What does Rice coaching history show?
Rice coaching history on this page spans 22 tracked head coaches, led by Jess Neely with 144 wins from 1940-1966.
Program history
Rice Football History
Program history, coaching eras, title years, and signature seasons.
Rice Stadium • Houston • TX
American AthleticRice Stadium
Seasons Indexed
115
All-Time Wins
494
Winning Seasons
32%
Last 10 Win %
30.5%
History guide
Rice program history explained
This history tab puts Rice into a longer program timeline: season records, winning and losing streaks, coaching-era context, title references, playoff runs, and decade-level performance.
The current dataset includes 115 indexed seasons, and 22 coaching tenures. Use the national record links to compare the program against broader college football leaderboards.
Program History
Explore the program's most dominant seasons, toughest stretches, and era-by-era trends.
Use the snapshot to scan program-wide benchmarks, standout seasons, and decade-level performance trends.
Total Wins
494
Across 115 seasons
Winning Seasons
32%
Share of winning records
Average Record
4.3-5.8
Per season
Last 10 Seasons
30.5%
Win rate since 2026
Signature Season
1949
10-1 (90.9% win rate)
Toughest Season
1988
0-11 (0.0% win rate)
Peak Seasons
Most wins in program history
Highlights the seasons that produced the biggest win totals for the program.
| Year | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 10-1 | 90.9% |
| 2008 | 10-3 | 76.9% |
| 2013 | 10-4 | 71.4% |
| 1934 | 9-1-1 | 86.4% |
| 1953 | 9-2 | 81.8% |
Challenging Seasons
Years that tested the fan base
Surfaces the seasons with the heaviest loss totals and weakest win rates.
| Year | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 0-11 | 0.0% |
| 1982 | 0-11 | 0.0% |
| 2017 | 1-11 | 8.3% |
| 2018 | 2-11 | 15.4% |
| 2005 | 1-10 | 9.1% |
Era Performance
Win rate by decade
Buckets every season into decade groups so long-run rises and dips are easier to spot.
| Decade | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 26-42 | 38.2% |
| 2010s | 47-78 | 37.6% |
| 2000s | 46-72 | 39.0% |
| 1990s | 52-57-1 | 47.7% |
| 1980s | 22-87-1 | 20.5% |
| 1970s | 29-77-3 | 28.0% |
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