The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Mike Sheppard

Followed Joe Lee Dunn. Mike Sheppard slid New Mexico from Regional Program III to Regional Program IV in 5 seasons.

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1987–1991 · 1 stint
New Mexico
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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 careerNEW MEXICORegional Programthe building-block levelNew Mexico, 1987: 0-11, Regional Program IV1987New Mexico, 1988: 2-10, Regional Program V1988New Mexico, 1989: 2-10, Regional Program V1989New Mexico, 1990: 2-10, Regional Program V1990New Mexico, 1991: 3-9, Regional Program V1991-7.8One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Regional Program in his 1st career season — faster than 20% of the 925 FBS coaches who have ever reached Regional Program (rank #1 of 925 by seasons-to-arrival).

New Mexico, 5 seasons
−7.8
Regional Program IV → Regional Program V.

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.

4–1 against his rivals. Winless in 5 tries against Bob Wagner.

Rivalry record
4–1
80.0% · 1 rival
One-score games
5–15
25.0% · margin ≤8
Rivalry ledger
New Mexico State4–180%
The toughest matchup
vs. Bob Wagner0–5
5 meetings, 1987–1991
’87 L’88 L’89 L’90 L’91 L
0% 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
Power Program
0–7 0.0%
National Program
2–17 10.5%
Regional Program
7–25 21.9%

Coaching career

1987–1991
New Mexicocaretaker
Regional Program III → Regional Program IV
Mike Sheppard slid New Mexico from Regional Program III to Regional Program IV in 5 seasons.

16th-best New Mexico tenure of 22 by the numbers.

Followed Joe Lee Dunn (1983–1986) · succeeded by Dennis Franchione (1992–1997).

1 NFL Draft pick: Terance Mathis (1990)

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