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SEC Sports
Hot Seat: CBS Sports ranks SEC Football head coaches' seats from hottest to coolest
The SEC has half of their conference under some of the most pressure in college football per the annual hot-seat ratings by CBS Sports.
The SEC has about half of the head men under more pressure than the rest, with a trio in ‘start improving now,’ who are among the top five in all of college football this upcoming season. Then, a quartet in ‘pressure is mounting’ and one in ‘all good…for now.’ The rest left the vote feeling good about where they stand, with six being ‘safe and secure’ and a pair of coaches reaching to ‘untouchable.’
With that, here’s where their 16 head coaches rate as far as the hot seat according to those at CBS Sports:
Oklahoma’s Brent Venables- 4.67
Venables isn’t just the coach under the most pressure in the Southeastern Conference. He’s the one with the highest rating on the hot seat overall in the FBS, with his number being at 4.67, which is more than double what it was at this time last year when he was at a 2.0 and is two decimal points higher than the next coaches on the list in the 4.4s.
This is an obvious one, with OU being 22-17 (.564) through three seasons of his tenure, two of those being losing records at 6-7, including last year during their debut in the SEC. Now, with the investment they’ve made this offseason into this year’s team, the Sooners could be looking for a new coach next offseason if they disappoint again after what would be the program’s most disappointing run since the turn of the century.
Arkansas’ Sam Pittman- 4.22
In a three-way tie for fourth place is where Pittman finds himself at 4.22. That’s actually down from being a full-on five a year ago as the Razorbacks went 7-6 to get him at least to another season in Fayetteville.
That said, Pittman is by no means safe at 30-31 (.492) over a half decade as head coach of the ‘Hogs. At least another bowl berth, if not more, considering how routinely they’ve found themselves at just .500, could be what’s needed for this to continue on for a seventh season at Arkansas.
Auburn’s Hugh Freeze- 4.22
Also in that tie for fourth is Freeze at 4.22. Like Venables, Freeze also more than doubles the pressure on him after being a 2.0 last year. That’s after two seasons on The Plains, where the Tigers are 11-14 (.440), including a slight step back even this past fall at 5-7.
Things appeared to be trending well here with this season targeted as the first signs of success for the program of this tenure, and this decade for that matter, with what they’d done off the field. However, with that record paired with the recent headlines about him this summer, Freeze could have more time to work on his golf swing if this year doesn’t go well for him at Auburn.
Florida’s Billy Napier- 3.67
Napier has been on a hot seat for some time now, specifically with how last season ended, taking him off it just a bit as he’s down from 4.0 to 3.67 after finishing at 8-5. He’s still in the Top 10, though, which represents the pressure he’s still under in Gainesville.
Being 5-7 in their final seven games, including four straight with a pair of big upsets to end the year, the Gators showed a sign of life but still only have Napier’s record at 19-19 (.500) with the Gators. Continuing that trajectory from the end of last season, if not better with dark horse hopes here for them to contend for a playoff spot, could now be what’s needed for him to stay on in the Swamp.
Kentucky’s Mark Stoops- 3.56
Stoops is the longest-tenured coach in the SEC with an all-time run leading the program in Lexington as the Wildcats are 77-73 (.513) under him since 2013. Even so, a new name could be the longest-tenured in the league by next offseason if things don’t get better in the bluegrass.
UK is trending down overall as it has followed two finishes at 7-6 with last season’s record of 4-8. That has taken Stoops from safety and security to more than double the pressure now as he’s in the Top 10 as well, with this season being a pivotal one for this once successful tenure at Kentucky.
LSU’s Brian Kelly - 3.33
Rounding out the top six is Kelly, who’s in a four-way tie with three other power-level coaches in Florida State’s Mike Norvell, USC’s Lincoln Riley, and Virginia’s Tony Elliott. That’s with Kelly, as well as Norvell, tying for the biggest mount in pressure as both went from untouchable at zeros to averages of 3.33.
It’s hard to think a coach who’s 29-11 (.725) with the Tigers and has the second-highest win percentage among active head coaches at (.728) would have a seat that is getting hot. That’s just the level of expectations at LSU, with a loss in its lone appearance in the SEC Championship and no berths into the College Football Playoff under him being failures for Kelly so far in Baton Rouge.
Remaining hot-seat ratings for head coaches in the SEC:
Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby – 3.0
Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer – 2.33
Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea – 1.78
Texas A&M’s Mike Elko – 1.67
Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz – 1.11
Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin – 1.11
South Carolina’s Shane Beamer – 1.11
Tennessee’s Josh Heupel – 1.11
Texas’ Steve Sarkisian – 0.44
Georgia’s Kirby Smart – 0.11
