Which SEC coach is on the hottest seat?
Right, it’s our annual hot seat conversation, in which we rank which SEC coach is on the hot seat at the start of the year.
- Ed Orgeron (LSU): ‘Coach O’ is beloved by his players, but his 15-6 record in Baton Rouge isn’t great, the Tigers have finished 2nd and then 3rd in the conference. If LSU fails to beat Alabama again (they haven’t beaten the Tide since 2011) there’s another major loss like they did to Troy, and seriously underperform with the talent that they have, then the tongues will be wagging. Having said that, if the Tigers fail to beat Miami on Monday night, then the knives could start getting pulled.
- Barry Odom (Missouri): Missouri’s defense was so awful in the first half of the year that Odom needed to pull out a sermon in an effort to stand up for his team. And then good things happened. His SEC opponents fell to pieces, and Odom got his team to a bowl game. But if Missouri struggles this year, Odom might be out.
- Derek Mason (Vanderbilt): There is no question Mason is likeable and a motivator. The problem Mason has is that he’s following on from an excellent coach in James Franklin, and he’s not getting the talent that his predecessor brought in. His 6-26 SEC record (and 18-31 overall record) hasn’t helped, either. Vanderbilt’s not exactly a prized job, but with the ESPN money, it’s certainly got cash.
- Matt Luke (Ole Miss): We get that Luke was thrown into the fire after the different actions of Hugh Freeze, but if Ole Miss has a bad year, then he’ll be looking over his shoulder for a replacement. You know, because someone might actually want the job in 2019.
- Will Muschamp (South Carolina): Expectancy is high this year for Carolina to ‘do something’ in the SEC East. If they were to falter (ie lose to ‘lower grade’ SEC opponents like Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky or – shock horror – Vanderbilt), then the hatred that Muschamp faced at Florida will resurface. You know, because SEC.
- Mark Stoops (Kentucky): Kentucky football fans are beginning to expect more and Stoops is underdelivering most of the time….including a horror-show loss to Florida. Anyway, Stoops talks a good game, but if he doesn’t deliver, then again, he could be seeing his ass get slightly warmer.
- Gus Malzahn (Auburn): Yes, he signed a seven-year contract, but Auburn fans are crazy and they thirst for the success that their cross-state neighbors have. If Auburn falters (despite losing a lot of talent) and gets swept by Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Washington and even Mississippi State, then the seat WILL get hotter.
- Jeremy Pruitt (Tennessee): Tennessee fans are crazy in the fact that every time someone comes after Philip Fulmer (who they ran out of town), they expect a return to the days of Peyton Manning and National Championships. So if Pruitt looks clueless (regardless of whether it’s his first job in charge), there will be questions asked. A lot of them.
- Dan Mullen (Florida): For a very long time, Florida has had a lot of talent but hasn’t had the level of coaching since Urban Meyer left. Unfortunately, Florida has also been a crapshow in terms of player discipline. If Mullen loses AND his players can’t keep out of jail (campus or otherwise), then he’s got a problem.
- Chad Morris (Arkansas): Er, because Arkansas fans are fed up of losing to Texas A&M and Alabama, and crappy non-conference teams. Bret Bielema managed to do all three. And if Morris doesn’t do better, then…
- Jimbo Fisher (Texas A&M): Money ain’t nuthin’ if you aren’t winnin’ that SEC West, boss.
- Nick Saban (Alabama): IF Y’ALL DON’T WIN A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND YOU LOSE TO THOSE PEOPLE AT AUBURN AGAIN, YOU’RE A CRAPPY COACH. GET OUT! – Unreasonable Alabama fan with short memory.
- Kirby Smart (Georgia): BECAUSE WE HIRED YOU TO WIN A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, MAN! IF YOU DON’T DO THAT WE’RE GOING TO TAKE AWAY YOUR SEASON TICKET TO THE CHEETAH! – Unreasonable Georgia megabooster.
- Joe Moorhead (Mississippi State): Despite people saying that Mississippi State is one of the most dangerous teams in the SEC, we don’t believe that Cowbell Nation has that level of expectation. There’s also added bonus points for the fact that he suspended QB Nick Fitzgerald for violating team rules. It’s not every day that a first-year coach suspends his star quarterback.