The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Jack Mitchell

Followed Chuck Mather. Jack Mitchell raised Kansas from Regional Program III to National Program I.

The builder
61–54
1955–1966 · 2 stints
ArkansasKansas
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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 careerARKANSASKANSASPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelArkansas, 1955: 5-4, National Program I1955Arkansas, 1956: 6-4, National Program I1956Arkansas, 1957: 6-4, National Program I1957+3.1Kansas, 1958: 4-5, Regional Program III1958Kansas, 1959: 5-5, Regional Program III1959Kansas, 1960: 7-2, Regional Program I1960Kansas, 1961: 7-3, National Program II1961Kansas, 1962: 6-3, National Program II1962Kansas, 1963: 5-5, National Program II1963Kansas, 1964: 6-4, National Program I1964Kansas, 1965: 2-8, National Program II1965Kansas, 1966: 2-7, National Program III1966+20.7One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 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).

Arkansas, 3 seasons
+3.1
National Program I → National Program I.
Kansas, 9 seasons
+20.7
Regional Program III → National 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.

9–8 against his rivals. Winless in 6 tries against Bob Devaney.

Rivalry record
9–8–3
45.0% · 3 rivals
One-score games
16–26–6
33.3% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
2–7
22.2%
Rivalry ledger
Kansas State8–0–189%
Missouri1–6–211%
LSU0–20%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Bob Devaney0–5–1
6 meetings, 1961–1966
’61 T’62 L’63 L’64 L’65 L’66 L
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
2–7 22.2%
Power Program
14–23 37.8%
National Program
17–15 53.1%
Regional Program
25–9 73.5%

Coaching career

1958–1966
Kansasbuilderborderline
Regional Program III → National Program I
Jack Mitchell raised Kansas from Regional Program III to National Program I.

1st-best Kansas tenure of 21 by the numbers.

Followed Chuck Mather (1954–1957) · succeeded by Pepper Rodgers (1967–1970).

44–42
1955–1957
Arkansascaretaker
National Program II → National Program I
Jack Mitchell moved Arkansas from National Program II to National Program I in 3 seasons.

11th-best Arkansas tenure of 22 by the numbers.

Followed Bowden Wyatt (1953–1954) · succeeded by Frank Broyles (1958–1976).

17–12