU at Power Program II for 3 seasons.

2nd-best SMU tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Madison Bell (1936–1949) · succeeded by Chalmer Woodward (1953–1956).

13–15