The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Watson Brown

Watson Brown held UAB at Regional Program I for 11 seasons.

The journeyman
75–137
1983–2006 · 4 stints
CincinnatiRiceVanderbiltUAB
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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 careerCINCINNATIRICEVANDERBILTUABNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelCincinnati, 1983: 4-6, Regional Program II1983-1.3Rice, 1984: 1-10, Regional Program V1984Rice, 1985: 3-8, Regional Program V1985-1.5Vanderbilt, 1986: 1-10, Regional Program III1986Vanderbilt, 1987: 4-7, Regional Program IIIVanderbilt, 1988: 3-8, Regional Program IIIVanderbilt, 1989: 1-10, Regional Program IIIVanderbilt, 1990: 1-10, Regional Program IV1990-3.0UAB, 1996: 5-6, Regional Program II1996UAB, 1997: 5-6, Regional Program IIUAB, 1998: 4-7, Regional Program IIIUAB, 1999: 5-6, Regional Program IIIUAB, 2000: 7-4, Regional Program IIIUAB, 2001: 6-5, Regional Program IUAB, 2002: 5-7, Regional Program IIUAB, 2003: 5-7, Regional Program IIUAB, 2004: 7-5, Regional Program IIUAB, 2005: 5-6, Regional Program IIUAB, 2006: 3-9, Regional Program III2006+0.0One 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).

Rice, 2 seasons
−1.5
Regional Program V → Regional Program V.
Vanderbilt, 5 seasons
−3.0
Regional Program III → Regional Program IV.
UAB, 11 seasons
+0.0
Regional Program II → Regional 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.

0–11 against his rivals. Winless in 7 tries against Jeff Bower.

Rivalry record
0–11
0.0% · 5 rivals
One-score games
25–50–1
32.9% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–1
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Tennessee0–50%
SMU0–20%
Houston0–20%
Louisville0–10%
Miami (OH)0–10%
The toughest matchup
vs. Jeff Bower0–7
7 meetings, 2000–2006
’00 L’01 L’02 L’03 L’04 L’05 L’06 L
0% win rate across a real, 7-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
0–1 0.0%
Blue Blood
1–10 9.1%
Power Program
4–34 10.5%
National Program
6–35 14.6%
Regional Program
48–56 46.2%

Coaching career

1996–2006
UABcaretaker
Regional Program I
Watson Brown held UAB at Regional Program I for 11 seasons.

1st-best UAB tenure of 7 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Neil Callaway (2007–2011).

8 NFL Draft picks: Dainon Sidney (1998), Izell Reese (1998), Pernell Davis (1999), Rodregis Brooks (2000), Otis Leverette (2001), Bryan Thomas (2002), Eddie Freeman (2002), Roddy White (2005)

57–68
1986–1990
Vanderbiltcaretaker
Regional Program III → Regional Program III
Watson Brown held Vanderbilt at Regional Program III for 5 seasons.

18th-best Vanderbilt tenure of 20 by the numbers.

Followed George MacIntyre (1979–1985) · succeeded by Gerry DiNardo (1991–1994).

2 NFL Draft picks: Will Wolford (1986), DeMond Winston (1990)

10–45
1984–1985
Ricecaretaker
Regional Program V → Regional Program V
Watson Brown held Rice at Regional Program V for 2 seasons.

16th-best Rice tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Ray Alborn (1978–1983) · succeeded by Jerry Berndt (1986–1988).

4–18
1983–1983
Cincinnaticaretaker
Regional Program I → Regional Program II
Watson Brown slid Cincinnati from Regional Program I to Regional Program II in 1 season.

17th-best Cincinnati tenure of 19 by the numbers.

Followed Mike Gottfried (1981–1982) · succeeded by Dave Currey (1984–1988).

4–6