The prestige and the money are great for SEC football head coaches. The largest percentage of each recruiting cycle's most talented recruits want to play in the SEC. Though there is a wide range of financial support from donors, most SEC football programs are flush with cash.
There is another side to being an SEC coach. It's damn hard to win big in the SEC. Coaches that would do well in the Big 12 or the ACC are at risk of being SEC bottom-feeders.
Lower-Ranked SEC Football Head Coaches
For a reference point on SEC head coaches, CBS recently ranked all the Power Four head coaches. The top 25 will follow, but available now are the coaches ranked No. 26 - No. 68. Exactly half of the SEC's coaches did not make the top 25. The lower-ranked eight were rated from No. 32 to No. 66.
The eight are profiled below with an opinion of any in hot seat status.
- No. 66 Jeff Lebby - Mississippi State - As a first-time head coach and the new coach for the Bulldogs, Lebby is enjoying honeymoon status. His honeymoon should last at least throughout the 2024 season.
- No. 63 Clark Lea - Vanderbilt - Lea is going into his fourth season with the Commodores. His three-season record is a paltry 9-27. The 2022 season brought hope through five wins, but the Dores regressed to another winless SEC season in 2023. Realistically, coaching seats are warm from day one in Nashville. Vanderbilt has won more than six games in a season, only three times since 1976. Before James Franklin bolted to Penn State, Vandy was 9-4 in 2012 and 2013. Lea must show progress in 2024 or a warm seat could turn to scorching.