The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Mike Stoops

Followed John Mackovic. Mike Stoops moved Arizona from National Program II to National Program I in 8 seasons.

41–50
2004–2011 · 1 stint
Arizona
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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 careerARIZONANational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelArizona, 2004: 3-8, National Program III2004Arizona, 2005: 3-8, National Program III2005Arizona, 2006: 6-6, National Program III2006Arizona, 2007: 5-7, National Program II2007Arizona, 2008: 8-5, National Program II2008Arizona, 2009: 8-5, National Program II2009Arizona, 2010: 7-6, National Program I2010Arizona, 2011: 1-5, National Program II2011+6.2One 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).

Arizona, 8 seasons
+6.2
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.

3–4 against his rivals. Just 1–5 against Pete Carroll.

Rivalry record
3–4
42.9% · 1 rival
One-score games
12–22
35.3% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Arizona State3–443%
The toughest matchup
vs. Pete Carroll1–5
6 meetings, 2004–2009
’04 L’05 L’06 L’07 L’08 L’09 W
17% win rate across a real, 6-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
Dynasty
0–2 0.0%
Blue Blood
1–5 16.7%
Power Program
10–18 35.7%
National Program
15–15 50.0%
Regional Program
6–4 60.0%

Coaching career

2004–2011
Arizonacaretaker
National Program II → National Program I
Mike Stoops moved Arizona from National Program II to National Program I in 8 seasons.

6th-best Arizona tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed John Mackovic (2001–2003) · succeeded by Rich Rodriguez (2012–2017).

Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Edge from high school
100%
#191 of 208 stints
Grows Interior line from high school
100%
#198 of 224 stints

19 NFL Draft picks: Kili Lefotu (2006), Chris Henry (2007), Nick Folk (2007), Michael Johnson (2007), Syndric Steptoe (2007), Antoine Cason (2008), Spencer Larsen (2008), Wilrey Fontenot (2008) + 11 more

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