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Alabama Basketball: SEC Coaches Ranked From Worst To Best in 2017

By Ronald Evans

Mar 12, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Moses Kingsley (33) and Kentucky Wildcats forward Edrice Adebayo (3) compete for the opening tip of the championship game during the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Moses Kingsley (33) and Kentucky Wildcats forward Edrice Adebayo (3) compete for the opening tip of the championship game during the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 8, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Terrence Phillips (1) reacts with head coach Kim Anderson after fouling out during the second half against the Auburn Tigers during the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Missouri won 86-83 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Terrence Phillips (1) reacts with head coach Kim Anderson after fouling out during the second half against the Auburn Tigers during the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Missouri won 86-83 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

No.14 Johnny Jones – Former Head Coach LSU

Johnny “The Bullet” Jones played for Dale Brown at LSU in 1981-1984. As a freshman, Jones played on the LSU team that made the Final Four. He was an assistant coach at LSU for eleven seasons under Dale Brown.

Many Tiger fans expected Jones to be chosen as Brown’s replacement but Joe Dean Sr. looked elsewhere. It took Jones fourteen years to make his way back to LSU and his dream job as Head Coach of the Bengal Tigers.

When Jones was hired, LSU AD, Joe Alleva said http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2012/11/long_road_home_but_lsus_johnny.html

"“Not everybody is the right fit at a place like this,” LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva said. “Getting along with people is really important. Johnny loves this place and his love and his passion shows so much, it’s hard not to like him. Our fans love this place so much, and they see that in him and it helps form a special bond.”"

Johnny’s love and passion proved to not be enough for Alleva and LSU. After going 19-14 last season with one-and-done Ben Simmons, LSU slumped to 10-21 this season. Much of the angst about Jones was that he could not build a cohesive team around Simmons who became the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

LSU and Missouri had identical SEC records this season and LSU won two more games overall. Jones earns the No. 14 slot because his team made the biggest fall in 2016-17, going from 19 wins down to 10 wins.

No.13 Kim Anderson – Former Head Coach Missouri

In the last three years of Mike Anderson’s stint at Missouri and the three years that followed under Frank Haith, Missouri averaged more than 25 wins per season.

Haith left Missouri due to scrutiny from a NCAA investigation. Ultimately the NCAA findings against Haith found little wrongdoing but after Haith’s Miami fiasco, he could not afford another blemish.

Missouri’s basketball program was damaged by the eventual NCAA sanctions and its transition to the SEC has been difficult. Kim Anderson inherited a damaged program and leaves it still in need of rebuilding. In fairness to Anderson, he may have battled a no-win situation at Missouri.

Twenty -seven wins over three seasons will get a coach fired in the SEC almost every time. 247 Sports has Missouri ranked as having the No. 103 – 2017-18 recruiting class. The rebuild may take awhile.

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