Sorting through 27 SEC coordinator hires past two seasons

Usually fans need a scorecard to tell who is making the plays.

These days in the SEC, you need one to remember who is calling the plays.

SEC programs are changing coordinators almost as frequently as they change uniforms. Some coordinators became head coaches (Will Muschamp, Barry Odom, Kirby Smart). Others simply changed school colors.

Here’s a scorecard:

Alabama

2014: Lane Kiffin (offense); Kirby Smart (defense).

2015: Unchanged.

2016: Kiffin (offense); Jeremy Pruitt (defense).

Worth noting: Kiffin has drawn interest from other teams and Smart returned to his alma mater, Georgia, to become head coach. Pruitt arrived from Georgia, where he was Mark Richt’s defensive coordinator.

Arkansas

2014: Jim Chaney (offense); Robb Smith (defense)

2015: Dan Enos (offense); Smith (defense)

2016: Unchanged.

Worth noting: Enos’ challenge becomes significantly more difficult in 2016 with new skill players at most positions, most notably quarterback.

Auburn

2014: Rhett Lashlee (offense); Ellis Johnson (defense)

2015: Lashlee (offense); Will Muschamp (defense)

2016: Lashlee (offense); Kevin Steele, Wesley McGriff (co-defense)

Worth noting: Auburn will be on its third defensive coordinator in three years after Muschamp accepted the head coaching job at South Carolina. Steele and McGriff both have been DCs in the SEC previously.

Florida

2014: Kurt Roper (offense); D.J. Durkin (defense)

2015: Doug Nussmeier (offense); Geoff Collins (defense)

2016: Unchanged.

Worth noting: Nussmeier reportedly is a strong candidate to become Southern Miss’ next head coach.

Georgia

2014: Mike Bobo (offense); Jeremy Pruitt (defense)

2015: Brian Schottenheimer (offense); Pruitt (defense)

2016: Jim Chaney (offense); Mel Tucker (defense)

Worth noting: Chaney was Pitt’s OC, and Tucker is a former NFL DC who spent last season with Smart at Alabama.

Kentucky

2014: Neal Brown (offense); D.J. Eliot (defense)

2015: Shannon Dawson (offense); Eliot (defense)

2016: Eddie Gran (offense); Eliot (defense)

Worth noting: Gran arrives from Cincinnati, where he directed the Bearcats’ offense. Gran’s offenses are known for passing, which could benefit rising sophomore Drew Barker.

LSU

2014: Cam Cameron (offense); John Chavis (defense)

2015: Cameron; Kevin Steele (defense)

2016: Cameron; Dave Aranda (defense)

Worth noting: Aranda held the same position at Wisconsin and promises to bring an athletic, attacking style of defense to Baton Rouge.

Mississippi State

2014: Billy Gonzales, John Hevesy (co-offense); Geoff Collins (defense)

2015: Gonzales, Hevesy (co-offense); Manny Diaz (defense)

2016: Gonzales, Hevesy (co-offense); Peter Sirmon (defense)

Worth noting: Sirmon replaces Diaz, who became Mark Richt’s DC at Miami.

Missouri

2014: John Henson (offense); Dave Steckel (defense)

2015: Henson (offense); Barry Odom (defense)

2016: Josh Heupel (offense); DeMontie Cross (defense)

Worth noting: Odom’s promotion to head coach meant hiring two new coordinators. Cross was TCU’s co-defensive coordinator.

Ole Miss

2014: Matt Luke, Dan Werner (co-offense); Dave Wommack (defense)

2015: Luke, Werner (co-offense); Wommack (defense)

2016: Unchanged.

Worth noting: Coaching stability and another elite recruiting class will keep Ole Miss in the mix in 2016 and beyond.

South Carolina

2014: Shawn Elliott, Steve Spurrier Jr. (co-offense); Lorenzo Ward (defense)

2015: Elliott, Spurrier Jr. (co-offense); Ward, Jon Hoke (co-defense)

2016: Kurt Roper (offense); Travaris Robinson (defense)

Worth noting: Roper was Muschamp’s OC during their final year at Florida.

Tennessee

2014: Mike Bajakian (offense); John Jancek (defense)

2015: Mike DeBord (offense); Jancek (defense)

2016: DeBord (offense); Bob Shoop (defense)

Worth noting: Shoop is a former DC at Vanderbilt and Penn State. Jancek landed on his feet as a defensive assistant at South Florida.

Texas A&M

2014: Jake Spavital (offense); Mark Snyder (defense)

2015: Spavital (offense); John Chavis (defense)

2016: Noel Mazzone (offense); Chavis (defense)

Worth noting: Mazzone has previous coaching stops in the SEC at Ole Miss and Auburn. Ideally he can restore some calm to the Aggies’ turbulent QB carousel.

Vanderbilt

2014: Karl Dorrell (offense); David Kotulski (defense)

2015: Andy Ludwig (offense); Derek Mason (head coach, defense)

2016: Unchanged.

Worth noting: It appears Mason will continue to pull double duty.

Chris Wright

Managing Editor

A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.