The Zeitgeist List · coaching

John Brothers

Followed Henry Frnka. John Brothers held Tulsa at Power Program II for 7 seasons.

45–25
1946–1952 · 1 stint
Tulsa
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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 careerTULSAPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyTulsa, 1946: 9-1, Power Program II1946Tulsa, 1947: 5-5, Power Program II1947Tulsa, 1948: 0-9, Power Program III1948Tulsa, 1949: 5-5, National Program I1949Tulsa, 1950: 9-1, National Program I1950Tulsa, 1951: 9-2, National Program I1951Tulsa, 1952: 8-2, Power Program III1952-8.3One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

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).

Tulsa, 7 seasons
−8.3
Power Program II → Power 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.

Winless in 3 tries against Bob Woodruff.

One-score games
6–5–1
50.0% · margin ≤8
The toughest matchup
vs. Bob Woodruff0–3
3 meetings, 1947–1952
’47 L’48 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
National Program
14–14 50.0%
Regional Program
10–5 66.7%

Coaching career

1946–1952
Tulsacaretaker
Power Program II → Power Program II
John Brothers held Tulsa at Power Program II for 7 seasons.

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

Followed Henry Frnka (1941–1945) · succeeded by Bernie Witucki (1953–1954).

45–25