SEC football coaches ranked

[BeardedVol]

Imo, Stoops is no lower than 5 and could be as high as 2. Mullen is middle of the pack and Heupel is an incomplete. I'd imagine he's going to be somewhere in the top 5 in a few yrs.

In what reality would this record ever put any HC one spot below Saban?

 

[BeardedVol]

From my view, Volinvonore has made some good points. I guess you pick something up by being around for 83 years.

I also appreciate his words of wisdom about embracing positivity. It's an internet football forum, FFS.

Was it "wisdom" when he saying the same things about Pruitt and Butch?

 

[The Original Fade]

Pittman is waaaaay underrated. He basically took the worst team in the SEC and made them respectable in a matter on months during covid

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

Pittman is waaaaay underrated. He basically took the worst team in the SEC and made them respectable in a matter on months during covid

To play devil's advocate, Pittman is 9th and was 3-7 (beating an incompetent coach in Pruitt and the 2 MS schools). Which of the 8 coaches above him do you bump?

Saban - Nope
O, Jimbo - Have nattys
Smart - Been in champ game

Mullen - Ain't no chance in hell you would let that happen (ha ha)

Harsin - Maybe but Won a ton at Boise
Stoops - Turned UK dumpster fire around
Drinkwitz - Maybe but Mizzou was in the dumps too last year


I think Pittman did a great job last year but before bumping him too high, let's see what things look like with a more normal offseason for the other 13 teams.

 

[SockeyeVol]

Was it "wisdom" when he saying the same things about Pruitt and Butch?

Missing the point.

One can embrace an approach that works well over the long haul.

If a positive mindset lets me recognize talent and opportunity, and lead a happier, longer life, then I’ll take it - and accept the downside of sometimes overestimating people.

 

[BeardedVol]

Missing the point.

One can embrace an approach that works well over the long haul.

If a positive mindset lets me recognize talent and opportunity, and lead a happier, longer life, then I’ll take it - and accept the downside of sometimes overestimating people.

So you feel it's a sign of "wisdom" to proclaim Heupel to be a top-tier SEC coach in a couple of years before he's coached a single down of football at UT?

I think you are confusing having a "positive mindset", with "making delusional prognostications"; the two aren't mutually exclusive.

 

[The Original Fade]

To play devil's advocate, Pittman is 9th and was 3-7 (beating an incompetent coach in Pruitt and the 2 MS schools). Which of the 8 coaches above him do you bump?

Saban - Nope
O, Jimbo - Have nattys
Smart - Been in champ game

Mullen - Ain't no chance in hell you would let that happen (ha ha)

Harsin - Maybe but Won a ton at Boise
Stoops - Turned UK dumpster fire around
Drinkwitz - Maybe but Mizzou was in the dumps too last year


I think Pittman did a great job last year but before bumping him too high, let's see what things look like with a more normal offseason for the other 13 teams.

3 SEC wins doesn’t look impressive until you consider that prior to Pittman’s arrival Arky hadn’t won a conference game in 2 full seasons.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

3 SEC wins doesn’t look impressive until you consider that prior to Pittman’s arrival Arky hadn’t won a conference game in 2 full seasons.

I think Pittman did a Top 5 coaching job last year in the SEC. Just want to see more than 1 year before I put him over a Stoops or Harsin who have done it for several years...

After a few more data points, we will see if Pittman is a high end coach or if Chad Morris was just THAT bad

 

[BornonRockyTop]

How do we feel about Jimbo being that high or Harsin?

 

[Visiting Dawg]

In what reality would this record ever put any HC one spot below Saban?

In a reality where he is at KY and has turned a perennial competitor for the bottom spot in the east into a respectable program that has gone to 5 straight bowl games. If you would have hired Stoops at UT instead of Kiffin, I would bet you'd have been fighting for the top spot in the east in most yrs.

 

[BeardedVol]

In a reality where he is at KY and has turned a perennial competitor for the bottom spot in the east into a respectable program that has gone to 5 straight bowl games. If you would have hired Stoops at UT instead of Kiffin, I would bet you'd have been fighting for the top spot in the east in most yrs.

Having one winning conference record in 8 years, and competing for the 5th-8th spots in the SEC is now the definition of "respectable"?

There's a reason "Kentucky is going to Kentucky" is still alive and well under Stoops.

 

[lukeneyland]

He’s gonna have to prove himself of course. Every year at UCF he got worse so let’s see what happens

If you look at the details of what happened last year at that school, and actually look at the details of their games. He will look much more impressive than he does at a glance. I’m not saying he’s a lock but he’s got upside, and last years troubles aren’t a fair stick to beat him with

 

[BeardedVol]

If you look at the details of what happened last year at that school, and actually look at the details of their games. He will look much more impressive than he does at a glance. I’m not saying he’s a lock but he’s got upside, and last years troubles aren’t a fair stick to beat him with

I don't know, I feel like Heupel's history, when you dig into the details, just casts more questions. Of his 28 wins at UCF, only 10 of those teams he beat had winning records at the end of the season. Then you start examining the losses, and it starts to look more and more like his offense is quite good at running up points on bad teams, and then becomes relatively pedestrian against competent teams.

Is moving to the SEC going to change that? I don't know, but it's definitely not going to get easier to find wins, that's for sure.

I hope that he's capable of adjusting his system where it needs to be adjusted and doesn't fall into the trap where he starts believing that the system if fine, and it's just the players and the assistant coaches that aren't buying in and making it happen; we saw that with Butch, and we know how that story ends.

 

[lukeneyland]

I don't know, I feel like Heupel's history, when you dig into the details, just casts more questions. Of his 28 wins at UCF, only 10 of those teams he beat had winning records at the end of the season. Then you start examining the losses, and it starts to look more and more like his offense is quite good at running up points on bad teams, and then becomes relatively pedestrian against competent teams.

Is moving to the SEC going to change that? I don't know, but it's definitely not going to get easier to find wins, that's for sure. You’re line of reasoning has logic for sure. I might point to how he did against LSU a few years ago

I hope that he's capable of adjusting his system where it needs to be adjusted and doesn't fall into the trap where he starts believing that the system if fine, and it's just the players and the assistant coaches that aren't buying in and making it happen; we saw that with Butch, and we know how that story ends.

 

[miket4god]

To play devil's advocate, Pittman is 9th and was 3-7 (beating an incompetent coach in Pruitt and the 2 MS schools). Which of the 8 coaches above him do you bump?

Saban - Nope
O, Jimbo - Have nattys
Smart - Been in champ game

Mullen - Ain't no chance in hell you would let that happen (ha ha)

Harsin - Maybe but Won a ton at Boise
Stoops - Turned UK dumpster fire around
Drinkwitz - Maybe but Mizzou was in the dumps too last year


I think Pittman did a great job last year but before bumping him too high, let's see what things look like with a more normal offseason for the other 13 teams.

Harsin needs to prove it to me. Koetter, Dan Hawkins, and Chris Petersen already had Boise rolling. All he had to do was not screw it up. We'll see how he does against LSU, A&M and Bama before I put him in the top half of the SEC coaches.

 

[BeardedVol]

You’re line of reasoning has logic for sure. I might point to how he did against LSU a few years ago

Given the number of players who are choosing to opt out, it's hard to take non-CFP bowl performances very seriously these days; that one especially so.

Besides that, Heupel's offense only managed 11 points in the second half once LSU got their players who were sitting out for the A&M fight, back in the game.

 

[BeardedVol]

Harsin needs to prove it to me. Koetter, Dan Hawkins, and Chris Petersen already had Boise rolling. All he had to do was not screw it up. We'll see how he does against LSU, A&M and Bama before I put him in the top half of the SEC coaches.

I think Harsin, rightly or wrongly, is getting the benefit of the doubt because he did more in his first year at Boise State with Petersen's players, than Petersen did in his last year there, and he consistently won through nearly two full recruiting cycles.

 

[miket4god]

I think Harsin, rightly or wrongly, is getting the benefit of the doubt because he did more in his first year at Boise State with Petersen's players, than Petersen did in his last year there, and he consistently won through nearly two full recruiting cycles.

Probably so. But he also never had a better season than the one he did in his first year with Petersen's players. He equaled it several years later and definitely deserves credit for that.

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

Given the number of players who are choosing to opt out, it's hard to take non-CFP bowl performances very seriously these days; that one especially so.

Besides that, Heupel's offense only managed 11 points in the second half once LSU got their players who were sitting out for the A&M fight, back in the game.

LSU had like 16 starters out for that game. I expect JH to flop if I’m being honest but I’m going to give him a chance and judge after 3 seasons at least

 

[lukeneyland]

Given the number of players who are choosing to opt out, it's hard to take non-CFP bowl performances very seriously these days; that one especially so.

Besides that, Heupel's offense only managed 11 points in the second half once LSU got their players who were sitting out for the A&M fight, back in the game.

That’s a fair point. But it’s not like those players LSU had on the bench were bad either. They were still probably a better collection of talent than most people had that year. It’s not the end all be all answer to the question we’re both asking but I do think it could have positive implications.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

Imo, Stoops is no lower than 5 and could be as high as 2. Mullen is middle of the pack and Heupel is an incomplete. I'd imagine he's going to be somewhere in the top 5 in a few yrs.

Mullen outperformed Stoops at a tougher job (MSU) then won the East last year. Just think the Dawg in you can't stand that butt whipping you received last year...

I think Stoops is a top 7 coach but there is no piece of evidence suggests he is better than Mullen since both have coached at bottom tier SEC jobs

 

[BeardedVol]

That’s a fair point. But it’s not like those players LSU had on the bench were bad either. They were still probably a better collection of talent than most people had that year. It’s not the end all be all answer to the question we’re both asking but I do think it could have positive implications.

It's true, but how many times have we watched good teams play like garbage in a bowl game after a month off, and the fact that it's a glorified scrimage?

I just don't think you can base any prediction off of non-CFP bowl performances these days.

 

[AurantiacoFan]

Every time I see things like this, I catch myself thinking "Thank God we are in the East"

 

[Mtnvol80]

It's true, but how many times have we watched good teams play like garbage in a bowl game after a month off, and the fact that it's a glorified scrimage?

I just don't think you can base any prediction off of non-CFP bowl performances these days.

Yep. Look at the beating Florida took in the bowl game. Trask was the only offensive player not to opt out it seemed. This week be the normal going forward unless the team is in the playoffs. Bowl games can not be used for a gauge of any kind

 

[TennesseeFan07]

Lane Kiffin's spot is laughable.