Dec. 15, 1999

LAS VEGAS - UNLV tied with 15 teams for the fifth-best turnaround in Division I-A college football in 1999.

Under first-year coach John Robinson, the Rebels won three games after going winless in 1998. Only Hawaii, under new coach June Jones, had a bigger turnaround with a first-year coach after the Rainbows' stunning eight-game improvement.

Overall, Stanford was second with a five-game turnaround while Boston College and Houston both improved by four games. Ironically, Houston fired coach Kim Helton following an impressive 7-4 campaign. The only other school to make the list with a first-year coach was Clemson, which tied UNLV with a three-game improvement under Tommy Bowden.

1999 Top Division I-A Turnarounds            1998        1999        PlusTeam            Record      Record      Wins*Hawaii             0-12        8-4     +8*Stanford       3-8     8-3     +5*Boston College         4-7     8-3     +4Houston             3-8     7-4     +4UNLV                0-11        3-8     +3Akron           4-7     7-4     +3*Boise State        6-5     9-3     +3*Fresno State           5-6     8-4     +3*Illinois       3-8     7-4     +3*Clemson        3-8     6-5     +3*East Carolina          6-5     9-2     +3Memphis             2-9     5-6     +3*Michigan State         6-6     9-2     +3*Minnesota      5-6     8-3     +3New Mexico State    3-8     6-5     +3Northern Illinois   2-9     5-6     +3Pittsburgh      2-9     5-6     +3Vanderbilt      2-9     5-6     +3*Virginia Tech          8-3     11-0        +3*Wake Forest            3-8     6-5     +3
*Indicates participating in 1999 postseason bowl