Shane Sez: Ranking the SEC Coaches

Picking the best coach in the SEC is a difficult task. It goes without saying that the Southeastern Conference is chock-full of good coaches who never say die. However, there is little doubt this league takes no prisoners and quickly separates the men from the boys.

Deciding who is the best is subjective. In light of that, here are my picks:

1. Nick Saban
There is no one else like him. He can evaluate and recruit the best talent, and use his process to build a championship-caliber team with alarming speed. Need proof? Go back and watch the film on last year’s national championship team. All Les Miles had to do was stand there and watch Saban’s players win, because he couldn’t find a clue bag if it smacked him in the head.
2. Steve Spurrier
He is still one of the best. His accomplishments at Florida came close to being Bryant-like. Despite being handicapped with a lousy program, Steve is still able to keep the record respectable. When he finally wakes up and remembers that South Carolina doesn’t really belong in the SEC, maybe he’ll go to a school where he can build another champion.
3. Rich Brooks
This may seem like an odd choice, but this man is winning at Kentucky – a place where most coaches go to die. The NCAA hammered the Wildcats just as bad as Alabama back in 2001, and he still produces very competitive teams – at Kentucky! If Brooks were at a top SEC program he would win a national title.
4. Mark Richt
Many experts believe Richt is the second best SEC head coach of this decade, with two conference championships hanging from his belt. The only thing separating Mark and Nick Saban is the coveted national title Saban owns. This could be the year Richt matches Nick and Steve with one to call his own.
5. Phillip Fulmer
Say what you want, but this guy has survived and thrived in the nations toughest conference for a lot longer than most would’ve expected, although he has struggled to some degree lately. Regardless, he is still has one of the best winning percentages of any active coach.
6. Urban Meyer
He won a national championship, but the feat was accomplished with Ron Zook’s players. Last year, he did less with more than anyone with that much talent should. Meyer is a very good coach and an even better recruiter. If his caustic mouth doesn’t get him run off, he will keep the Gators in position to compete for the SEC title every year.
7. Bob Petrino
This dude has a reputation for being a great coach, but he hasn’t really done anything yet. The manner in which he left his last job has to leave people wondering if Bob may just be about Bob. He will probably win at Arkansas, after a few years of signing the type of players that fit his system.
8. Tommy Tuberville
To put it simply, Tommy is a good football coach. His record of late speaks for itself. However, Tuberville tends to allow his teams to get bushwhacked at the most inopportune times. If Tubby could raise his focus above the team across the state, he might enjoy even more success than he already has.
9. Houston Nutt
Nutt is a great motivator. On the other hand, he is a mediocre field coach. Houston lacks consistency and tends to gamble when he doesn’t need to. Some believe Nutt has stepped into a big pile of poop by going to Ole Miss, but others think he will own the state.
10. Sylvester Croom
Sly is an old-school coach who works in a new, very different world. He seems to insist on doing things the way they used to do them. If he doesn’t change with times, he will stay mired in the middle of the pack.
11. Bobby Johnson
Coach Johnson has the league’s respect and he is focused to say the least. Yet, he is just a small fish trapped in a pool of big sharks. If he would only make the jump, he could probably rule a lesser conference, like the ACC.
12. Les Miles
This clown knows what it feels like to walk into a gold mine. Last year,[ he reaped the benefits from the players put in place by the SEC’s best coach and rode on their backs to LSU’s second national championship in this decade. Miles will be exposed as the clueless windbag he is by the end of this upcoming season.