There was a time when everyone in the Southeastern Conference wanted a Steve Spurrier. Florida’s Ol’ Ball Coach was the league’s gold standard, scoring points, firing quips, winning titles. That prompted a wave of offensive-minded head coaches that included Hal Mumme, Lane Kiffin, Mark Richt, Gus Malzahn, Dan Mullen and Hugh Freeze, to name a few.
Nick Saban changed all that. When the former defensive coordinator put Alabama back in touch with its history of domination, the script flipped. Suddenly SEC athletics directors started hiring defensive coordinators as head coaches, the theory being a good defense stops a good offense.