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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; Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl reacts against the Missouri Tigers during the first half of game two of the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl reacts against the Missouri Tigers during the first half of game two of the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /

No.8 Bruce Pearl – Head Coach Auburn

After serving his well-deserved “Show Cause” banishment by the NCAA, Pearl just finished his third season in Auburn. The day after losing in the opening round of the SEC Tournament to Missouri, Auburn University announced it would decline a bid for post-season play in the CIT.

It was a rare display of quiet sensibility by the Tigers. Carnival huckster, Bruce could have coached the game bare-chested, clad in orange body paint. Who knows how much of a recruiting boost that could have given the Tigers.

In three seasons at Auburn, Pearl is 44-54. In fairness to Pearl, this season’s 18-14 record is much better than the 11 wins last season. For Auburn, this season was only the third winning season in the last 14 years, going back to 2003-04.

Pearl recruits well and Auburn has an abundance of young talent. 247 Sports ranks the Tigers’ recruiting class as only No.37 in the nation, but Auburn’s three best players this season were freshmen. The Tigers don’t need much of a talent boost to continue their improvement.

Pearl is under no pressure at Auburn. Beating Alabama twice this season gave Bruce at least another three seasons. His teams play an exciting style of “run, chunk, and dunk” basketball.

The Pearl style is similar to ‘Air-Raid” football offenses, called “Feast or Famine” attacks many years ago. When Auburn is feasting, they can beat some good teams; like TCU this season, or blow out some pretty good teams as Auburn did to Alabama.

It is not a style of play that wins basketball championships, but it can keep filling up the Auburn Arena.

No. 7 Andy Kennedy – Head Coach Ole Miss

Andy Kennedy has done well in his eleven seasons at Ole Miss. He has never had a losing season in Oxford. In nine of the 11 seasons, his teams won 20 or more games. The two “down” years, Ole Miss won 16 and 19 games.

Kennedy has taken the Rebels/Black Bears to the NCAA tournament twice. Under Kennedy, Ole Miss won the SEC Tournament Championship in 2013.

If this rating exercise was heavily weighted for consistency, Andy Kennedy would be near the top.

Ole Miss has only won five NCAA Tournament games in its history and Kennedy has won two of them. At a school with modest expectations for basketball success, Kennedy’s performance has been exemplary.

Ole Miss is a No. 5 seed in the NIT Tournament and will travel to face Monmouth.

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