The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Jim Owens

Followed Darrell Royal. Jim Owens raised Washington from National Program III to Power Program III.

99–82
1957–1974 · 1 stint
Washington
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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 careerWASHINGTONPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelWashington, 1957: 3-6, National Program III1957Washington, 1958: 3-7, National Program IIIWashington, 1959: 10-1, National Program IIWashington, 1960: 10-1, National Program IWashington, 1961: 5-4, National Program IWashington, 1962: 7-1, Power Program IIIWashington, 1963: 6-5, Power Program IIIWashington, 1964: 6-4, Power Program IIIWashington, 1965: 5-5, Power Program IIIWashington, 1966: 6-4, Power Program IIIWashington, 1967: 5-5, National Program IWashington, 1968: 3-5, National Program IIWashington, 1969: 1-9, National Program IIWashington, 1970: 6-4, National Program IIWashington, 1971: 8-3, National Program IWashington, 1972: 8-3, National Program IWashington, 1973: 2-9, National Program IIWashington, 1974: 5-6, National Program II1974+15.7One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 6th career season — faster than 25% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #279 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Washington, 18 seasons
+15.7
National Program III → National 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.

23–12 against his rivals. Winless in 3 tries against Don Clark.

Rivalry record
23–12–1
63.9% · 2 rivals
One-score games
39–35–6
48.8% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–13
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Oregon11–6–161%
Washington State12–667%
The toughest matchup
vs. Don Clark0–3
3 meetings, 1957–1959
’57 L’58 L’59 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
Blue Blood
0–13 0.0%
Power Program
19–26 42.2%
National Program
44–27 62.0%
Regional Program
26–14 65.0%

Coaching career

1957–1974
Washingtonbuilder
National Program III → Power Program III
Jim Owens raised Washington from National Program III to Power Program III.

11th-best Washington tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Darrell Royal (1956–1956) · succeeded by Don James (1975–1992).

99–82