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Only one current SEC head coach was in his current position, but more than one was at his current school, though in a lower level assistant role.
Other coaches were around the country, or even in the NFL, before they worked their way into a promotion as an SEC head coach.
Here is where each SEC coach was in his career in 2008:
Alabama (Nick Saban) — Hired on Jan. 3, 2007 after being pursued for more than a month, Saban went 7-6 in his first season. In 2008, Alabama finished 12-2 in a season that finished with a loss in the Sugar Bowl.
Arkansas (Bret Bielema) — Starting his third season as head coach at Wisconsin after going 12-1 in his first year there and finishing with a No. 5 ranking in the Coaches Poll, Bielema went 7-6 in 2008 after a 9-4 campaign in ’07 with losses in the Outback Bowl and Champ Sports Bowl.
Auburn (Gus Malzahn) — Began his second of two seasons at Tulsa as its assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator, Malzahn by 2009 moved to Auburn as offensive coordinator until 2011.
Florida (Jim McElwain) — After one season as offensive coordinator at Fresno State, McElwain moved in 2008 to Alabama to be the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. McElwain spent the 2008-11 seasons as offensive coordinator at Alabama, where he played a key role in leading the Crimson Tide to two BCS National Championships. His offense led the nation with just 57 turnovers in that period and sent two players to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York: 2009 winner Mark Ingram and 2011 finalist Trent Richardson.
Georgia (Kirby Smart) — Smart was named defensive coordinator at Alabama early in 2008, a position he kept until after the 2015 season. The 2008 Alabama defense was among the nation’s best in total defense (third) and seventh in scoring defense.
Kentucky (Mark Stoops) — Stoops neared the end of his six-year stint at Arizona as defensive coordinator and DBs coach from 2004-09, working for his brother, Mike, who was the head coach of the Wildcats. During Mark Stoops’ time there, Arizona’s records improved steadily, going 3-8, 3-8, 6-6, 5-7, 8-5 and 8-5. The Wildcats advanced to the Las Vegas Bowl and Holiday Bowl during the last two years.
LSU (Ed Orgeron) — In his third and final season as head coach at Ole Miss, Orgeron’s Rebels slumped to 3-9 and went winless in the SEC. At Ole Miss, he went 10-25 in three years with Rebels from 2005-07. In 2008, he coached the defensive line for the New Orleans Saints and then joined Tennessee as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator in 2009.
Mississippi State (Dan Mullen) — An offensive guru, Mullen was in his final of four seasons at Florida as the Gators’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach before becoming head coach at Mississippi State in 2009. In 2008 alone, Mullen’s offense ranked third nationally in scoring – averaging better than 45 points per game as the Gators scored at least 30 points in 12 games. The 587 points scored beat the previous Florida mark set in 1996.
Missouri (Barry Odom) — In 2008, Odom was in his second year as assistant AD/Director of Football Operations. In that role, Odom coordinated the team’s budget, travel plans (including bowl trips to the Sun, Cotton and Alamo bowls), compliance issues, facilities operations and scheduling, and assisted with recruiting operations. As director of football operations, he coordinated all public relations activities and community service events that required the presence of Mizzou football players. He also played a role as part of the design and planning team that oversaw the expansion and renovation of the Mizzou Athletics Training Complex, which opened in February of 2008.
Ole Miss (Hugh Freeze) — After two seasons at Ole Miss as a tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator, Freeze spent the 2008 and ’09 seasons at Lamburth University where he went 20-5.
South Carolina (Will Muschamp) — Before he took the Florida job, Muschamp was the defensive coordinator at Texas from 2008-10. Under Muschamp, the Texas defense ranked No. 1 in the nation with 119 sacks, and ranked in the top 10 nationally in rushing attempts, rushing yards per game and yards per game, all Big 12 bests during that span. In 2009, the Longhorns played in the BCS National Championship game.
Tennessee (Butch Jones) — The year 2008 marked the second season for Jones as a head coach. He spent three successful seasons at Central Michigan, going 21-3 in Mid-American Conference play. He then coached three seasons at Cincinnati before taking over at Tennessee in 2013. In 2008, Central Michigan went 8-5 and lost the Motor City Bowl for the second straight season.
Texas A&M (Kevin Sumlin) — After five seasons at Oklahoma as the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, Sumlin in 2008 got his first job as a head coach at Houston before coming to College Station before the 2012 season. In 2008, Houston went 8-5 and won the Armed Forces Bowl.
Vanderbilt (Derek Mason) — Before he coached at Stanford, Mason from 2007 to 2009 was the assistant defensive backs coach on a defense that ranked sixth in total defense in 2008 and 2009 as the Vikings won NFC North titles each season. He left to coach at Stanford, which led to his first job as head coach at Vanderbilt in 2014.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
