🏈 The Sporting News ranks the SEC coaches

[18Champs]

 

[TUSKtimes]

How can any self-respecting Alabama fan keep putting up with all this adulation and respect for our coach and football program?

 

[OldPlayer]

Kirby below Sumlin?

 

[pasadena pachyderm]

Kirby should be 4th behind mcelwain and the hatter. Love my shiny crimson glasses

 

[TerryP]

Kirby should be 4th behind mcelwain and the hatter. Love my shiny crimson glasses

Perhaps, red and black shiny glasses?

I can see an argument as to whether he should be ranked above Odom considering neither have coached a game as head coach. But, without that experience, how can either be ranked anywhere else than the bottom of the list?

 

[pasadena pachyderm]

Hardware bro. Hardware

 

[TerryP]

Hardware bro. Hardware

Here's where you and I are going to look at this differently. Any hardware he has, as an assistant coach, doesn't make me want to put him above anyone that's has coached a game. We have no clue how he's going to handle the job as HC. It's as much of a crap shoot with Kirby and UGA as it was with Boom and UF.

Don't get me wrong here. There's A LOT in this ranking I question. That said, I have a very hard time ranking a coach ahead of another when they've never actually been a head coach in a game, ya know?

If we're going by hardware, Gus deserves his ranking. If we're going by actual results? Gus deserves being ranked higher than Stoops or Mason due to having more SEC wins and deserves ranked higher than those who haven't coached a game ... but, in my opinion, no way is he the fourth best coach in the conference. Hell, we might be hard pressed to find many Auburn fans who would rank him that highly.

 

[pasadena pachyderm]

Its all good terryp. Just my bammer view on it. The top 10 doesn't say its just based on hc capability. Just says best coaches.

 

[TerryP]

The top 10 doesn't say its just based on hc capability. Just says best coaches.

Which would be one in the same, right?

Personally, if I look over the list, I'd have Mullen in the top five. It's a toss up with McElwain as far as who is ranked higher. Mullen deserves the attention based on him getting the Bulldogs to the #1 ranking in the polls. At Mississippi State, for goodness sake. I struggle with Coach Mac because we're only looking at one year to make a judgement, but he did get UF to the SECCG in his first season—far more than Boom was able to accomplish.

About all I can say in the end is I think the top two are correct, you could mix up the next four or five with an argument for any of them, and the rest ... who the hell knows?

Another way to look at it: Let's assume Saban retires today. Out of the 13 coaches left, how would you rank them in terms of a guy you wouldn't mind taking over the helm at UA—all hypothetically, of course. :devil: Even though I'd have Miles at #2 on my list on top ranked coaches, he would't be at the top of the list of a guy I'd want UA to hire.

 

[TUSKtimes]

About all I can say in the end is I think the top two are correct, you could mix up the next four or five with an argument for any of them, and the rest ... who the hell knows?

Another way to look at it: Let's assume Saban retires today. Out of the 13 coaches left, how would you rank them in terms of a guy you wouldn't mind taking over the helm at UA—all hypothetically, of course. :devil: Even though I'd have Miles at #2 on my list on top ranked coaches, he would't be at the top of the list of a guy I'd want UA to hire.

If I had to pick, it would be the familiarity of Jim McElwain at this point. In a few years, that might be a no-brainer. I'd take Bielema before I invite all the clutter that is Les Miles.

 

[TerryP]

If I had to pick, it would be the familiarity of Jim McElwain at this point.

I'm still a little skeptical about Mac. That all boils down to how he's chosen to recruit so far. About two months ago I started a thread about who was being offered by Mac and company. As I recall, there were 175-180 offers from UF at that point and right at two-thirds of them were to out of state prospects.

Fully realizing we're in June and it's a long way to February they are currently sitting in the middle of the pack (conference) in the class rankings. Even with Boom in charge, I don't recall seeing Florida that low in the summer months in years.

 

[TUSKtimes]

He's outstanding as an X and O guy. I like his commander and chief presence with his players too. I don't remember if McElwain successfully recruited at Alabama, but Saban is always there to finish the deal. If it is his Achilles heel, it might have been hard to see at Colorado State.