The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Pepper Rodgers

Followed Bill Fulcher. Pepper Rodgers held Georgia Tech at National Program I for 6 seasons.

Peak, then fade
73–65
1967–1979 · 3 stints
KansasUCLAGeorgia Tech
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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 careerKANSASUCLAGEORGIA TECHPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelKansas, 1967: 5-5, National Program III1967Kansas, 1968: 9-2, National Program II1968Kansas, 1969: 1-9, National Program II1969Kansas, 1970: 5-6, National Program II1970+4.0UCLA, 1971: 2-7, Power Program III1971UCLA, 1972: 8-3, Power Program III1972UCLA, 1973: 9-2, Power Program II1973+3.0Georgia Tech, 1974: 6-5, National Program II1974Georgia Tech, 1975: 7-4, National Program I1975Georgia Tech, 1976: 4-6, National Program I1976Georgia Tech, 1977: 6-5, National Program II1977Georgia Tech, 1978: 7-5, National Program II1978Georgia Tech, 1979: 4-6, National Program II1979+0.4One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Power Program in his 5th career season — faster than 30% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #251 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).

Kansas, 4 seasons
+4.0
National Program III → National Program II.
UCLA, 3 seasons
+3.0
Power Program III → Power Program II.
Georgia Tech, 6 seasons
+0.4
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.

7–9 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Jim Carlen.

Rivalry record
7–9–1
41.2% · 4 rivals
One-score games
13–23–3
33.3% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
1–1
50.0%
Rivalry ledger
Georgia2–433%
Kansas State3–175%
Missouri2–250%
USC0–2–10%
The toughest matchupNemesis
vs. Jim Carlen1–4
5 meetings, 1970–1978
’70 L’75 L’76 L’77 L’78 W
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
1–1 50.0%
Blue Blood
1–11 8.3%
Power Program
16–20 44.4%
National Program
17–15 53.1%
Regional Program
36–18 66.7%

Coaching career

1974–1979
Georgia Techcaretaker
National Program I → National Program I
Pepper Rodgers held Georgia Tech at National Program I for 6 seasons.

10th-best Georgia Tech tenure of 14 by the numbers.

Followed Bill Fulcher (1972–1973) · succeeded by Bill Curry (1980–1986).

10 NFL Draft picks: Billy Shields (1975), Steve Raible (1976), David Sims (1977), Reggie Wilkes (1978), Lucius Sanford (1978), Randy Pass (1978), Eddie Lee Ivery (1979), Kent Hill (1979) + 2 more

34–31
1971–1973
UCLAcaretaker
Power Program II → Power Program II
Pepper Rodgers held UCLA at Power Program II for 3 seasons.

7th-best UCLA tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed Tommy Prothro (1965–1970) · succeeded by Dick Vermeil (1974–1975).

15 NFL Draft picks: Ed Galigher (1972), Dave Dalby (1972), Bob Christiansen (1972), Bob Pifferini (1972), Allan Ellis (1973), Bruce Walton (1973), Bill Sandifer (1974), Fred McNeill (1974) + 7 more

19–12
1967–1970
Kansascaretaker
National Program III → National Program II
Pepper Rodgers moved Kansas from National Program III to National Program II in 4 seasons.

3rd-best Kansas tenure of 21 by the numbers.

Followed Jack Mitchell (1958–1966) · succeeded by Don Fambrough (1971–1982).

10 NFL Draft picks: George Harvey (1967), Bobby Douglass (1969), Vernon Vanoy (1969), John Zook (1969), Keith Christensen (1969), Jim Bailey (1970), John Mosier (1970), John Riggins (1971) + 2 more

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