They’ve arrived with big resumes and even bigger expectations. They have won Super Bowls and coached Super Bowl MVPs. But now these coaches must prove they’re worth the hype and the reason they were hired to work in the SEC.

They may be a coordinator in a new role, or entering a second season after a disappointing first impression. Or they may be causing boosters and alumni to peek at that buyout and wonder if writing that big check is worth it.

Regardless, the jury is especially out for these head coaches and assistants who play integral roles in the success of their programs, and this season could be what dictates their future plans.

Brian Daboll

The new Alabama offensive coordinator has deep roots in the Nick Saban-Bill Belichick coaching tree, and has five Super Bowl rings.

Yet Daboll’s challenge is to prove he’s not another in the long line of Saban and Belichick assistants who appear as if they benefit from the larger machine at Alabama and New England. After all, Charlie Weis won Super Bowls but failed to find success in college.

Daboll also must fight the philosophical challenges of replacing coordinators in Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian who looked to add sizzle to the offensive attack. There’s always at least a solid minority of fans who believe a program like Alabama should just run the ball 40 to 50 times and rely on its defense.

And if things go south for a period of time, the critics will bark that Daboll isn’t a former QB like Sarkisian and Kiffin. He was a safety at the University of Rochester and coached the defensive side of the ball until Belichick made him a receivers coach in 2002.

Jim Chaney

With a caveat to add offensive line coach Sam Pittman, widely discussed as a package deal when they came to Georgia, Chaney as offensive coordinator should have no shortage of weapons — and expectations.

The development of star sophomore Jacob Eason will be closely watched and Chaney will receive much of the credit or blame. Given that portions of the fan base were critical of Mike Bobo when the team averaged more than 30 points per game, Chaney might not have much equity to play with house money. Don’t forget that Georgia last season ranked near the bottom of the SEC in several major offensive categories. Georgia was 89th in offense nationally and 105th in scoring offense.

Given the upgraded offensive line, thanks to Pittman, and a host of young receivers to go with the talented backfield, much will be expected of Chaney.

Kurt Roper

In a similar situation as Chaney, Roper, the South Carolina offensive coordinator, has a bunch of weapons that at times looked strong in 2016 but ultimately struggled.

Lost in all the freshman sensations in the backfield were the Gamecocks’ offensive struggles that led to the bye-week change at quarterback. The Gamecocks were last in the SEC and 116th in the nation in scoring last season at 20.8 points per game.

They were second from the bottom in the conference and 115th in the nation in yards at 347.5 per game. Then there was the Birmingham Bowl scoring outburst of 39 points and 481 yards in a loss to South Florida. Along with Jake Bentley, the Gamecocks return their top two rushers and top six receivers.

Kevin Sumlin

If there was any question about what Sumlin needs to do this season, his boss at Texas A&M laid it out there in an interview with Paul Finebaum. More than eight wins are all but required this season, his sixth at Texas A&M, after three straight 8-5 seasons.
“We’ve had a heck of a spring and recruiting continues to go well, but Coach knows he has to win and he has to win this year and we have to do better than we’ve done in the past,” A&M AD Scott Woodward said Tuesday on the Paul Finebaum Show.

Of course the pressure only builds following the $485 million expansion of 105,000-seat Kyle Field. A former Purdue walk-on who led the Boilermakers in tackles as a freshman in 1983, Sumlin has faced long odds before.

The high draft picks of multiple linemen and the consistent drop off at the end of seasons (7-9 in November) following strong starts is a trend Sumlin must turn around.

Butch Jones

If motivational cliches were wins, the Tennessee coach would have a lifetime contract. But as others see it, he’s missed a chance to put a stranglehold on a sub-par division in recent years.

It’s a tricky situation given that Tennessee has won nine games the last two seasons, but they feel like disappointments. Not to mention the three straight bowl wins. The tough games to swallow are the 13-point lead at Florida that was surrendered two years ago, and perhaps worse, aggravating losses to South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

The 18-8 record the last two seasons doesn’t look so hot when it includes absences from Atlanta at the end of the season.