The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Joe Morrison

Followed Richard Bell. Joe Morrison held South Carolina at National Program II for 6 seasons.

The ascent
101–72
1973–1988 · 3 stints
ChattanoogaNew MexicoSouth Carolina
← all coaches

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 careerCHATTANOOGANEW MEXICOSOUTH CAROLINANational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelChattanooga, 1973: 4-7, Regional Program V1973Chattanooga, 1974: 4-7, Regional Program VChattanooga, 1975: 5-5, Regional Program VChattanooga, 1976: 6-4, Regional Program IVChattanooga, 1977: 9-1, Regional Program IIIChattanooga, 1978: 7-3, Regional Program IIChattanooga, 1979: 9-2, Regional Program I1979+11.3New Mexico, 1980: 4-7, Regional Program II1980New Mexico, 1981: 4-7, Regional Program IINew Mexico, 1982: 10-1, Regional Program II1982-1.9South Carolina, 1983: 5-6, National Program II1983South Carolina, 1984: 10-2, National Program IISouth Carolina, 1985: 5-6, National Program IISouth Carolina, 1986: 3-6, National Program IISouth Carolina, 1987: 8-4, National Program IISouth Carolina, 1988: 8-4, National Program II1988+1.9One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached National Program in his 11th career season — faster than 3% of the 675 FBS coaches who have ever reached National Program (rank #654 of 675 by seasons-to-arrival).

Chattanooga, 7 seasons
+11.3
Regional Program V → Regional Program I.
New Mexico, 3 seasons
−1.9
Regional Program II → Regional Program II.
South Carolina, 6 seasons
+1.9
National Program II → 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.

7–7 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Bobby Bowden.

Rivalry record
7–7–1
46.7% · 3 rivals
One-score games
21–19–3
48.8% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
4–5
44.4%
Rivalry ledger
Georgia2–433%
Clemson2–3–133%
New Mexico State3–0100%
The toughest matchup
vs. Bobby Bowden1–4
5 meetings, 1983–1988
’83 L’84 W’85 L’86 L’88 L
20% win rate across a real, 5-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
4–5 44.4%
Power Program
5–22 18.5%
National Program
15–14 51.7%
Regional Program
38–17 69.1%

Coaching career

1983–1988
South Carolinacaretaker
National Program II → National Program II
Joe Morrison held South Carolina at National Program II for 6 seasons.

6th-best South Carolina tenure of 19 by the numbers.

Followed Richard Bell (1982–1982) · succeeded by Sparky Woods (1989–1993).

7 NFL Draft picks: Andrew Provence (1983), Rusty Russell (1984), Rickey Hagood (1984), Leonard Burton (1986), Kent Hagood (1986), Derrick Little (1989), Kevin Hendrix (1989)

39–28
1980–1982
New Mexicocaretaker
Regional Program I → Regional Program II
Joe Morrison slid New Mexico from Regional Program I to Regional Program II in 3 seasons.

6th-best New Mexico tenure of 22 by the numbers.

Followed Bill Mondt (1974–1979) · succeeded by Joe Lee Dunn (1983–1986).

4 NFL Draft picks: Charles Baker (1980), Chris Combs (1980), Brad Wright (1981), Ricky Martin (1981)

18–15
1973–1979
Chattanoogacaretakerborderline
Regional Program IV → Regional Program I
Joe Morrison moved Chattanooga from Regional Program IV to Regional Program I in 7 seasons.

2nd-best Chattanooga tenure of 2 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Bill Oliver (1980–1981).

2 NFL Draft picks: Darnell Powell (1976), Pete Pullara (1978)

44–29