Alabama Football: Ranking the SEC coaching hot-seats

Unlike Alabama football coach, Nick Saban, other SEC coaches are often on a hot-seat in their SEC careers. Check the rankings from hottest to not.

Speaking about SEC football coach hot-seats, Alabama football coach, Nick Saban is permanently excluded. There will never be a hot seat for Nick Saban at Alabama. Forget the old adage, never say never, we mean NEVER for Nick Saban at Alabama.

No other coach in college football is so immune. They are all vulnerable to hot seat status. The difference between them is a matter of degree, meaning how many bad seasons it would take. Going into the 2018 SEC football season, seven other SEC head coaches are new or new enough in their jobs to be safe. The seven are Jeremy Pruitt, Joe Moorhead, Chad Morris, Dan Mullen, Jimbo Fisher, Will Muschamp and Kirby Smart.

That leaves six SEC football coaches on a hot seat and we rank them below from the least hot to most hot. None in the SEC group of six are as vulnerable as some coaches from other Power Five conferences. In four seasons, David Beaty has three wins at Kansas. Kliff Kingsbury has somehow stayed employed for what will be his sixth season at Texas Tech. His record is 30-33 as a head coach and the Red Raiders have lost 14 games over the last two seasons. Beaty and Kingsbury have the hottest of seats in college football.

No. 6 (as in least hot) – Gus Malzahn

How can a man with a recent $49 million, seven-year contract extension be on a hot seat? Consider this – last season Malzahn seriously considered a move to Arkansas. One of his motivations was a growing belief that unless he beat Georgia and Alabama, Auburn was going to fire him.

Gus survived with the two wins over Auburn’s greatest rivals – but – it did not get Auburn much. Not only was there no SEC Championship victory but their most hated rival won the national championship. It was almost as if the Iron Bowl did not matter. Auburn should be good in 2018. If they are not, Gus’ new deal will not protect him from sliding down this list at the end of the season.

Here is the scenario that puts Gus back on the hot seat – lose the opener to Washington, then a loss to LSU at home in week three. If a third loss happens three weeks later in Starkville, Gus will again have to beat Georgia and Alabama to stay on solid footing.

No. 5 – Matt Luke – Ole Miss

Expectations are low for Luke and Ole Miss due to NCAA restrictions. He should be fine until 2019 no matter how poorly Ole Miss plays in 2018. But, most CFB experts see Luke as a caretaker guy in Oxford until Ole Miss can attract a bigger name coach.

No. 4 – Mark Stoops – Kentucky

By Kentucky football standards, Mark Stoops has done rather well for the Wildcats. He has led them to two consecutive bowl games, following 7-6 seasons. Overall his record is 26-36 in five seasons. Seven wins in 2018 might keep him employed in Lexington. Six might not and only five wins might cause Kentucky to look elsewhere. Stoops makes almost $4 million per season. Even at Kentucky, that much money does not equate to a perennial seven-win ceiling.

No. 3 – Barry Odom – Missouri

In mid-October last season, few CFB pundits could see Odom surviving the season. Then the Tigers won six straight before losing to Texas in a bowl game. Missouri might win eight or nine games in 2018. If the Tigers pick up six wins or less, Odom will be in serious trouble again.

No. 2 – Derek Mason – Vanderbilt

Mason will enter his fifth Vandy season this fall. For the Commodores every season is a slog toward six wins. Except for a couple of nine-win seasons under James Franklin, Vandy has reached at least six wins only four seasons since 1975. One of those four was under Derek Mason. Derek Mason is not the problem in Nashville. Nevertheless, he will probably need six wins again to survive.

Every game is an urgent situation for Vandy. The opener will be particularly important for Mason. He cannot afford the ramification of losing to Middle Tennessee State.

No. 1 – Ed Orgeron – LSU

How long the SEC’s worst head coach can survive at LSU is debatable. Coach O may have some added job security because the worst AD in the SEC does not want to admit he made a hiring mistake.

LSU could win eight or nine games on talent alone in 2018. Or the Bengal Tigers could slump to something less. How bad is Orgeron? Sports columnist, Gene Sapakoff ranked the 28 SEC and ACC head coaches. Alabama football coach, Nick Saban was of course, first. Dabo was second. Where was Coach O? No. 28 – dead last. Geaux Tigers.

Next: 30 Great Tide Players who were 3-Star Recruits

If anyone wonders, we are not rooting for any of the SEC coaches to lose their jobs. From a perspective of Alabama football, we also endorse lifetime contracts for Gus and Coach O.