Last week, since the SEC Media Days is drawing near, I decided to take a crack at ranking the 12 SEC football coaches.
In case you missed it, I named Urban Meyer, Mark Richt, Nick Saban, Les Miles, Houston Nutt and Steve Spurrier as the top six coaches currently in the league. That was the easy part.
kAm!FEE:?8 E@86E96C 2 =:DE @7 E96 3@EE@> D:I :D >F49 >@C6 4@>A=6I] %96C6’D 2 >:I @7 ?6H 4@2496D 7@C D@>6 @7 E96 3:886C E62>D :? E96 4@?76C6?46[ 2=@?8 H:E9 G6E6C2? 4@2496D 2E D@>6 @7 E96 D49@@=D E92E 5@?’E AFE 2D >F49 762C :?E@ @AA@D:?8 E62>D] xE’D 92C5 E@ 6G6? <?@H H96C6 E@ DE2CE H96? 4@>A2C:?8 4@2496D @7 F?:G6CD:E:6D H:E9 DF49 5:776C6?E 567:?:E:@?D @7 DF446DD W:]6] {2?6 z:77:? @7 %6??6DD66 GD] #:49 qC@@<D @7 z6?EF4<JX]k^Am
kAmqFE[ 96C6’D >J 36DE 6DE:>2E6 @7 H96C6 E96D6 8FJD 72== :? E96 A64<:?8 @C56Cik^Am
kAmfX q@33J !6EC:?@[ pC<2?D2D — #64@C5\H:D6[ !6EC:?@ :D ?62C E96 E@A @7 E96 =628F6] w6 H2D c`\h :? 7@FC J62CD 2E {@F:DG:==6 2?5 d\f =2DE J62C[ 9:D :?2F8FC2= D62D@? :? u2J6EE6G:==6] !6EC:?@ :D 2? @776?D:G6 >2DE6C>:?5[ H:E9 9:D E62>D 86?6C2==J AFEE:?8 FA A@:?ED :? 3F?496D] p7E6C w@FDE@? }FEE =67E #2K@C324< 72?D @? ?@E\D@\?:46 E6C>D[ !6EC:?@ 92D E96 w2H8 72:E97F= @AE:>:DE:4 7@C a__h] (:E9 !6EC:?@’D 8F:52?46 2?5 ?6H 3=F6\49:A BF2CE6C324< #J2? |2==6EE WH9@ EC2?D76CC65 7C@> |:49:82?X CF??:?8 E96 D9@H[ pC<2?D2D 4@F=5 DFCAC:D6 D@>6 E62>D E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAmgX #:49 qC@@<D[ z6?EF4<J — p7E6C AFEE:?8 ~C68@? @? E96 >2A 2?5 62C?:?8 !24\`_ r@249 @7 E96 *62C pH2C5D EH:46 :? `g J62CD 2E tF86?6[ qC@@<D 92D E2<6? z6?EF4<J E@ 96:89ED :E 92D?’E D66? :? J62CD] p7E6C :?96C:E:?8 2 (:=542E AC@8C2> 9:E 92C5 H:E9 }rpp D2?4E:@?D :? a__b[ :? ;FDE E9C66 D62D@?D[ 96 925 &z H:??:?8 2 3@H= 82>6] w6’D H@? ab 82>6D :? E96 A2DE E9C66 D62D@?D 2?5 =65 9:D E62> E@ E9C66 4@?D64FE:G6 3@H= H:?D[ D@>6E9:?8 E96 D49@@= 92D ?6G6C 244@>A=:D965] qFE[ 96 DE:== 92D?’E D9@H? 96 42? 362E E96 E@A E62>D :? E96 $tr t2DE[ 2D 96’D 2 4@>3:?65 `\ab 282:?DE u=@C:52[ %6??6DD66[ v6@C8:2 2?5 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2]k^Am
kAmhX q@33J y@9?D@?[ '2?56C3:=E — y@9?D@? 92D EFC?65 '2?56C3:=E 7C@> A6C6??:2= 5@@C>2E E@ 2E =62DE 2 C6DA64E23=6 @AA@?6?E] %96 r@>>@5@C6D H@? E96:C 7:CDE 3@H= 82>6 W2?5 D64@?5 @G6C2==X D:?46 `hdd =2DE J62C H96? E96J 56762E65 q@DE@? r@==686 :? E96 |FD:4 r:EJ q@H=[ 2?5 y@9?D@? D92C65 $tr r@249 @7 E96 *62C 9@?@CD] %92E 56D6CG6D 2 =@E @7 4C65:E] pE '2?5J[ ?@ 4@249 :D 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 2 8=2>@C@FD 4@249:?8 C64@C5[ 3FE y@9?D@? 92D 5@?6 23@FE 2D 8@@5 2D 2?J@?6 :? }2D9G:==6 4@F=5 92G6 9@A65]k^Am
kAm`_X v6?6 r9:K:<[ pF3FC? — s6DA:E6 9:D d\`h C64@C5 2E x@H2 $E2E6[ r9:K:< 42? 4@249] %96 5676?D:G6 8FCF 8F:565 E96 %:86CD E@ E96 7:7E9 36DE E@E2= 5676?D6 :? E96 4@F?ECJ :? a__b 2?5 a__c 2?5 82C?6C65 E96 qC@J=6D pH2C5[ 8:G6? E@ E96 ?2E:@?’D E@A 2DD:DE2?E] pE %6I2D[ 96 H2D A2CE @7 2 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A E62> 2?5 @C496DEC2E65 2?@E96C A2:C @7 DE:?8J 5676?D:G6 F?:ED :? a__d 2?5 a__e] w6’D EFC?65 pF3FC?’D C64CF:E:?8 677@CED 2C@F?5 :? 2 D9@CE A6C:@5 2?5 92D 96=A65 492?86 E96 4F=EFC6 :? p& H:E9 9:D ?6H DE277] qFE[ 96 :D DE:== F?AC@G6? 2?5 5@F3E65 2D 2 9625 4@249] w6 92D 9:D H@C< 4FE @FE 7@C 9:> @? E96 !=2:?D]k^Am
kAm``X {2?6 z:77:?[ %6??6DD66 — z:77:? DE2CED 2E #@4<J %@A 27E6C 2? F?DF446DD7F= DE:?E :? ~2<=2?5 2D E96 J@F?86DE 4@249 :? E96 }u{] %96 bc\J62C\@=5 92D EFC?65 9625D D:?46 4@>:?8 E@ z?@IG:==6[ CF77=:?8 E96 762E96CD @7 D6G6C2= @E96C =628F6 D49@@=D H:E9 244FD2E:@?D @7 C64CF:E:?8 G:@=2E:@?D 2?5 @E96C 56C@82E@CJ 4@>>6?ED E@H2C5 9:D C:G2=D] w6 D6CG65 F?56C E96 36DE :? E96 3FD:?6DD[ 9@H6G6C[ 5FC:?8 9:D J62CD 2E &$r H:E9 !6E6 r2CC@==] w6’D 2=D@ 2 E@A C64CF:E6C[ 2D 96 D9@H65 H96? 96 96=A65 E96 %C@;2?D E@ E96 E@A\C2?<65 C64CF:E:?8 4=2DD E9C66 DEC2:89E J62CD] xE C6>2:?D E@ 36 D66? 2D E@ H96E96C 96 42? 324< FA 9:D 3@=5 C6>2C<D[ 3FE 96’D 567:?:E6=J ?@E >256 2?J 7C:6?5D 5FC:?8 9:D 62C=J 52JD @? E96 ;@3]k^Am
kAm`aX s2? |F==6?[ |:DD:DD:AA: $E2E6 — yFDE 3642FD6 |F==6? :D C@F?5:?8 @FE E96 =:DE 5@6D?’E >62? 96’D 2 325 4@249] |F==6? 92D 366? H:E9 &C32? |6J6C D:?46 a__` 2E q@H=:?8 vC66?[ &E29 2?5 u=@C:52] w6 D9@F=5 62D:=J 3C:?8 2 ?6H DEJ=6 E@ E96 qF==5@8D[ H9@ 92G6 @?=J H@? >@C6 E92? 7@FC 82>6D @?46 D:?46 a__`] $@>6 @7 E96 BF2CE6C324<D 96’D C64CF:E65 2?5 4@24965 :?4=F56 p=6I $>:E9[ E96 E@A A:4< @7 E96 a__d }u{ sC27E[ qC:2? y@9?D@?[ E96 &E29 BF2CE6C324< 7C@> =2DE D62D@?[ 2?5 v2E@C ?2E:@?2= E:E=6 H:??6CD r9C:D {62< 2?5 %:> %63@H] w6’D 2 E2=6?E65 J@F?8 4@249[ 3FE H:??:?8 :? $E2C<G:==6 H@?’E 36 62DJ]k^Am
