The SEC is the best conference in college football, but with that also comes the most pressure. At most G5 schools, a coach can have a losing record for a few years before they are considered on the hot seat. In the Big 12 and ACC, a coach is given at least two years, and the Big 10 normally gives a year or two if they have proven to be great in the past.
In the SEC, every year is a new year, and past success matters very little.
Good Coaches Who Have Been Fired
When we think of SEC coaches who have been fired following a single bad season, the first name that comes to mind is Ed Orgeron. In 2019, LSU won the national title behind Joe Burrow, and that team was compared to teams like the iconic USC, Texas, and Alabama teams that dominated all season. Yet, all it took was two seasons at .500, and Orgeron was shown the door. Even crazier, one of those years was the Covid year that nobody counts.
This example shows that SEC fans are in the camp of “what have you done lately?”. Winning a national title won’t protect your job if the team goes 6-6 the next year. Other examples of coaches fired after a ton of success include:
- Dan Mullen—Florida: Mullen was fired during the 2021 season after a 5-6 year, even though he had taken the Gators to three straight NY6 bowl games in the previous three seasons.
- Gus Malzhan – Gus Malzhan never had a losing season in Auburn. In his six years with the Tigers, he had a 62-35 record including playing in the BCS National Championship game, and two other NY6 bowl games.
- Bret Bielema – Here is some preface; we are talking about Arkansas… Arkansas football is only a step above Vanderbilt, yet Bielema was fired after leading the Razorbacks to three winning seasons in a five-year span. For Alabama, yes, absolutely warranted. Arkansas has only had two winning seasons in the six years since.
- Kevin Sumlin and Jimbo Fisher – These two are together because they did the same thing. Both led the Aggies to multiple NY6 appearances and winning records, including four 9+ winning seasons in a 10-year period. Sumlin never finished a season worse than 8-5, and Fisher 6-4 when he was fired last year.
In other words, just about everyone is on the hot seat in the SEC.
Tiers of Coaches and Their ‘Hot Seat’ Ranking
As just mentioned, nobody is completely safe in the SEC. If Kalen DeBoer goes 5-7 this year, Tuscaloosa won’t give him another chance. That being said, there are still different tiers of coaches and where they are on the scale.
Coaches Pretty Safe
- 16 – Steve Sarkisian – Texas
- 15 – Brian Kelly – LSU
- 14 – Lane Kiffin – Ole Mis
- 13- Kirby Smart – Georgia
These coaches would have to do a lot to get fired this year. Brian Kelly and Lane Kiffin have their programs pointed in the right direction, while Smart and Sarkisian are on top of the college football world. It would probably take missing a bowl game for any of these coaches to be fired.
Coaches Somewhat Safe
- 12- Mark Stoops – Kentucky
- 11 – Jeff Lebby – Mississippi State
- 10 – Eliah Drinkwitz – Missouri
- 9 – Brent Venables – Oklahoma
This list isn’t meant to group everyone together because of a similar story, but so far, here we are. All three teams have been consistently bad for the better half of a decade. While Missouri is expected to play very well, the other two must play okay to get another year.
Coaches That Need a Good Season
- 8 Mike Elko – Texas A&M
- 7 – Hugh Freeze – Auburn
- 6 – Kalen DeBoer – Alabama
- 5 – Josh Heupel – Tennessee
Here is where the reasoning differs a bit. Mike Elko and Kalen DeBoer are coming in with a new team with a huge name behind it. Both coaches will be given some leash and forgiveness for a slipup or two, but if they are .500 halfway through October, there will be calls for a quick replacement.
Hugh Freeze and Josh Heupel feel like many of the coaches mentioned in the list above of previous coaches were fired. Both have done good things with their teams but failed to elevate the programs to the top tier. Both are in danger of fans getting “impatient” with them.
May Be So Bad, They May Save Their Job
- 4- Clark Lea – Vanderbilt
- 3- Sam Pittman – Arkansas
Vanderbilt and Arkansas have been so bad that their hot seat status is almost so hot they may jump right out of it. If either of these teams were to start 3-0 or 4-1, the energy and positive momentum might save their jobs, even if they did finish 6-6. Weirdly, a 5-7 Sam Pittman has a better chance to return next year than a 7-5 Josh Heupel.
Just Pack the Bags
- 2- Shane Beamer – South Carolina
- 1- Billy Napier – Florida
Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel like there is much either of these coaches can realistically do to save their jobs. Beamer was a fun story in 2021, but after a 5-7 season last year and a schedule that features LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Missouri, and Clemson, there just isn’t much that can be done, barring major upsets.
Florida is in the same position with games against Miami, Texas A&M, Tennesee, Georiga, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, and Florida State, it may take multiple miracles to see Napier back in 2025.
