During the SEC’s dominant run in college football from 2006-2012, the conference boasted the best coaches of any conference. While Alabama and Nick Saban have won two championships in the last five seasons, the rest of the league hasn’t been nearly as productive.
The talent level certainly hasn’t dropped off in the SEC. The league is sending more players and more first round picks to the NFL than any other conference. However, the league was essentially Alabama and 13 other teams for five seasons.
27 NFL teams selected a player from the @SEC in the 2018 #NFLdraft
14 teams selected more than one SEC player
Jags, Pats & Packers led with 4 each from the SEC
Eagles, Seahawks, Bills, Chargers & Jets only teams that did not
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) April 30, 2018
But that’s finally starting to change. The coaching depth has improved considerably as several programs have brought in Saban disciples to turn things around. Georgia is already reaping the benefits two years into the Kirby Smart regime. Saban is still obviously the best coach in the conference — and arguably the best in the history of college football. But other programs in the league have made strides to make life more difficult for Saban and the Crimson Tide.
Here are our rankings of the 14 coaches in the SEC. If you disagree, feel free to let us know what you would change. This list is certainly up for debate after No. 1.
Group 1: The Newbies
- Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee
It’s difficult to judge Pruitt since he’s yet to coach a game. Saban assistants have had mixed results as head coaches in the SEC. The last Saban assistant to serve as the head coach of Tennessee was Derek Dooley, and he only lasted three seasons in Knoxville. Pruitt won national titles as the defensive coordinator at Alabama and Florida State, but it might take a couple of years to establish a winning culture at Tennessee.
- Matt Luke, Ole Miss
Luke was thrust into an impossible situation during his interim stint as head coach at Ole Miss, but he still managed to lead the Rebels to six wins last season. As a result, the school removed the interim tag and gave Luke a four-year contract in Oxford. Luke now has an opportunity to navigate his alma mater out of the dire conditions of NCAA sanctions. The expectations will be low in 2018, but the talent is there to win six or seven games.
- Joe Moorhead, Mississippi State
Penn State’s offense thrived under Moorhead over the last two years, and he inherits a Mississippi State team capable of competing at the top of the SEC West. Moorhead’s only head coaching experience came at FCS Fordham from 2012-2015, and he was 38-13 with the Rams. His recruiting prowess will be tested in Starkville, but he should be able to have a very successful inaugural campaign.
- Chad Morris, Arkansas
The Morris hire was greeted with mixed results in Fayetteville this offseason. It’s unlikely he’ll have a very good team in 2018 after a 4-8 campaign under Bret Bielema last year. Morris employs a hurry up, no huddle offense, which is the antithesis of what Bielema ran with the Hogs. That transition might be challenging, but Morris took over a one-win SMU team and let them to seven wins during his third season. He has recruiting ties in Texas and in the Southeast, but he has plenty of work to do to catch up to other SEC West programs.
Group 2: Trust Issues
- Barry Odom, Missouri
After Missouri started the 2017 season 1-5, it appeared as if Odom might lose his job after only two years at his alma mater. However, the Tigers closed out the regular season by winning six straight games and finished 7-6. To be fair, some of those six wins came against clearly inferior opponents (congrats on beating Idaho and UConn), but he did enough to earn himself a third season. With likely first round pick Drew Lock returning at quarterback, Odom has a chance to lead the Tigers to an even better year in 2018.
- Derek Mason, Vanderbilt
Winning at Vanderbilt isn’t easy. Mason hasn’t had a winning season yet during his four seasons in Nashville. He has complied an 18-31 record overall, and he’s only been to one bowl game. None of that sounds good at all, but this is the toughest job in the conference. Vanderbilt has been far from a cellar dweller under Mason, but they haven’t been a contender, either. If the Commodores take a step back in 2018, Mason might find himself in trouble entering his sixth season.
- Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Consecutive 7-6 seasons were enough to buy Stoops some time in Lexington. Now, the question is whether he can sustain that success and build on it. Kentucky isn’t an easy place to win, either, but the good news for Stoops is that football will always play second fiddle behind basketball. Kentucky hasn’t won more than eight games in a season since 1984. Is Stoops the right coach to take the Wildcats to the next level? Or is this program even capable of going to the next level? The 2018 season will be an important one for Stoops and Kentucky.
- Ed Orgeron, LSU
Orgeron is 15-6 in just under two seasons in Baton Rouge, but it’s tough to say whether he’s actually done a good job. The biggest problem is that LSU isn’t any closer to competing with Alabama than they were in the last few years under Les Miles. However, it’s still a solid program that’s relevant on a national level. It didn’t appear as if Orgeron would last long at LSU after they were pummeled by Mississippi State early last season, but the wins over Florida and Auburn certainly eased some concerns. Orgeron could be feeling some pressure early if his Tigers lose to Miami and Auburn in the first three weeks of the season. Whatever you do, just don’t ask Coach O about Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M.
Ed Orgeron was asked three questions about #TAMU during a news conference before his speaking engagement here in Houston.
These were his answers – in full.#LSU pic.twitter.com/penZTkqyne
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) May 2, 2018
- Will Muschamp, South Carolina
Muschamp’s tenure at Florida ended with a whimper after only four seasons. When Coach Boom was hired to replace Steve Spurrier at South Carolina, he wasn’t expected to have much success. The Gamecocks’ 6-7 campaign in 2016 took people by surprise given how bad they were the previous year, and they took another step forward with a 9-4 record a season ago. Georgia is the favorite in the SEC East, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see South Carolina contend for the division title this season given how well Muschamp has recruited. The Gamecocks have an over/under of 7 according to BetDSI Sportsbook, and they have the talent to win 9-10 games in 2018.
Group 3: Proven Commodities
- Gus Malzahn, Auburn
Malzahn’s fifth season on the Plains was by far his most fascinating. The Tigers won 10 games, won the SEC West, and they defeated each of their two biggest rivals by double digits. But Georgia crushed them in the SEC Championship Game, and Auburn’s two biggest rivals went on to meet in the national title game while the Tigers lost to UCF.
Was it a great year? Yes. Was it a disappointing year? Also yes. Malzahn was seconds away from winning a national title, and he’s managed to beat Nick Saban twice. The good outweighs the bad, but his teams often feel like they never reach their full potential. Regardless, he earned a seven-year, $49 million contract extension, and it’s hard to argue against paying him that kind of money. He runs a clean program (by college football standards, at least), he has a great staff, he recruits well, and he has good teams for the most part. Auburn is poised to have another solid season in 2018, but how long will that be enough for the Tigers?
- Kirby Smart, Georgia
Is Kirby Smart the second coming of Nick Saban? His program in Athens is being constructed in the same mold as Alabama in the early years of the Saban dynasty. But before Smart can be mentioned in the same breath as the nation’s elite coaches, he first needs to prove he can sustain this level of success at Georgia. After seeing the numbers on Smart’s new contract, it’s safe to say he’ll be around for a while.
7 years. $49 million.
Kirby Smart agrees to new deal with Georgia, becomes the 5th highest paid coach in CFB. pic.twitter.com/rWxdjRplXD
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) May 3, 2018
With the way Smart recruits, all signs point to the Bulldogs being around for the long haul, and they’ll likely win 11 or 12 games in 2018. Could we be in store for a national title game rematch in Atlanta for the SEC title this December?
- Dan Mullen, Florida
For years, Mullen overachieved at Mississippi State and left many wondering what he could accomplish at a bigger program with more resources. Finally, we’ll get to see what Mullen can do in the next few years as he takes over in Gainesville. Mullen will be expected to rebuild the Gators quickly before Georgia separates itself from the rest of the division.
Some fans might not agree with Mullen over Smart, but Mullen’s tenure at Mississippi State was incredibly impressive. Sure, he never beat Saban, but he turned the Bulldogs into a consistent winner during a stretch where the SEC West was unquestionably the best division in college football. Florida might not win the East this year, but it won’t be long before Mullen is in Atlanta.
- Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
When Texas A&M poached Fisher from Florida State, it was a major move for both the school and the conference. Only four active coaches have won national titles, and two of them are now in the SEC West with Fisher and Saban (the other two being Urban Meyer and Dabo Swinney). Kevin Sumlin had several good teams in College Station, but the program lacked the toughness needed to win in the SEC.
Fisher, another Saban disciple, turned Florida State into the ACC version of Alabama. He amassed an 83-23 record in eight years. His tenure turned stale in his final season, and he needed a change of scenery. Once he establishes his culture at Texas A&M, Fisher could easily turn the Aggies into a national power.
Group 4: The GOAT
- Nick Saban, Alabama
Was there ever any doubt who would be in the top spot? Of course not. Saban will reside in this spot until he retires — which, at this point, might be like 20 years from now. Seriously, the guy is a machine. He never slows down. He’s still the best recruiter in the sport, and it’s rare when Alabama isn’t No. 1 in the recruiting rankings. Alabama has so much depth that those annoying Tide fans are probably right when they claim their backups could win a national title.
Saban just won his fifth title at Alabama since 2009 and his sixth title overall in 2017, and his team will be the favorites to win it all again in 2018. It doesn’t matter who’s playing quarterback. Jalen Hurts started the last two years and he can barely throw. It doesn’t even matter who Saban employs on his coaching staff. Alabama cycles through more coordinators than Leo DiCaprio goes through supermodel girlfriends.
None of it matters as long as Saban is at the helm. They’re a lock to win 11-plus games every year. They’ve even proven twice they don’t even need to win a conference title to win the national championship. Fans might be tired of seeing the Tide dominate the college football landscape, but Bama isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Thanks, Nick Saban.
