The SEC is home to some of the best coaches in college football, but not every coach is among the elite. We're here to separate the best from the worst by power ranking all of the coaches in the conference. This ranking is based on both their current resume and what they could do in the coming years. Basically, there is a bit of projection involved, which is why the newest coaches aren't necessarily at the bottom. The difference between the middle of the pack SEC coaches (spots four through eight) is not a large one. With that in mind, here are all 14 SEC coaches ranked.
14. Barry Odom, Missouri
Odom is taking over for an amazing coach in Gary Pinkel. He has no head coaching experience at FBS level and there could be some growing pains. The potential is there for the Tiger alumnus, but he's at the bottom for now.
13. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt
Winning at Vanderbilt is not easy. Mason has gone just 7-17 in this two years. The offense has been terrible and improvement is needed. If not, Mason could be fired.
12. Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Stoops has slowly rebuilt Kentucky. They went 2-10 in his first year and just missed out on a bowl game last year. But after four years, the Wildcats want a bowl game. Stoops isn't on the hot seat, but he needs turn his impressive recruiting into wins soon.
11. Will Muschamp, South Carolina
Speaking of coaches that are great recruiters but couldn't win, there's Muschamp. Recruiting well but failing to win defined his tenure at Florida. Whether that's different at a rebuilding South Carolina program remains to be seen.
10. Kirby Smart, Georgia
Smart is a first-year head coach, but Smart turned down plenty of jobs in the past. He's at his alma mater this year, and needs to replace Mark Richt. There's plenty of potential for Smart and Georgia, but it's anyone's guess how long it takes them to capitalize on it. In a down year for the SEC East, the Bulldogs could fight for a title.
9. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
Remember when Sumlin and the Aggies took the SEC by storm and Sumlin was linked to NFL jobs? That seems like a thing of the past, as the Aggies have gone from 11-2 in 2012 to back-to-back 8-5 efforts. With multiple talented QBs leaving A&M, there are questions what exactly is going on in College Station.
8. Gus Malzahn, Auburn
The Tigers went 12-2 in Malzhan's first season, and nearly won the national title. But in the last two years, Auburn has gone just 15-11 and a woeful 2-6 in the SEC last year. Malzahn is a noted offensive mind, but he needs to get the offense going this year or his job could be in trouble.
7. Bret Bielema, Arkansas
When Bielema went 3-9 in his first season, there were concerns if he would last in the SEC. But after a strong finish and an 8-5 record last year, Bielema's stock is trending upward. The question now is if he can get the program to take the next step.
6. Butch Jones, Tennessee
Jones is a better version of Mark Stoops right now. He's turned around a struggling program, but the fans base wants the next step. He's recruited great with the Vols, but the hype train expects an SEC East title at the very least this year. After 9 wins last year, it's a make or break season for Jones and Tennessee.
5. Jim McElwain, Florida
McElwain has just one year under his belt at Florida, but it was a solid 10-4 effort. He showed great ability at Colorado State and could continue to rise up this list. Things will be a better harder for Florida with a major question mark at QB, so McElwain will need to do a great job to get the Gators back to the SEC title game.
4. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State
Mullen doesn't have the advantages most of the coaches on this list do, but he's still posted an impressive 55-35 record with the Bulldogs. This might seem high for Mullen, but there's a reason his name keeps coming up when major jobs open; he's a great head coach.
3. Les Miles, LSU
LSU nearly fired Miles last year, which is stunning considering he's one of the top coaches in the college game. He has one national title under his belt and a 112-32 record with the Tigers. But if LSU doesn't capitalize on their potential and win the SEC, Miles' job could in jeopardy once again.
2. Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss
Freeze is not the clueless coach "The Blind Side" movie portrayed him to be. The Rebels were 2-10 before Freeze took over and he led them to a Sugar Bowl win last year. He has his team in the hunt for an SEC title, and although there are questions about his recruiting tactics, he's proven himself as a coach.
1. Nick Saban, Alabama
Saban is 105-18 in nine years at Alabama, with four national titles. Obvious choice is obvious.
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