The SEC head coaches have a vast range of experience with their current programs, ranging from one signed recruiting class (Kirby Smart, Barry Odom, Will Muschamp) to 12 (Les Miles).

We ranked the coaches by average recruiting class, based on the 247Sports Composite team rankings. As Mark Richt left the conference and Texas A&M slipped in the rankings, the SEC went from five to three coaches who average top 10 classes.

The SEC West makes up the top four current recruiting programs on average. Of the coaches with multiple recruiting classes, nine of 11 bring in a top 25 class in an average year.

Here are the rankings, with the number of completed years in parentheses.

1. Nick Saban, Alabama: 2.9 (10 years)
2. Les Miles, LSU: 7.3 (12 years)
3. Gus Malzhan, Auburn: 8.3 (Four years)
4. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M: 11.8 (Five years)
5. Butch Jones, Tennessee: 12.3 (Four years)
6. Jim McElwain, Florida: 15 (Two years)
7. Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss: 18.6 (Five years)
8. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State: 24.6 (Nine years)
9. Bret Bielema, Arkansas: 25 (Four years)
10. Mark Stoops, Kentucky: 32 (Four years)
11. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: 48.7 (Three years)
NA. Kirby Smart, Georgia: — (Hired in December)
NA. Barry Odom, Missouri: — (Hired in December)
NA. Will Muschamp, South Carolina: — (Hired in December)

TRENDING UP

  • Hugh Freeze. Let’s deal in facts here. Ole Miss is not traditionally supposed to finish No. 6 in the country in recruiting. Many figured the 2013 class would be a once-in-a-lifetime class for the Rebels. But Freeze keeps landing five-star players. He is arguably one of the best three recruiters in the SEC along with Nick Saban and Les Miles. A rough first year (No. 47 in 2012) is all that’s preventing him from tying Kevin Sumlin for fourth.
  • Les Miles. Speaking of the LSU coach, he somehow managed to put together a top 5 class despite his tenuous job status. That fits well into the Mad Hatter narrative. The guy is endearing whether you like his offense or think he’s an outstanding game manager, and his outsized and eccentric personality plays well in Louisiana.
  • Nick Saban. Just two years ago, his average class rank was 3.4. Yes, he’s collected six consecutive No. 1 classes based on composite rankings. But the number keeps going down, thanks to an initial 2007 class that ranked in the teens. It took Saban several years to finally get to No. 1 in recruiting, but he hasn’t relinquished that thanks to a huge National Signing Day a few days ago.

WORTH WATCHING

  • Will Muschamp. Always known as a strong recruiter, especially on the defensive side, Muschamp made it a point to hire a staff of super recruiters at South Carolina. The assumption is that with a full year, a chance to show that he’s learned lessons on offense and plenty of immediate playing time to offer, the Gamecocks’ recruiting will improve markedly.
  • Jim McElwain. On the one hand, he landed several high-end players immediately after being hired before the 2015 signing day and loaded up on positions of need in 2016. On the other hand, he’s gotten beat soundly within the state of Florida during his short tenure and the ’16 class was chock full of three-star players. The next recruiting class will give us some clarity on just how good McElwain and his staff are at recruiting.
  • Kirby Smart. He managed to keep Georgia’s annual recruiting rank steady despite splitting time between the Tide and Bulldogs through the College Football Playoff. With an entire year to recruit, and a veteran SEC staff, is it possible he could lift UGA into contention for a No. 1 class?

TRENDING DOWN

  • Kevin Sumlin. The 2016 class wasn’t bad. But the days of the Swagcopter cool and being able to pull virtually any quarterback and receiver that he wants out of Texas seem to have come to an abrupt halt without a ton of hope for immediate revival.
  • Dan Mullen. The Bulldogs had a mediocre recruiting cycle, losing out on some National Signing Day decisions to Alabama and Ole Miss. Worse, the Rebels seem to be creating a significant talent gap between the two teams. Mississippi State will continue to rely on identifying and developing talent, so not all is lost.