Blog ranking SEC coaches, granted its from a Florida fan.......thoughts?
Orange and Blue Hue » SEC Coaching Rankings
Orange and Blue Hue » SEC Coaching Rankings
1) Urban Meyer (UF) - his credentials are impeccable. You can argue with his schemes and his play calling but you can’t argue with his success. And his resume includes doing almost the same thing at THREE consecutive schools. From 7-5 to 13-1 in two years is impressive on its own.
2) Nick Saban (ALA) - Personally the guy annoys me. He’s abrasive, self righteous and condescending but the man is a proven winner. No, not at the NFL level, he never achieved success in his two years with the Dolphins but at the college level he’s been to the top of the mountain.
3) Mark Richt (UGA) - Georgia struggled this year going 8-4 and losing to Vanderbilt and Kentucky. However they did beat Auburn, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech (all ranked teams) to end the year. Its interesting that one of the WORST years under Richt’s tenure would have been one of the BEST during the decade prior to his arrival.
4) Steve Spurrier (SCar) - Until he builds South Carolina up to the level where they contend for the SEC every year he falls behind Richt. Sure his resume at UF is impressive but he also had several built in advantages when coaching in Gainesville he doesn’t have in Columbia.
5) Rich Brooks (UK) - Laugh if you will but did you notice that UK has 2 more wins than a fellow bowl bound SEC team Alabama this year? Rich Brooks was also a NFL failure like Spurrier but he has done the impossible. He took a football program on probation at a basketball school from joke to bowl in 3 years.
6) Houston Nutt (ARK) - His overall record at Arkansas is 67-43 and has won 9 or more games in 4 out of his 8 years at the school. This is not to say that a coach like Mack Brown, Urban Meyer or Pete Carroll wouldn’t have built a much better program in Fayetteville but . . . come on people, this is ARKANSAS!!!
7) Tommy Tuberville (AUB) - Sure, of course, I can hear it now. How can a coach who led his school to an undefeated record be the 7th best in the SEC??? Now don’t get me wrong, Tommy Tuberville is a GOOD coach but unfortunately there are a LOT of good coaches in the SEC.
8) Phil Fulmer (UT) - No one can argue with the success of Tennessee or the recruits they’ve attracted. What you CAN debate is whether that success should be credited to Fulmer OR his coordinators (Chavis and Cutcliffe). There are very few games during the year where UT isn’t the most talented team on the field.
9) Bobby Johnson (VAN) - Two consecutive 5 win season wouldn’t get you much play anywhere else but at Vanderbilt . . . it can definitely get you a better gig!
10) Les Miles (LSU) - If based strictly on wins at a his current school then Miles would be near the top of this list. He is currently 22-4 at LSU. In his previous coaching stint he took over a sad Oklahoma State team and in his 2nd, 3rd and 4th years won 8, 9 and 7 games respectively.
11) Ed Orgeron (Ole Miss) - The jury is still out on Ed. I and some others were led to believe that Ole Miss might be respectable this year and perhaps even make a bowl game. Boy were we fooled.
12) Sylvester Croom (MSU) - There is no honor in last place even in a league as littered with quality coaches as the SEC. I give Croom credit, I have yet to see a Mississippi State team that doesn’t play hard on the field.