It’s a new era when it comes to ranking the head coaches in the SEC. With Nick Saban’s retirement, the No. 1 spot goes to Georgia’s Kirby Smart, but the conference has solid depth in the top five. Entering the 2024 college football season, Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, or LSU’s Brian Kelly all have a solid claim to the No. 2 spot behind Smart.
The depth in the SEC coaching ranks also extends to the next tier that includes Tennessee’s Josh Heupel, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops. The arrival of new Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and Oklahoma into the league (Brent Venables) only add to the coaching talent in the SEC.
Success with any college football team starts with coaching. Even if a program doesn’t have the resources of the nation’s elite jobs, a good coach can elevate a program into national title or conference title contention. However, similar to any position on the field, statistics may not tell the full story when judging a coaching tenure.
How did we compile the rankings for coaches by conference? For starters, it’s an impossible task. However, we tried to weigh every possible factor into this ranking. This is not simply a list of coaches ranked by accomplishment or wins. While those aspects are important, it doesn’t provide a complete picture of how successful coaches are. Also, every program has a different amount of resources available. Hierarchy in college football also plays a vital role in how successful programs are. It’s always easier for programs with more built-in advantages to contend for a national title on a more consistent basis.
The above factors, along with career biography/resume, success in developing talent and landing prospects on the recruiting trail factored into the ranking. Additionally, how well programs value staff (is the head coach better as a CEO or hands-on approach) and the facilities or program resources matter into forming an outlook of how coaches have performed at different stops throughout their career.