Southern Illinois: a football coaching history
See Southern Illinois’s full 91-year Zeitgeist History →← all coaches
Stature and coaches, 1972–1985
The program’s standing over time, with every coach’s tenure beneath it — read down to see who was there for each rise and fall.
DynastyBlue BloodPower ProgramNational ProgramRegional Program
Every coach
Big movers show how many stature points they built or lost against what they inherited; steadier tenures show the tier they reached instead.
1976–1983
Rey Dempsey Steady
Rey Dempsey moved Southern Illinois from Regional Program IV to Regional Program III in 8 seasons.
+3.7 pts over 8 seasons · top 42% of 6-9-season tenures (368 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Jim Colletto’s Purdue run (1991–1996)
1st-best Southern Illinois tenure of 1 by the numbers.
Followed Doug Weaver (1974–1975).
4 NFL Draft picks: Andre Herrera (1977), Kevin House (1980), John Harper (1983), Terry Taylor (1984)
+3.7
54-37