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08-27-2005, 05:51 AM
SP Top Stories
An Elite Fraternity
By Kevin Thomas
SouthernPigskin.com Staff Writer
Naming the best conference in the country is easy: the SEC. Naming the conference with the best players is easy: the SEC. As far as the ones blessed to utilize the great talent - the Southeastern Conference is home to perhaps the best collection of coaches in the country.
What makes a great head coach? Obviously winning. That said, several other factors must be taken into consideration such as bowl berths, quality wins, recruiting, player development and championships. Let’s break down this hierarchy from top to bottom.
1. Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee) - Maybe the most hated coach in the SEC by opposing fans. Fulmer is the most tenured coach in the SEC and for good reason...he simply knows how to win games. Since taking over on Rocky Top he has won an astounding 80% of his games; no small task in the toughest division in all of college football. Two conference championships, six division titles and a national championship in 1998 fill out a resume as impressive as any in the country. Eleven January bowl games in 13 years at the helm are a sign of contention year in and year out. Fulmer’s program has produced talents like Peyton Manning, Jamal Lewis, John Henderson and Peerless Price.
2. Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) - The coach fans love to hate. While at Florida, he won 81% of his games, seven SEC titles and the 1996 national championship. Known for his offensive mind, he has placed numerous quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers in the NFL. Among his recruits performing at the next level? Fred Taylor, Rex Grossman, Kenyatta Walker, and defensive stars Jevon Kearse and Mike Peterson. Spurrier won an ACC Championship with Duke, of all schools, and revived Florida into an annual national contender. If he can do the same at South Carolina, his legacy will be firmly sealed. If he can’t overcome the big three in the east (Tennessee, Florida, Georgia), he may slide down this list. Despite his recent absence from the college game, Spurrier remains a respected, and feared, head coach.
3. Mark Richt (Georgia)- Fans wondered how Richt would fare as a first-time head coach coming out of Florida State. Entering his fifth season in Athens, fans wonder no more. Bringing the ‘Dogs their first SEC championship in two decades, as he did in 2002, is certainly at the top of Richt's resume. In just a few seasons as head coach, Richt has racked up wins against Tennessee, LSU and Auburn, and even beat Florida, something his predecessor (Jim Donnan) was unable to do. Richt has been a master recruiter as well, as he continues to sign numerous blue chippers year-in and year-out and has kept the top state of Georgia talent at home. In his short tenure, he too has created a pipeline to the next level molding players such as David Greene, David Pollack, Odell Thurman, Fred Gibson and Thomas Davis.
4. Tommy Tubberville (Auburn) - Simply the best in the West. In six seasons at Auburn he has gathered an SEC championship, 4 division titles and a school-record 13 wins last season. Prior to arriving on The Plains, Tubberville managed to rejuvenate a probation-riddled Ole Miss program with just 61 scholarships in his first year. His accomplishments at Auburn have come while playing 40% of his games against Top 25 opponents. His alumni include Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown, Jason Campbell, Donterrius Thomas and Karlos Dansby.
5. Urban Meyer (Florida)- Meyer has won every where he has been and Florida should be no different. In his first year as a head coach, he led Bowling Green to a six-win improvement. During his short tenure at the school, the Falcons appeared in the national polls and were 5-0 against major conference teams. He turned Utah into a national darling with his undefeated season in 2004 and earned the first ever trip to a BCS bowl game for a non-BCS team. In only two years with the Utes, Meyer defeated the likes of Oregon, California, Southern Mississippi, Texas A&M, North Carolina, BYU and Pittsburgh. At his previous two stops, Meyer tutored NFL players Josh Harris and Alex Smith at quarterback - imagine what he can do with Chris Leak.
6. Houston Nutt (Arkansas) - Possibly the most overlooked coach in the entire league. If you want consistency in your program, you want Houston Nutt. In six of his seven seasons, he has landed the Razorbacks in the postseason. Nutt has not had the number of NFL caliber players as some others and his teams aren’t flashy, but they win. Despite the lack of blue chippers other league foes enjoy, Nutt has guided several pros in Matt Jones, Clint Stoerner and Batman Carroll. Two SEC West titles are a nice addition, however, he has not been able to win in the Georgia Dome. If Nutt can add a conference title to his resume, he will solidify his spot in the rankings; if not, several young coaches are waiting to overtake his position.
7.Les Miles (LSU) - Enters the SEC after a 28-21 tenure as head man of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Takes over for a program accustomed to living in the upper tier of college football. While Miles certainly has the ability to win big games as proven by two wins over Oklahoma, can he do it consistently? In his four years in Stillwater, Miles was 2-2 vs Oklahoma, 0-4 vs Texas, 1-3 vs Texas Tech and 2-2 vs Texas A&M. Nine of his 28 wins came against Kansas, Baylor and SMU. Miles will have no off weeks in the SEC and needs to have better success against the upper half of the league. Nick Saban left an overflowing fountain of talent in Baton Rouge; can Miles continue the trend and develop his players into stars?
8. Mike Shula (Alabama) - As the son of one of the winingest coaches in NFL history, a lot is expected. Shula enters his third year with just ten wins to his credit. Those numbers are a bit deceiving though as he has been disadvantaged at every turn at Alabama. Shula stepped in after spring practice and had 5+ months to prepare a scholarship depleted team to win in the SEC. Now he has full use of all of his scholarships. A proven recruiter, Shula has three top 100 tailbacks coming to Tuscaloosa is his most recent class alone. One thing the young coach needs is quality wins. He has yet to beat LSU, Auburn, Arkansas or Tennessee, and must do so this year in order to be successful.
9. Bobby Johnson (Vanderbilt) - While his overall record stands at just 6-29, Johnson has taken the first step towards progression at Vanderbilt by making his teams competitive. In 2004, his squad dropped five games by six points or less. If he can turn the almosts into wins, he will accomplish something previous coaches could not. Recruiting at Vandy is a tough task but Johnson has developed the likes of Jay Cutler and Moses Osemwegie into all-conference players.
10. Ed Orgeron (Ole Miss) - First-time head coach takes over for a program that has had just one losing season in the last four years. Orgeron's last two coaching stops were Southern California and Miami, thus he expects to win. Can he bring the same hard-nosed style to Oxford that he displayed at USC? Orgeron needs a statement game to prove he is legit. An October 15th tilt at home against Alabama may be the first true indicator of his credibility and the direction in which he has the Rebels going. Making your D-1 head coaching debut in the SEC can be a daunting task, just ask Shula, Croom and Johnson.
11. Sylvester Croom (Mississippi State) - It is difficult to win in the SEC without talent. Nobody found this out in more resounding fashion than Croom did in 2004. An early season loss to 1-AA Maine was a low-point from which the program could sink no further. Croom had his team more competitive in the second half of the season but needs to do a little more than compete. A good start would be locking down wins against Murray State, Tulane and Houston. Croom can recruit quality talent and knows what it takes to play at the next level. How soon he can put it all together will determine if he moves up this list.
12. Rich Brooks (Kentucky) - Enters his third season with a 6-17 record. Brooks inherited a program on probation and has regressed even further since then. In the span of a few years, the 'Cats have gone from bowl contender to homecoming special. Brooks' wins are Ohio University (twice), Indiana (twice), Mississippi State and Vanderbilt (once each). Quality talent in Lexington has existed before in the likes of Tim Couch, Dusty Bonner, Artose Pinner and Jared Lorenzen, and it must once again for Brooks to be successful. Brooks needs to hone his system so that the leading rusher and passer are not the same player as was the case last season with Shane Boyd.
SEC Coaches are no doubt the best in the country and in many ways signal the pinnacle of collegiate coaching. Win consistently in the Southeastern Conference and your legacy is sealed and super status is gained. Coaches in this league do not leave for other vacancies for they are already among the elite. There are only three ways for a coach to exit the fraternity: NFL hiring, AD firing or retiring on top.
An Elite Fraternity
By Kevin Thomas
SouthernPigskin.com Staff Writer
Naming the best conference in the country is easy: the SEC. Naming the conference with the best players is easy: the SEC. As far as the ones blessed to utilize the great talent - the Southeastern Conference is home to perhaps the best collection of coaches in the country.
What makes a great head coach? Obviously winning. That said, several other factors must be taken into consideration such as bowl berths, quality wins, recruiting, player development and championships. Let’s break down this hierarchy from top to bottom.
1. Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee) - Maybe the most hated coach in the SEC by opposing fans. Fulmer is the most tenured coach in the SEC and for good reason...he simply knows how to win games. Since taking over on Rocky Top he has won an astounding 80% of his games; no small task in the toughest division in all of college football. Two conference championships, six division titles and a national championship in 1998 fill out a resume as impressive as any in the country. Eleven January bowl games in 13 years at the helm are a sign of contention year in and year out. Fulmer’s program has produced talents like Peyton Manning, Jamal Lewis, John Henderson and Peerless Price.
2. Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) - The coach fans love to hate. While at Florida, he won 81% of his games, seven SEC titles and the 1996 national championship. Known for his offensive mind, he has placed numerous quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers in the NFL. Among his recruits performing at the next level? Fred Taylor, Rex Grossman, Kenyatta Walker, and defensive stars Jevon Kearse and Mike Peterson. Spurrier won an ACC Championship with Duke, of all schools, and revived Florida into an annual national contender. If he can do the same at South Carolina, his legacy will be firmly sealed. If he can’t overcome the big three in the east (Tennessee, Florida, Georgia), he may slide down this list. Despite his recent absence from the college game, Spurrier remains a respected, and feared, head coach.
3. Mark Richt (Georgia)- Fans wondered how Richt would fare as a first-time head coach coming out of Florida State. Entering his fifth season in Athens, fans wonder no more. Bringing the ‘Dogs their first SEC championship in two decades, as he did in 2002, is certainly at the top of Richt's resume. In just a few seasons as head coach, Richt has racked up wins against Tennessee, LSU and Auburn, and even beat Florida, something his predecessor (Jim Donnan) was unable to do. Richt has been a master recruiter as well, as he continues to sign numerous blue chippers year-in and year-out and has kept the top state of Georgia talent at home. In his short tenure, he too has created a pipeline to the next level molding players such as David Greene, David Pollack, Odell Thurman, Fred Gibson and Thomas Davis.
4. Tommy Tubberville (Auburn) - Simply the best in the West. In six seasons at Auburn he has gathered an SEC championship, 4 division titles and a school-record 13 wins last season. Prior to arriving on The Plains, Tubberville managed to rejuvenate a probation-riddled Ole Miss program with just 61 scholarships in his first year. His accomplishments at Auburn have come while playing 40% of his games against Top 25 opponents. His alumni include Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown, Jason Campbell, Donterrius Thomas and Karlos Dansby.
5. Urban Meyer (Florida)- Meyer has won every where he has been and Florida should be no different. In his first year as a head coach, he led Bowling Green to a six-win improvement. During his short tenure at the school, the Falcons appeared in the national polls and were 5-0 against major conference teams. He turned Utah into a national darling with his undefeated season in 2004 and earned the first ever trip to a BCS bowl game for a non-BCS team. In only two years with the Utes, Meyer defeated the likes of Oregon, California, Southern Mississippi, Texas A&M, North Carolina, BYU and Pittsburgh. At his previous two stops, Meyer tutored NFL players Josh Harris and Alex Smith at quarterback - imagine what he can do with Chris Leak.
6. Houston Nutt (Arkansas) - Possibly the most overlooked coach in the entire league. If you want consistency in your program, you want Houston Nutt. In six of his seven seasons, he has landed the Razorbacks in the postseason. Nutt has not had the number of NFL caliber players as some others and his teams aren’t flashy, but they win. Despite the lack of blue chippers other league foes enjoy, Nutt has guided several pros in Matt Jones, Clint Stoerner and Batman Carroll. Two SEC West titles are a nice addition, however, he has not been able to win in the Georgia Dome. If Nutt can add a conference title to his resume, he will solidify his spot in the rankings; if not, several young coaches are waiting to overtake his position.
7.Les Miles (LSU) - Enters the SEC after a 28-21 tenure as head man of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Takes over for a program accustomed to living in the upper tier of college football. While Miles certainly has the ability to win big games as proven by two wins over Oklahoma, can he do it consistently? In his four years in Stillwater, Miles was 2-2 vs Oklahoma, 0-4 vs Texas, 1-3 vs Texas Tech and 2-2 vs Texas A&M. Nine of his 28 wins came against Kansas, Baylor and SMU. Miles will have no off weeks in the SEC and needs to have better success against the upper half of the league. Nick Saban left an overflowing fountain of talent in Baton Rouge; can Miles continue the trend and develop his players into stars?
8. Mike Shula (Alabama) - As the son of one of the winingest coaches in NFL history, a lot is expected. Shula enters his third year with just ten wins to his credit. Those numbers are a bit deceiving though as he has been disadvantaged at every turn at Alabama. Shula stepped in after spring practice and had 5+ months to prepare a scholarship depleted team to win in the SEC. Now he has full use of all of his scholarships. A proven recruiter, Shula has three top 100 tailbacks coming to Tuscaloosa is his most recent class alone. One thing the young coach needs is quality wins. He has yet to beat LSU, Auburn, Arkansas or Tennessee, and must do so this year in order to be successful.
9. Bobby Johnson (Vanderbilt) - While his overall record stands at just 6-29, Johnson has taken the first step towards progression at Vanderbilt by making his teams competitive. In 2004, his squad dropped five games by six points or less. If he can turn the almosts into wins, he will accomplish something previous coaches could not. Recruiting at Vandy is a tough task but Johnson has developed the likes of Jay Cutler and Moses Osemwegie into all-conference players.
10. Ed Orgeron (Ole Miss) - First-time head coach takes over for a program that has had just one losing season in the last four years. Orgeron's last two coaching stops were Southern California and Miami, thus he expects to win. Can he bring the same hard-nosed style to Oxford that he displayed at USC? Orgeron needs a statement game to prove he is legit. An October 15th tilt at home against Alabama may be the first true indicator of his credibility and the direction in which he has the Rebels going. Making your D-1 head coaching debut in the SEC can be a daunting task, just ask Shula, Croom and Johnson.
11. Sylvester Croom (Mississippi State) - It is difficult to win in the SEC without talent. Nobody found this out in more resounding fashion than Croom did in 2004. An early season loss to 1-AA Maine was a low-point from which the program could sink no further. Croom had his team more competitive in the second half of the season but needs to do a little more than compete. A good start would be locking down wins against Murray State, Tulane and Houston. Croom can recruit quality talent and knows what it takes to play at the next level. How soon he can put it all together will determine if he moves up this list.
12. Rich Brooks (Kentucky) - Enters his third season with a 6-17 record. Brooks inherited a program on probation and has regressed even further since then. In the span of a few years, the 'Cats have gone from bowl contender to homecoming special. Brooks' wins are Ohio University (twice), Indiana (twice), Mississippi State and Vanderbilt (once each). Quality talent in Lexington has existed before in the likes of Tim Couch, Dusty Bonner, Artose Pinner and Jared Lorenzen, and it must once again for Brooks to be successful. Brooks needs to hone his system so that the leading rusher and passer are not the same player as was the case last season with Shane Boyd.
SEC Coaches are no doubt the best in the country and in many ways signal the pinnacle of collegiate coaching. Win consistently in the Southeastern Conference and your legacy is sealed and super status is gained. Coaches in this league do not leave for other vacancies for they are already among the elite. There are only three ways for a coach to exit the fraternity: NFL hiring, AD firing or retiring on top.