The SEC is the best conference in the land, and it is also home to some of the country’s best coaches.
With Les Miles guiding LSU to the national championship in 2007, the conference is now home to five coaches who have won college football’s biggest prize. No other conference can boast that.
Their was little movement on the coaching carousel this past offseason with the exception of the SEC West where Ole Miss fired Ed Orgeron after three losing seasons and replaced him with longtime Arkansas coach Houston Nutt.
After one year away from the college game, Arkansas hired Atlanta Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino. Prior to coaching the Atlanta Falcons, Petrino guided Louisville to a 41-9 record over four years, including an Orange Bowl win in 2006.
As we begin the countdown toward the season, let's take a moment to ponder an important question: Who is the best coach in the SEC ?
1. Les Miles (LSU): No coach in the country has handled distractions better than Les Miles. Days before his home debut in 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast leaving the region in chaos. The LSU campus was used as a relief center for Katrina victims, and the weight of an entire state was on the shoulders of the LSU football team. All Miles did was lead LSU to a 10-1 regular season record and the Western Division title before being upset by Georgia in the SEC title game. The 2006 season set the table for an LSU championship run, and Miles delivered with the pressure on in 2007 by bringing the crystal ball back to Baton Rouge as the Tigers finished 12-2 and beat Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game. Miles was again able to keep his team focused despite speculation that he was going to take the head coaching job at Michigan. Miles has led LSU to a 34-6 record (19-5 SEC) since his arrival, as well as back-to-back BCS bowl wins. Another key to his success has been his ability to manage and develop the talent his predecessor Nick Saban left in Baton Rouge before bolting for the NFL.
2. Urban Meyer (Florida): When Meyer was hired at the end of the 2004 season to replace Ron Zook the big question was whether his spread offense would work in the SEC. That question was answered in his second season when Florida won the SEC and the national championship. In three short years he brought Florida back from the embarrassment that was the Ron Zook era and turned the Gators into annual contenders for college football’s biggest prize. The Gators are 31-8 (18-7 SEC) under Meyer and have won one division and league title. Meyer has also produced the conference's first Heisman Trophy winner since 1996 in quarterback Tim Tebow. Along with his success on the field he is one of the top recruiters in the country and has staked his claim in the talent rich state of Florida.
3. Tommy Tuberville (Auburn): Over the past ten years, while their instate rival Alabama has struggled, Tuberville has made Auburn one of the most consistent programs in the SEC. Since the 2000 season the Tigers have never finished lower than third place in the SEC West. Tuberville is best known for guiding the Tigers to a 13-0 record in 2004, becoming the last coach to guide his team through an undefeated record in SEC play. Tuberville has a winning record against Auburn’s three biggest rivals: LSU (5-4), Georgia (5-4) and Alabama (7-2). The most important number to Auburn fans however is six -- the number of times in a row Auburn has beaten Alabama
4. Nick Saban (Alabama): There is a strong possibility that had he not left for the NFL, Nick Saban would have won two more national championships at LSU. Now that he is back in the SEC, Saban is ready to bring Alabama back to the top of the college football world. Alabama started off 2007 3-0, before finishing the season at 7-6 with an Independence Bowl win over Colorado. With the nation's number one recruiting class, it would not be a surprise if Saban turns Alabama around faster than most people think. The only question about Saban is, will he be around long enough to see the fruits of his labor fulfilled before he packs his bags and moves to the next big-time job?
5. Mark Richt (Georgia): Richt’s greatest accomplishment as Georgia's head coach has been his ability to capitalize on Steve Spurrier leaving the league after the 2001 season. Since then, the Bulldogs have played in three SEC Championship Games and have either won or tied for the division title five times. Richt has guided the Dogs to three BCS bowl games. For SEC East teams, the road to the Georgia Dome now goes between the hedges.
6. Steve Spurrier (South Carolina): If this was 1998, the ‘Ol Ball Coach would be at the top of this list. Spurrier has been a winner at every school he's ever coached. He won the ACC Championship at Duke and turned Florida into one of the top programs of the 1990’s. In his three seasons at South Carolina, Spurrier has beaten Tennessee, Florida and Georgia but has yet to win a division title or play in a New Years Day Bowl. Still, with Spurrier at the helm you can always expect the unexpected, even at South Carolina.
7. Bobby Petrino (Arkansas): After a failed one year experiment in the NFL, Bobby Petrino has returned to college football. Petrino, has a 41-9 record as a head coach and led Louisville to the Big East Championship and Orange Bowl in 2006. Petrino brings a high octane offense to the SEC that is sure to give SEC defensive coordinators fits. Petrino is in a perfect situation at Arkansas. He will be able to get the recruits, and he is at a school that will spend big money on its football program.
8. Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee): Phillip Fulmer will go down as the second best coach in the history of Tennessee football. He was the head coach of one of the most successful periods in Tennessee football history (1993-1998). During that time Fulmer and the Vols won two SEC championships and the 1998 national championship. Since that 1998 season the Vols have failed to win a SEC championship and have appeared in one BCS Bowl game. Fulmer has been unable to defeat the likes of Urban Meyer, Les Miles, Tommy Tuberville and Nick Saban on a consistent basis. The Vols have a 14-10 record against the SEC since the 2005 season began.
9. Houston Nutt (Ole Miss): Ole Miss got a steal when they were able to land Nutt last November. Nutt’s hire gives Ole Miss credibility at the head coaching position that they lacked under Ed Orgeron. At Arkansas, Nutt was able to lead the Razorbacks to two SEC Championship Game appearances and five New Years Day bowl games. If Nutt is able to replicate that success at Ole Miss he will be spoken about in the same breath as legendary Ole Miss coach John Vaught.
10. Rich Brooks (Kentucky): Kentucky football will forever be in the shadows of the schools legendary basketball program. Brooks coaches at a school that is not serious about competing with the best football programs in the SEC, and until they do Kentucky will forever be battling it out with Vanderbilt for fifth place in the SEC East. Rich Brooks' legacy as head coach at Kentucky will be forever tied to the Wildcats beating then No. 1 LSU in 2007 and leading UK to back-to-back Music City Bowl wins in 2006-2007.
11. Sylvester Croom (Mississippi State): When Croom took over at Mississippi State, the cupboard was bare when it came to talent. His first three years at the helm are evidence of that as the Bulldogs were never able to finish a season with more than three wins. Croom was able to turn it around in 2007 as Mississippi State finished with 8-5 and won the Liberty Bowl. This turnaround led Croom to be named the 2007 SEC Coach of the Year.
12. Bobby Johnson (Vanderbilt): Despite not being able to reach a bowl game, Bobby Johnson has been able to field competitive teams during his six seasons in Nashville. Johnson has led Vandy to victories over Tennessee and Georgia but has not been able to finish any higher than fifth in the SEC East. Johnson is a good coach, but he simply lacks the horses to seriously compete for championships at this level.
Comments
Tim Dumas commented, on July 5, 2008 at 6:47 a.m.:
Thanks for giving Les Miles some credit for LSU's recent success. Most writers seem to believe the Tigers have won in spite of Miles, not as a result of his coaching and guidance.
Nick Saban commented, on July 5, 2008 at 8:04 a.m.:
Mr. Dumbas, That opinion is not limited to most writers... Comin' to get you!
Kentucky Fan commented, on July 5, 2008 at 9:35 a.m.:
Petrino should be #12 until he actually coaches a game in the SEC. He built a reputation at Louisville by beating up on CUSA teams.
Spurrier, too, is only where he is because of his first tour of duty in the SEC. Based on recent success (no bowl game last year), he should be 3-4 rungs lower.
Houston Nutt at 9? Give me a break. Without supertalent like McFadden and Jones, Nutt will be run out of Oxford in 5 years.
James Todd commented, on July 5, 2008 at 10:15 a.m.:
Hands down the SEC is and remains the top conference in the NCAA. Being a LSU fan I still have a lot of respect for Miss St and CROOM. NO longer is Miss St just a check mark in the win column. All teams in the SEC have demonstrated that they deserve respect. ANY GIVEN SATURDAY in the SEC can be a nail biter.
john mulliniks commented, on July 5, 2008 at 12:01 p.m.:
Mr. Dumas, did SABAN really say the above? If he did he is even more dumb than I believed him to be...NICK, if not for LSU would still be struggling in some unknown area of the FOOTBALL WORLD!!! I do not know either of these gentlemen, MILES OR SABAN, but as a friend, MILES is far more prepared to become a good one than NICK. MILES I believe, IS SINCERE, HUMBLE, AND A REAL LEADER OF MEN, A CHRISTIAN, AND will do well at TIGERTOWN, and the fans love the guy, AS WELL AS THE PLAYERS,if I were not so old, I would make a special trip to TIGERTOWN to meet him. hE SEEMS TO BE A SPECIAL PERSON AS IS PHIL FULMER, HE and his whole family seem to be topnotch, and I believe that he will win one or two more NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS at LSU, in fact I know that he will if he is as good as I believe that he is. I will be 85 my next birthday if I live that long, and I have been in football in one way or another it seems all my life. I believe that GEN, NEYLAND and COL. BLAIKE were the two best coaches of all time with BOBBY BOWDON a close third, and the most winning!!! I hope that NICK did not say the above, and that someone used his name, but it does sound like something he might say. Nick sometimes speaks without his brain in gear. Nick is a good coach, and seems to have a very nice wife, HE IS A BETTER RECRUITER THAN COACH...but I believe that STOOPS came clost to beating him in the first NC! I believe that MILES did not win with SABAN players any more than SABAN WON with DINARDO players, and certainly URBAN WON with ZOOK recruits, and RON would have won with them had he the chance. He was railroaded to make room for MEYER as JERRY STOVALL was at LSU a few years ago!!! That set up a few years of loseing for LSU and the REAL TIGERS!!! WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD GOOD FOOTBALL PLAYERS, JUST WITH OUT A DIRECTION!!! God bless and MARANATHA!!! PS...GOD IS SENDING US THE QB THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR THIS YEAR, I BELIEVE THAT "RUSH" SHEPERT, FROM HOUSTON CYPRESS, WILL BE BETTER THAN RP!!! I DO WISH RP THE BEST, THAT HE BECOMES A CHRISTIAN AND MAKES HIS MOTHER PROUD...I BELIEVE HE IS A GOOD KID, BUT SICK!!! IF HE WERE STILL WITH THE TIGERS WE WOULD WIN IT ALL!!!
Bamaboy commented, on July 5, 2008 at 1:47 p.m.:
John,I didn't see any quote attributed to Coach Saban.And,correct me if I am wrong,(and I'm not)but before Coach Saban came to lswho,you guys were middle of the pack on a good year.Don't worry about trying to tear Coach Saban down,just be happy with less miles.The article was fairly accurate,except I think Coach Croom deserved a little better ranking.Good article.
Bo Diddly commented, on July 5, 2008 at 1:59 p.m.:
Does the UK fan think Spurrier should be rated below Rich Broooks? The ball coach has handed UK its ass at South Carolina.
russell commented, on July 5, 2008 at 5:22 p.m.:
there is no way steve spurrier is the 6th best coach in the sec. he is way better than mark richt and les miles. hell i could step into lsu this year and win at least 9 games.
LSWHO commented, on July 5, 2008 at 5:47 p.m.:
I find it extremely funny when someone say, "LSU made Saban"
From 1980 until 1999 the year before Saban came to LSU, LSU had a 54.7% winning percentage
124-102-6 WOW what a dominate program HAHA
During this same 20 year period LSU had 10 LOSING SEASONS.
From 1989 to 1999 (11 year period) LSU had 8 Losing Seasons.
For you people who say, "Saban won with Dinardo's players", don't you realize that is actually a GREAT complement to Saban?
Especially when one considers that Dinardo went 7-15 his last two years at LSU.
Think about it... Saban took the same players that Dinardo only won 7 games in two years and won 8 games his first year at LSU.
Saban almost won as many games at LSU during his 5 years there as LSU did over the previous 10 years.
Back to the " Saban won with Dinardo's players" comment, You do realize that Saban won the National Championship in his 4th year at LSU right?
That means he recruited 4 years worth of players from 2000-2003.
You hear people say, "Miles won with Saban's players" or " Miles has done better with Saban's players than Saban did". Consider this, the best two recruiting classes Saban pulled in were #1 recruiting classes in 2003 and 2004. He left a championship caliber team of players behind when he left for Miami.
It should be of NO surprise that LSU has been awesomely talented for 2005-2007 as the TWO number 1 recruiting classes that Saban left behind became Juniors and Seniors.
Any Buffoon of a coach could have won 10+ games a year from 2005-2007
Lastly, Les Miles will be able to field strong teams at LSU for the forseeable future, but don't act like it is because LSU is some strong(Historically) program or act like Miles has done some great thing in the last 3 years because he truly fell in to a Great Situation.
LSU07NC commented, on July 5, 2008 at 10:25 p.m.:
I love how "just anyone" could have coached LSU to 10+ games in the last three years. Last I checked, this is the SEC. The toughest conference in college football. It's not easy to win 10 games.
And Miles has done things here that The Great Saban never did. Like beat a top ten team on the road (something he's done 3 times already) and beat Florida, Alabama, and Auburn in the same season (he's done that twice)
LSU is fine with Miles, but its ignorant to assume just anyone could have had the same success.
LSU07NC commented, on July 5, 2008 at 10:26 p.m.:
Oh, and great list!! Its much better then other "expert" rankings. Good job.
russell commented, on July 6, 2008 at 9:07 a.m.:
urban meyer and les miles slept easy the night they took their jobs. any coach in the sec could have steped into either of those programs and had instant success. id love to see them come to south carolina and see what they could do or missippi state or ole miss or arkansas or even kentucky.
Got Crystals? commented, on July 6, 2008 at 12:51 p.m.:
LSWHO, you and media who fail to recognize what Miles has done as a head coach - in all of the ways that job has to be handled - are in for a huge reality check.
Yes, Saban built the base and turned the program into a winner again. No, he didn't do it himself. During those dark years you mention the politics of the AD and board of supervisors left us without a vision, direction, budget or personnel to drive a successful program. Chancellor Emmert stepped in and straightened out the mess, and ONE of the things he did was to hire Nick Saban. He also backed up the hire by assisting the booster base in fundraising, building academic and athletic support facilities and making sure the budget allowed for capable staff to carry out plans.
No Emmert=no Saban. Saban without Emmert=no BCS Championship. Saban without Tiger Athletic Foundation=another Gerry DiNardo. ANYONE coaching LSU in the '90s under the circumstances would not have been able to create an elite program. But now the Giant has been awoken. Get used to it.
Saban has his own twisted baggage I could use to project his future at Bama, but that's for another thread.
Thanks for the balanced assessment of Miles and the props he deserves.
Gerard commented, on July 6, 2008 at 12:51 p.m.:
Nick Saban is a wonderful recruiter and will be for many years to come, however he is NOT the game day coach that Tubby is, Miles or Meyer. He will always be out coached by Tubby with less talent. Tubby handed his ass to him at Ole Miss, and will continue to at Auburn. Just wait and see.... Anyone who knows SEC football knows that LSU has been loaded with talent since 1958, and also outcoached since Paul Dietzel left. Remember, no one beat Bear Bryant! Not Charley Mac, not Johnny Vaught, not Vince Dooley, not Ray Graves, not Johnny Majors. Only Ara, and both games were miracle victories by Notre Dame over the red elephants. My point is, THE BEAR IS DEAD! LSU always had top talent, but had terrible coaching for many years, except when Arnsbarger was there for three years. Read carefully, LSU made Nick Saban!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The great high school athletes and high school coaches of Louisiana made NICK SABAN. NICK SABAN did not make LSU football. The selections of pre Saban coaches at LSU were horrible. I'll give you another example similar to LSU, and that is TEXAS. Mack Brown is a joke. Get the right coach there, and they win several more championships. Anyway, all you Alabama fans get ready for improvement, but be prepared for heartbreaking losses by that screaming freeze brained sideline coach of yours. It will happen.......Great recruiter, choke on the sideline. One thing in coaching you should always remember.....DON'T BEAT YOURSELF!!!!!! BEAR NEVER DID, BUT HE'S PUSHING UP DAISIES. Gerard 07
Fulmer Sheep commented, on July 6, 2008 at 5:15 p.m.:
Where is the love for Fulmer..the man just got a raise!!
george commented, on July 6, 2008 at 8:43 p.m.:
Except for one year, Saban lost at least 3 games per year at LSU and don't forget his teams get upset at least once a season. Miles does not average 10 wins a season; it's 11. Actually LSU made Saban because before he won the BCS at LSU, he was considered an good coach and take away that win and he still would be.
As soon as Saban can get an offer he likes, he will bail from Bama. He hates it there.
john mulliniks commented, on July 7, 2008 at 7:46 a.m.:
Come on guys, don't get your blood boiling over the truth, and quit twisting my words, that is not fair? I do not wish SABAN any ill will, I just did not like the attitude that he had at LSU, he is a good coach, very good recruiter, but so is MILES, but someone is always winning with someone elses people. To a large extemt, NICK never had to fight a big wind, as MILES did, and MILES did a great job, and we in LOUISIANA, TEXAS< AND MISSISSIPPI do thank LES MILES, for what he did!!! Everyone knows, BUT not all will admit it, that PAUL DIRTZEL is the man that went into the High Schools, and helped LOUISIANA, TEXAS and MISS. HS COACHES especially made LOUISIANA and EAST TEXAS, and yes MISSISSIPPI High SCHOOLS better and did a great job with the COACHES, and MACK is doing the same thing AGAIN in TEXAS, MACK BROWN is a very good football recruiter and coach, he is having trouble with the RED RIVER SHOOT OUT, but STOOPS is also a very good COACH!!! BUT...STOOPS must come to TEXAS for his football players. I do not mind if you people (BAMA FANS) LOVE LITTLE NICK, he will win you a lot of football games, he wishes that he had stayed in LOUISIANA, because it is easier to recruit for LSU than ALABAMA, but that is because of the LOCATION...I was not a SABAN fan, I like LES MILES, and I do not know for sure who is the best coach, but NO ONE has had to face what LES MILES faced his first year in LOUISIANA, he did a great job in a wrecked State, and I thank him for it...there is a lot of difference in LES and NICK, and I hope that NICK comes around to being a great CHRISTIAN...I am not sure that I will live to see that. I will always say because it is very true, PAUL DIETZEL made LA FOOTBALL, not NICK SABAN. I thank him for it. He also helped me have a small place that I would have never had without him, and I thank him for that, he and JIM CORBETT made a great pair for LSU!!! GOD BLESS YOU PAUL and ANN, I wonder which of us, being the same age, will make it to HEAVEN first, my LIL PEARLEY is already there, and I miss and love her so much...Maranatha!!! GOD BLESS ALL AND GOD PLEASE BLESS YOUR FOWLED UP AMERICA, THAT WE HAVE MESSED UP, BUT I BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL STRAIGHTEN OUT!!! BACK TO THE BIBLE EVERYONE IF YOU WANT TO SAVE YOUR, WHATS LEFT OF IT, AMERICA??!! IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, SEEK MY FACE, TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS...(THIS IS OUR ONLY CHANCE FOR OUR COUNTRY, LOOK UP THIS VERSE AND FINISH IT...IF YOU NEED HELP EMAIL ME!!! JOHNMULLINIKS@BELLSOUTH,NET OR WINDRIVERCHOCTAW@JUNO.COM LOVE YE ALL...HAVE A GOOD YEAR!!!
UK Fan 2 commented, on July 8, 2008 at 9:15 p.m.:
I dont think losing by 15 is getting your ass handed to you, and atleast Rich Brooks kept his teams composure together and finished off the season with a bowl victory unlike south carolina who fell to pieces and sat at home. I also dont think just because you have the best recruits every year makes you a better coach better recruiter yes but not better coach.
CPACAT commented, on July 8, 2008 at 10:32 p.m.:
Cool, 3 of the 18 comments here so far mention Kentucky...Kentucky getting 16.7% of the attention in an SEC football blog...trending in the right direction.
mistake commented, on July 8, 2008 at 11:05 p.m.:
Didn't LSU beat Notre Dame in the 2006 Sugar Bowl?... not Ohio State?