The SEC in 2024
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The SEC is the most prolific conference in the country when it comes to College Football. The tenacity, talent, and brilliance come out in spades. You’re constantly seeing SEC player after SEC player leaping to the NFL on an annual basis. More often than now, an SEC team is either competing directly for a National Championship — or winning one. In this article, we’re going to rank all of the head coaches before the 2024 regular season.
16. Jeff Lebby (Mississippi State)
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Lebby finds himself at the bottom of the list for the sheer fact he’s yet to coach a college game. The former Oklahoma OC came over to revitalize a program that had fallen on hard times in the wake of Mike Leach’s unexpected passing. Those in Starkville can expect to see an explosive offense with a fair amount of wrinkles to potentially compensate for the talent gap Mississippi State may face against some of its foes in conference play. Coincidentally, Lebby is also married to the daughter of former Baylor offensive genius Art Briles.
15. Clark Lea (Vanderbilt)
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It’s been a rough go for the 42-year-old head coach. In three seasons, Lea has compiled a combined record of 9-27 — including a 2-22 mark in SEC play. When factoring in academic restrictions, a lack of NIL funding, and middling resources, Vanderbilt is simply behind the proverbial 8-ball in this league. There’s a reason why it’s notoriously one of the toughest gigs in America. We don’t fault Lea, per se, though he’s certainly not enjoying the success James Franklin once did in Nashville.
14. Sam Pittman (Arkansas)
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Pittman is certainly on the hot seat. He was bred to be an Arkansas fan through multiple family members, and as such it was a major coup when the Razorbacks originally signed him. Pittman by all accounts is among the better offensive line coaches in the country. Through four years, Pittman’s collective record is 23-25. With pressure mounting, he’ll need to turn it around in 2024. The hopes will be riding on Boise State transfer QB Taylen Green.
13. Billy Napier (Florida)
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Florida is a very proud program. Thanks to Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, football in this neck of the woods is highly popular. A standard has been set — and unfortunately for Billy Napier, he’s not holding up his end of the bargain. The Tennessee native is just 11-14 through two years in the Swamp. He did take Louisiana to three straight 10-win seasons. However, his offenses have yet to get going — and the transfer portal has really taken a toll on the roster. If Napier doesn’t turn things around quickly, he could be out of a job by the end of this upcoming season.
12. Shane Beamer (South Carolina)
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South Carolina does have a nice history when it comes to football, yet it’s still a tougher job. The Gamecocks are battling for recruits versus in-state institution Clemson. On top of that, the likes of Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, and others are circling prospects in its general region. After two straight winning seasons, the Gamecocks went 5-7 last year. In three seasons, Beamer has a record of 20-18. The program is essentially a middle-of-the-road entity in the SEC — a place no one wants to be.
11. Brent Venables (Oklahoma)
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It will be very fascinating to see how Oklahoma fares in the SEC. Traditionally a program with an explosive offense, Venables veers the other way — promoting a culture rooted on the defensive side of the ball. The Sooners won’t steamroll inferior opponents the way they did for decades in the pass-happy Big 12. We’ll learn relatively quickly if Venables is up for the challenge. He could end up being at OU for years…or his tenure might end sooner than expected.
10. Mike Elko (Texas A&M)
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When you lead Duke to 16 wins in two seasons, you’re doing something right. Elko came over from Durham to lead this program. Known as a personable guy and a voracious recruiter, A&M appears primed to take a step up from where it fell under former head coach Jimbo Fisher. At the very least, the university hired a young, motivated coach looking to prove himself in the best league in America. We could look back on Elko being one of the sneaky-good hirings of the last decade.
9. Josh Heupel (Tennessee)
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All things considered, Heupel has done a very nice job in Knoxville thus far. The Volunteers are 27-12 since the ex-QB took over three years ago. The next step in the progression of this program is challenging Georgia on an annual basis. Of late, it’s been Kentucky who’s emerged as perhaps the Bulldogs’ toughest opponent in what was the SEC East. Heupel’s offensive attack has proven to be legit, and we wouldn’t be shocked if the Vols take another step forward sooner rather than later. The moment is there with consecutive bowl victories.
8. Eliah Drinkwitz (Missouri)
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Drinkwitz gets the edge over Heupel for the fact Missouri has less of an advantage resource-wise compared to Tennessee. Known for his in-game adjustments and tactical acumen, Drinkwitz broke through this past year with an 11-2 record — including a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State. The Tigers look primed to have another strong year in 2024. Don’t let the overall record fool you…the man can coach.
7. Hugh Freeze (Auburn)
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Freeze is a winner — and the type of coach who adapts to virtually any situation he’s in. The plug-and-play offense works perfectly. He’s an avid recruiter and has proven to be among the better head coach recruiters from a national standpoint. Though Freeze is still building Auburn up, this is not a program you’ll want to face once he gets everything organized. The track record throughout his career speaks for itself.
6. Steve Sarkisian (Texas)
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Sark has Texas humming at this point. The Longhorns are recruiting at an exceptionally high level — evidenced by a berth in last year’s College Football Playoff. With Quinn Ewers returning, along with a host of elite transfers, there’s a reason to think Texas could compete in the SEC for a conference title right away. In terms of Sarkisian, the redemptive arc he’s enjoyed is quite inspiring. He’s proven that obstacles can be overcome en route to fulfilling your dreams. Additionally, he’s still one of the most potent offensive minds in the sport.
5. Mark Stoops (Kentucky)
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Remember, this is a basketball school. Kentucky’s history in football isn’t all that great. However, when Mark Stoops took over, he reversed the fortunes of the program through player development and ardent recruiting in the states of Ohio and Florida. He’s taken the Wildcats to eight straight bowl-game appearances. To put it contextually, more than a third of the bowl games in the history of Kentucky Football have been played by Stoops-led teams. When thinking about the lack of in-state talent to pull from — coupled with the competition in the area surrounding the state, it’s pretty astonishing for Stoops to achieve multiple 10-win seasons in Lexington.
4. Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss)
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We’ve now reached the upper echelon of coaches within the SEC. Kiffin’s attitude is a big reason for what makes him great. We even see glimpses of a flippant yet confident guy playfully poking fun at other programs via his X profile. Kiffin is a fantastic offensive coach, a rock-solid recruiter, and someone who’s positioned Ole Miss to be a national contender in 2024. Despite the volatile tenures with USC, the Raiders, and Tennessee, Kiffin has seemingly learned from those mistakes and as such has developed into a very good head coach.
3. Brian Kelly (LSU)
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Kelly is another guy who’s won at every stop he’s had. From building Grand Valley State and Cincinnati into local powers — to making Notre Dame relevant again, the results speak for themselves. LSU has two straight 10-win seasons under his guidance. Kelly helped Jayden Daniels win the 2023 Heisman Trophy Award and also developed Malik Nabers into a likely top-10 pick. Now having the opportunity to pursue a level of athlete he’s never had before, LSU should be very dynamic for years to come.
2. Kalen DeBoer (Alabama)
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DeBoer is a culture guy through and through. His bread-and-butter exists on the offensive side of the ball — though more so in the realm of player development. He didn’t always have the best recruits at Washington. Yet, he and his staff worked tirelessly to make a handful of them into All-Conference types and also NFL-caliber talents. He won’t have any issues garnering elite athletes at Alabama. The question will be whether DeBoer can withstand the immense expectations set forth by Nick Saban. Few would want to walk in those footsteps considering what preceded them in Tuscaloosa.
1. Kirby Smart (Georgia)
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If you look out across the country, Kirby Smart is atop the head coaching totem pole at this given time. The fiery personality has led Georgia to two National Championships, two SEC titles, and six SEC East Division titles. When you’ve accrued a 94-16 career record — including a 56-9 record in the toughest conference in the country, you’re surely doing something right. When factoring in the talent pool in the state of Georgia and throughout the Southeast, this machine isn’t going to slow down anytime soon.
