Athlon SEC Coaches Rankings

[RME]

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/athlon-sports-ranks-130-fbs-head-coaches-heading-2017/

Ranks all SEC coaches amongst all 130 FBS coaches:

Nick Saban, Alabama (No. 1)
Dan Mullen, Mississippi State (No. 19)
Jim McElwain, Florida (No. 21)
Gus Malzahn, Auburn (No. 22)
Bret Bielema, Arkansas (No. 27)
Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss (No. 29)
Butch Jones, Tennessee (No. 30)
Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M (No. 40)
Will Muschamp, South Carolina (No. 55)
Mark Stoops, Kentucky (No. 60)
Derek Mason, Vanderbilt (No. 64)
Kirby Smart, Georgia (No. 65)
Ed Orgeron, LSU (No. 81)
Barry Odom, Missouri (No. 105)

Full list:

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/ranking-all-130-college-football-head-coaches-2017

[ShadowHawg]

Dang, looking at that really points out the loss of big time names from the sec in recent years.

[PorkSoda]

Dang, looking at that really points out the loss of big time names from the sec in recent years.

no doubt, it wasn't that long ago that the SEC prolly had five of the top ten and prolly 10 in the top 25

[RME]

no doubt, it wasn't that long ago that the SEC prolly had five of the top ten and prolly 10 in the top 25

Was really surprised Mullen was all the way down at #19 nationally. Would've considered him to be probably top 10 if not top 7.

[factchecker]

Was really surprised Mullen was all the way down at #19 nationally. Would've considered him to be probably top 10 if not top 7.

Top 10 for his QB development alone.

I'm shocked that Mullen is still in Starkville.

[PorkSoda]

Was really surprised Mullen was all the way down at #19 nationally. Would've considered him to be probably top 10 if not top 7.

Sumlin at one time would have been considered a top 25 coach as well.

also on second look apparently CBB is a top 5 coach in the SEC

[Deep Shoat]

Sumlin at one time would have been considered a top 25 coach as well.

also on second look apparently CBB is a top 5 coach in the SEC

Don't you mean Barry Alvarez is a Top 5 coach in the SEC?  Oh, wait...

[Sivad]

Freeze fixing to get an asterisk*

[hawgmasta]

Top 10 for his QB development alone.

I'm shocked that Mullen is still in Starkville.

I mean really, I think he would do extremely well at a school with more resources. (Bag men)

[FBREW000]

Not trying to poo poo on Mullen, however.. look at his record and competition the past several years.  Way too many low level programs that he has built that record over.

FWIW

[sowmonella]

Not trying to poo poo on Mullen, however.. look at his record and competition the past several years.  Way too many low level programs that he has built that record over.

FWIW

I don't get the love for Mullen either. Prescott was a once in a decade player at MSU. Likewise with Cam/Gus. Take him away and you've not got much to point at.

[Hoggish1]

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/athlon-sports-ranks-130-fbs-head-coaches-heading-2017/

Ranks all SEC coaches amongst all 130 FBS coaches:

Nick Saban, Alabama (No. 1)
Dan Mullen, Mississippi State (No. 19)
Jim McElwain, Florida (No. 21)
Gus Malzahn, Auburn (No. 22)
Bret Bielema, Arkansas (No. 27)
Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss (No. 29)
Butch Jones, Tennessee (No. 30)
Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M (No. 40)
Will Muschamp, South Carolina (No. 55)
Mark Stoops, Kentucky (No. 60)
Derek Mason, Vanderbilt (No. 64)
Kirby Smart, Georgia (No. 65)
Ed Orgeron, LSU (No. 81)
Barry Odom, Missouri (No. 105)

Full list:

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/ranking-all-130-college-football-head-coaches-2017

Their choices for Nos. 21 & 22 are puzzling.

[Polecat]

Saban has chased/kept all the elite coaches away

[Hog Fan...DOH!]

Not trying to poo poo on Mullen, however.. look at his record and competition the past several years.  Way too many low level programs that he has built that record over.

FWIW

You can always end any Mullen discussion with... he's winning at Mississippi State!!! 

[Cinco de Hogo]

On second thought that list is a joke!  There may be coaches doing very well outside the SEC but there is a reason you are a SEC coach and it's not your painting abilities.  There is also a reason most of those top coaches want no part of the SEC grind.

They don't think they could cut it in the SEC like they do in their little pond.

[Poker_hog]

Bert is 27, not bad, problem is he replaced a guy that is ranked in the top 10.

[TNhawgfan]

Bret is 27, not bad, problem is he replaced a guy that is ranked in the top 10.

JLS is top 10? That's shocking

[ShadowHawg]

I don't get the love for Mullen either. Prescott was a once in a decade player at MSU. Likewise with Cam/Gus. Take him away and you've not got much to point at.

Malzahn went to the title game with Marshall also which is why he's ranked 22.

Mclewayne being 21 is a complete mystery.

[ShadowHawg]

JLS is top 10? That's shocking

Jls was an interim coach. So B did in fact replace Petrino.

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

Butch Jones ranked too high, Derek Mason ranked too low

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

Bret is 27, not bad, problem is he replaced a guy that is ranked in the top 10.

According to finebaum, petrino doesn't belong in the top 10 lol

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

Saban has chased/kept all the elite coaches away

bingo. None of the great coaches want to come here and risk their legacy when they know they will be compared to Saban every year. Meyer saw the writing on the wall and gout the heck outta dodge

[oldhawg]

bingo. None of the great coaches want to come here and risk their legacy when they know they will be compared to Saban every year. Meyer saw the writing on the wall and gout the heck outta dodge

I really don't believe this.

Could be that they are happy with their current gig. Maybe their families are very satisfied living where they are. Maybe they feel very appreciated by their current school, athletic department, and boosters.  Maybe they feel like they are earning enough money for the returns.  Maybe they just do not want to join the college football arms race that exists in the SEC. 

I just do not believe that they are "afraid" of competition, or that they may lose their legacy by competing against Nick Saban.  Example: Dabo Sweeny has not struck me as a coach who does not want to compete against Nick Saban.  Nor do i believe that other coaches are scared away from the SEC by the specter of playing a Saban coached Alabama team.

[RME]

I really don't believe this. Could be that they are happy with their current
I really don't believe this.

Could be that they are happy with their current gig. Maybe their families are very satisfied living where they are. Maybe they feel very appreciated by their current school, athletic department, and boosters.  Maybe they feel like they are earning enough money for the returns.  Maybe they just do not want to join the college football arms race that exists in the SEC. 

I just do not believe that they are "afraid" of competition, or that they may lose their legacy by competing against Nick Saban.  Example: Dabo Sweeny has not struck me as a coach who does not want to compete against Nick Saban.  Nor do i believe that other coaches are scared away from the SEC by the specter of playing a Saban coached Alabama team.

I agree. I will never buy into that train of thought. College football coaches are some of the most competitive, arrogant, egotistical people on this planet. As you said, many might be happy with their current situation, but one can't tell me a coach like Dabo or Jimbo or Bobby (though he never did) wouldn't revel in the possibility to dethrone Saban. Hell, Dabo's done it once and almost twice.

[RME]

Malzahn went to the title game with Marshall also which is why he's ranked 22.

Mclewayne being 21 is a complete mystery.

I get that it's easy to probably use our rout of Florida as a base for this, but McElwain has won the East both years he's been at Florida, and turned Colorado State around during his three years there, winning 18 in his last two years. Before that, he was a pretty salty OC at Fresno State and Alabama. He's only been a head coach for 5 seasons, and as goofy and ugly a guy as he is, his wins back him up.

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

So you guys really believe Urban Meyer had health conditions bad enough that he had to step away from coaching? If the health issue was really as bad as he claims, he wouldn't have been coaching a year later. Stoops is going to pull the same stunt and pop up at Notre Dame in a year. The only people who want to be SEC coaches alongside saban are guys who are trying to make a name for themselves (coordinators and guys from smaller schools). Of course there are exceptions, but look around the conference and youll see that it holds true. Only a few of the current SEC coaches were big name head coaches before coming here. That's not a coincidence

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I really don't believe this. Could be that they are happy with their current
I really don't believe this.

Could be that they are happy with their current gig. Maybe their families are very satisfied living where they are. Maybe they feel very appreciated by their current school, athletic department, and boosters.  Maybe they feel like they are earning enough money for the returns.  Maybe they just do not want to join the college football arms race that exists in the SEC. 

I just do not believe that they are "afraid" of competition, or that they may lose their legacy by competing against Nick Saban.  Example: Dabo Sweeny has not struck me as a coach who does not want to compete against Nick Saban.  Nor do i believe that other coaches are scared away from the SEC by the specter of playing a Saban coached Alabama team.

I agree in that I don't think it is a matter of being afraid to compete with Saban but it is really just a matter of good judgement on behalf of HC's at other schools outside the SEC. Saban is certainly a good HC and as we know, he typically fields a heck of a team, but you also have to deal with the rest of the conference as well and sometimes that can be a handful as well.

In Dabo's case, if I had a pretty sweet gig at Clemson where the only teams that I really had to worry about most of the time were Florida State and Louisville to get to my CCG and given the typically weaker Coastal Division, I'd stick with Clemson.

If I were coaching Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State or even Wisconsin, why make a move to a job in the SEC if I wanted to have any hair left? You kinda rule the roost in the Big Ten and you only have to worry about 2-3 other teams. It's stressful enough, why add to the stress in not only having to win at a high level but having to recruit against other SEC schools?

Same goes for having a job at somewhere like S. California. Recruiting is in your favor, you have a lot to sell with respected university and a beach city and who is your competition in the Pac 12 South? Usually, it isn't that difficult though Colorado was a surprise this past year.

I just think it is a matter of using their heads and not having to make life more difficult for themselves than it needs to be.

[RME]

So you guys really believe Urban Meyer had health conditions bad enough that he had to step away from coaching? If the health issue was really as bad as he claims, he wouldn't have been coaching a year later. Stoops is going to pull the same stunt and pop up at Notre Dame in a year. The only people who want to be SEC coaches alongside saban are guys who are trying to make a name for themselves (coordinators and guys from smaller schools). Of course there are exceptions, but look around the conference and youll see that it holds true. Only a few of the current SEC coaches were big name head coaches before coming here. That's not a coincidence

Urban Meyer was 2-2 head to head against Saban. That's a hell of a lot better than a lot of coaches can say. I do and always have thought the health thing was a cop out of sorts, but I'm not Urban. I don't know his thoughts.

As for Stoops...do you mean Mike or Bob going to Notre Dame? Bob had everything he could've asked for at Oklahoma and the Big 12 is in a freefall. Since 2010 he's had 6 10-win seasons or better.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

So you guys really believe Urban Meyer had health conditions bad enough that he had to step away from coaching? If the health issue was really as bad as he claims, he wouldn't have been coaching a year later. Stoops is going to pull the same stunt and pop up at Notre Dame in a year. The only people who want to be SEC coaches alongside saban are guys who are trying to make a name for themselves (coordinators and guys from smaller schools). Of course there are exceptions, but look around the conference and youll see that it holds true. Only a few of the current SEC coaches were big name head coaches before coming here. That's not a coincidence

I agree about Meyer but I think you are dead wrong about Stoops. You have to know his family medical background. That isn't made up and the fear of pushing it too far into his years has been on his mind for a long time. I don't think that you will ever see Stoops being a HC again.

[oldhawg]

So you guys really believe Urban Meyer had health conditions bad enough that he had to step away from coaching? If the health issue was really as bad as he claims, he wouldn't have been coaching a year later. Stoops is going to pull the same stunt and pop up at Notre Dame in a year. The only people who want to be SEC coaches alongside saban are guys who are trying to make a name for themselves (coordinators and guys from smaller schools). Of course there are exceptions, but look around the conference and youll see that it holds true. Only a few of the current SEC coaches were big name head coaches before coming here. That's not a coincidence

One rumor has it that Meyer's problems stemmed from his relationship with a young female graduate student which led to his departure from Florida (sound familiar).  Could be that his wife was making it very "unhealthy" for him to remain at Florida.  Also, as I recall, since Meyer has been at Ohio State,  he has beaten a Saban coached team in a nationally significant game.  I do not believe that Meyer left Florida because he was afraid to compete against Saban.  There appear to have been other more extenuating factors.     

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

I agree in that I don't think it is a matter of being afraid to compete with Saban but it is really just a matter of good judgement on behalf of HC's at other schools outside the SEC. Saban is certainly a good HC and as we know, he typically fields a heck of a team, but you also have to deal with the rest of the conference as well and sometimes that can be a handful as well.

In Dabo's case, if I had a pretty sweet gig at Clemson where the only teams that I really had to worry about most of the time were Florida State and Louisville to get to my CCG and given the typically weaker Coastal Division, I'd stick with Clemson.

If I were coaching Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State or even Wisconsin, why make a move to a job in the SEC if I wanted to have any hair left? You kinda rule the roost in the Big Ten and you only have to worry about 2-3 other teams. It's stressful enough, why add to the stress in not only having to win at a high level but having to recruit against other SEC schools?

Same goes for having a job at somewhere like S. California. Recruiting is in your favor, you have a lot to sell with respected university and a beach city and who is your competition in the Pac 12 South? Usually, it isn't that difficult though Colorado was a surprise this past year.

I just think it is a matter of using their heads and not having to make life more difficult for themselves than it needs to be.

Very well said

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

One rumor has it that Meyer's problems stemmed from his relationship with a young female graduate student which led to his departure from Florida (sound familiar).  Could be that his wife was making it very "unhealthy" for him to remain at Florida.  Also, as I recall, since Meyer has been at Ohio State,  he has beaten a Saban coached team in a nationally significant game.  I do not believe that Meyer left Florida because he was afraid to compete against Saban.  There appear to have been other more extenuating factors.     

Got any facts? An argument based on a rumor doesn't hold much weight

[oldhawg]

I agree in that I don't think it is a matter of being afraid to compete with Saban but it is really just a matter of good judgement on behalf of HC's at other schools outside the SEC. Saban is certainly a good HC and as we know, he typically fields a heck of a team, but you also have to deal with the rest of the conference as well and sometimes that can be a handful as well.

In Dabo's case, if I had a pretty sweet gig at Clemson where the only teams that I really had to worry about most of the time were Florida State and Louisville to get to my CCG and given the typically weaker Coastal Division, I'd stick with Clemson.

If I were coaching Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State or even Wisconsin, why make a move to a job in the SEC if I wanted to have any hair left? You kinda rule the roost in the Big Ten and you only have to worry about 2-3 other teams. It's stressful enough, why add to the stress in not only having to win at a high level but having to recruit against other SEC schools?

Same goes for having a job at somewhere like S. California. Recruiting is in your favor, you have a lot to sell with respected university and a beach city and who is your competition in the Pac 12 South? Usually, it isn't that difficult though Colorado was a surprise this past year.

I just think it is a matter of using their heads and not having to make life more difficult for themselves than it needs to be.

All good thoughts. 

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

[oldhawg]

Got any facts? An argument based on a rumor doesn't hold much weight

Your kidding.  On Hogville?

[RME]

Got any facts? An argument based on a rumor doesn't hold much weight

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/news/2178871-urban-meyer-florida-ohio-state-ncaa-violation-recruiting-drugs-program-will-musc

https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/report-urban-meyer-might-not-squeaky-clean-193144129.html

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1698002-urban-meyers-legacy-at-florida-was-tarnished-well-before-2013

Three well-known sources all saying the same thing. Nothing about an affair, but that the Florida program was "broken" by Meyer's time there.

[oldhawg]

Got any facts? An argument based on a rumor doesn't hold much weight

As stated, it was a widely circulated rumor, that was also discussed on Hogville.  I have tried the search function to pull that thread back up, but get a message that the search domain is currently unavailable.  I will try again later.

[gchamblee]

So you guys really believe Urban Meyer had health conditions bad enough that he had to step away from coaching? If the health issue was really as bad as he claims, he wouldn't have been coaching a year later. Stoops is going to pull the same stunt and pop up at Notre Dame in a year. The only people who want to be SEC coaches alongside saban are guys who are trying to make a name for themselves (coordinators and guys from smaller schools). Of course there are exceptions, but look around the conference and youll see that it holds true. Only a few of the current SEC coaches were big name head coaches before coming here. That's not a coincidence

Nope. I think he saw that OSU was going to be hiring a coach and he retired and sat out for a year to avoid contract penalties so that he could be a free man when the interviews started. That's my opinion.

[hog of steele]

With the BCS going to the SEC made sense. There was one game you had to win to be the champ. The only way you could guarantee getting in that game was to win the SEC.

Now that we have a playoff the SEC just doesn't make as much sense. Sure the schools have the best access to talent and the biggest paychecks. That is nice. But if you want to win championships, going undefeated in any conference will get you in the game. So good coaches don't need to move the SEC to get their shots at the top prize.

As Ohio State and Mich continue to lock up the big 10, that will become less desirable as well.

[Inhogswetrust]

I'm curious as to how Orgegon can be ranked higher than Odom. I guess they though he worked miracles at old misses..................................

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Macintyre at Colorado is better IMO than a majority to the coaches ranked ahead of him.

Gotta admit, he's done a heck of a job at Colorado but we will see how he does without Jim Leavitt as his DC.

[factchecker]

Macintyre at Colorado is better IMO than a majority to the coaches ranked ahead of him.

His overall record is 20-31 at Colorado:

2013: 4-8
2014: 2-10
2015: 4-9
2016: 10-4

He has a 35-52 overall record as a head coach.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

His overall record is 20-31 at Colorado:

2013: 4-8
2014: 2-10
2015: 4-9
2016: 10-4

He has a 35-52 overall record as a head coach.

10-4 last season makes a pretty strong case for retention.

[factchecker]

10-4 last season makes a pretty strong case for retention.

No doubt.  10-4 at Colorado is not an easy task.  However, that overall record is not very good.  As you said we will see how well Macintyre does without Leavitt.  The argument that he deserves a better ranking reminds me of LSU fans complaining about Orgeron's ranking.

I like Coach O and I think he will move up the rankings simply based on his ability to out talent teams with LSU but his ranking is pretty much spot on when you consider his overall record of 22-29.  He was 10-25 at Ole Miss with a 3-21 conference record.  Some corndogs were arguing that the list was garbage because the #81 coach beat the #10 coach but single game head to head is a horrible judge of coaching ability.

[factchecker]

Something else to consider when looking at this list:

Potential replacements for if/when/however Coach Bielema departs the program.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

No doubt.  10-4 at Colorado is not an easy task.  However, that overall record is not very good.  As you said we will see how well Macintyre does without Leavitt.  The argument that he deserves a better ranking reminds me of LSU fans complaining about Orgeron's ranking.

I like Coach O and I think he will move up the rankings simply based on his ability to out talent teams with LSU but his ranking is pretty much spot on when you consider his overall record of 22-29.  He was 10-25 at Ole Miss with a 3-21 conference record.  Some corndogs were arguing that the list was garbage because the #81 coach beat the #10 coach but single game head to head is a horrible judge of coaching ability.

Of course we forget that he was 6-2 as the Interim HC at USC (6-1 in conference play). His best record when he took over for the fired Lane Kiffin who started out the season 3-2 with a 10-7 loss to Washington State and a 62-41 thrashing by Arizona State.

[factchecker]

Of course we forget that he was 6-2 as the Interim HC at USC (6-1 in conference play). His best record when he took over for the fired Lane Kiffin who started out the season 3-2 with a 10-7 loss to Washington State and a 62-41 thrashing by Arizona State.

O's best records as a coach is as an interim. He is 12-4 as an interim coach.  We will see how good of a head coach he is over the next couple of years - although I think it's going to be real hard to screw up with the talent down in Baton Rouge.

I'll give O credit for getting two really good coordinators.  Aranda and Canada are great coaches.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

O's best records as a coach is as an interim. He is 12-4 as an interim coach.  We will see how good of a head coach he is over the next couple of years - although I think it's going to be real hard to screw up with the talent down in Baton Rouge.

I'll give O credit for getting two really good coordinators.  Aranda and Canada are great coaches.

If you have great Coordinator's part of being successful as a HC is being able to get yourself out of the way and allowing them to do their jobs. Bielema has been criticized for trying to do this at Arkansas but Ash didn't stay around long enough to build anything and he might have just made a bad decision with Robb Smith. A difficult lesson learned. Hopefully Rhoads will produce on defense at a similar level as Enos has on offense. If that can happen, we might just have something to work with.