Identifying the best offensive assistant coaches in the SEC isn’t all that easy.

Many times, the head coach is known as an offensive mind, or at least gets a lion’s share of the credit when the offense succeeds. This applies to men like Gus Malzahn, Kevin Sumlin, Hugh Freeze, Jim McElwain and even Dan Mullen.

Still, it seems clear, at least to us, who is the most effective offensive assistant in the SEC at this moment in time. A good number of fans aren’t going to like it, but it’s hard to argue with Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin’s track record, both recent and historic.

We did this same exercise last year, and our No. 2 — LSU running backs coach Frank Wilson — accepted the head coaching job at UTSA. We also pulled Rhett Lashlee, Auburn’s offensive coordinator, after a lackluster season by the Tigers on that side of the ball.

Whereas our top 5 defensive list included five full-time coordinators, the offensive list we’ve compiled for 2016 includes two position coaches and one co-coordinator (on a team whose head coach plays a big role on offense).

SEC’S 5 BEST OFFENSIVE COACHES

Just missed the cut: Dameyune Craig, LSU receivers coach; Robert Gillespie, Tennessee running backs coach; Rhett Lashlee, Auburn offensive coordinator; Noel Mazzone, Texas A&M offensive coordinator; Jim Chaney, Georgia offensive coordinator; Billy Gonzales, Mississippi State co-offensive coordinator; Brian Johnson, Mississippi State quarterbacks coach.

5. Dan Enos, Arkansas offensive coordinator

Enos will have every opportunity to move up this list if he can continue the torrid pace he set for himself last season.

As far as we know, Enos willingly left his post as head coach at Central Michigan, an FBS program, to take a coordinator job — a rare transition that seems to be a more viable option as coordinator salaries skyrocket.

The first few games were shaky, as Arkansas’ running game tanked. The team appeared to lose its identity in losses to Toledo and Texas Tech, flinging the ball at a rate that previously was unfathomable for a Bret Bielema-coached team. But after the early non-conference schedule, the Razorbacks found balance. With an exponentially more potent passing game and one of the SEC’s best backs in Alex Collins, Arkansas’ offense was as good as it has been since the Bobby Petrino incident.

The catch? The Razorbacks must now replace a three-year starting quarterback (Brandon Allen), a three-year 1,000-yard rusher (Collins) and three starters on the offensive line (Sebastian Tretola, Mitch Smothers, Denver Kirkland). If Enos can keep the output steady despite the turnover, he could become a coveted head coaching candidate, perhaps this time at a power-conference program.

4. Burton Burns, Alabama running backs

Another coach who can be dismissed as the beneficiary of talent, Burns may have the best recent track record of any position coach in the SEC.

Derrick Henry. T.J. Yeldon. Eddie Lacy. Trent Richardson. Mark Ingram. C.J. Spiller.

Burns coached all of those players, collecting Heisman Trophies, Doak Walker Awards, first-round NFL draft picks and conference and national championships along the way. At some point, the man deserves credit — no matter how blessed he’s been in terms of personnel.

This is one of the most critical years Burns has faced at Alabama, needing to bring along a trio of inexperienced backs in Bo Scarbrough, Damien Harris and B.J. Emmons.

3. Sam Pittman, Georgia offensive line

There’s nothing sexy about the offensive line. Well, unless you coach in Fayetteville, which is where Pittman resided until coach Kirby Smart stole him away.

Pittman is the epitome of what you want from a position coach. He’s a tremendous recruiter, an excellent developer of talent and as non-controversial as they come. It’s rare to find all three of those elements in one package.

During his career at North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas, Pittman recruited coveted prep talent like James Hurst, Denver Kirkland, Frank Ragnow and Robert Quinn. With Georgia’s location and resources, one can expect Pittman to usher a flood of top recruits toward Athens, and then coach them into All-SEC linemen once they arrive.

2. Dan Werner, Ole Miss co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach

Werner benefitted from talent, as did all of the coaches on this list. But there have been plenty of talented quarterback-receiver combinations in SEC history. Chad Kelly, Tim Couch and Johnny Manziel are the only three ever to reach 4,000 passing yards in one season. And while he should be a first-round pick, Laquon Treadwell isn’t any better coming out of college than players like Julio Jones, A.J. Green, Odell Beckham Jr. or Amari Cooper.

Werner is a proven commodity, as he helped develop quarterbacks like Ken Dorsey Gino Torretta, Steve Walsh and Craig Erickson at Miami and Bo Wallace at Ole Miss. But he did a tremendous job corralling all the talent in the Rebels’ passing game last season. And the job he did with Kelly — credit coach Hugh Freeze with an assist — in channeling his ability in a positive direction … until the ’15 season, there were a lot of skeptics wondering if that would ever happen.

1. Lane Kiffin, Alabama offensive coordinator

Some thought this was a head-scratcher when Alabama signed Kiffin. But it’s turned out to be a brilliant decision by all parties involved.

In 2014, Kiffin’s offense carried the Tide to the SEC championship game. Bama’s offense averaged 484.5 yards per game, by far its best output in school history. Long-time backup Blake Sims was one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC, and Amari Cooper had an all-time season at receiver. In 2015, Kiffin helped Alabama to a national championship with yet another first-year starting quarterback. Oh, and Derrick Henry won the Heisman Trophy.

The main question now is not whether he’s a tremendous offensive coordinator, but whether Kiffin will get another head coaching opportunity after the 2016 season.