Ad Disclosure
Longevity in the SEC is rare thanks to varying levels of patience from athletic directors and fanbases. Programs can go south in a hurry within the nation’s toughest league, but there’s a few head coaches who have provided stability at an elite-level, winning multiple division titles while competing annually for national championships.
With two more seasons at Alabama, Nick Saban will become the SEC’s fifth head coach with tenure of at least 10 years, a noteworthy number.
SEC Coaching Tenures (current)
- Mark Richt, Georgia: Entering 15th season (2001-current)
- Gary Pinkel, Mizzou: Entering 15th season (2001-current)
- Steve Spurrier, South Carolina: Entering 11th season (2005-current)
- Les Miles, LSU: Entering 11th season (2005-current)
- Nick Saban, Alabama: Entering 9th season (2007-current)
- Dan Mullen, Mississippi State: Entering 7th season (2009-current)
- Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M: Entering 4th season (2012-current)
- Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss: Entering 4th season (2012-current)
- Butch Jones, Tennessee: Entering 3rd season (2013-current)
- Mark Stoops, Kentucky: Entering 3rd season (2013-current)
- Gus Malzahn, Auburn: Entering 3rd season (2013-current)
- Bret Bielema, Arkansas: Entering 3rd season (2013-current)
- Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: Entering 2nd season (2014-current)
- Jim McElwain, Florida: Entering 1st season (2015)
Longest, shortest SEC Coaching Tenures (historical, post-1940)
- Dan McGugin, Vanderbilt: 30 years (1904-1917; 1919-1934); E.H. Alley (1943)
- Bear Bryant, Alabama: 25 years (1958-1982); Mike Price (2003)
- Ralph Jordan, Auburn: 25 years (1951-1975); Bill Oliver (1988)
- Vince Dooley, Georgia: 25 years (1964-1988); Johnny Griffith (1961-1963)
- John Vaught, Ole Miss: 25 years (1947-1970; 1973); Harold Drew (1946)
- Robert Neyland, Tennessee: 21 years (1926-1934; 1936-1940; 1946-1952); Jim McDonald (1963)
- Frank Broyles, Arkansas: 19 years (1958-1976); John Tomlin (1943, 9 games)
- Don Faurot, Mizzou: 19 years (1935-1942; 1946-1956); Frank Broyles (1957)
- Charles McClendon, LSU: 18 years (1962-1979); Bo Rein (1980, died in plane crash)
- Rex Enright, South Carolina: 15 years (1938-1942; 1946-1955); James Moran (1943, 7 games)
- *R.C. Slocum, Texas A&M: 14 years (1989-2002); Raymond George (1951-1953)
- *Homer Norton, Texas A&M: 14 years (1934-1947); Henry Foldberg (1962-1964)
- Jackie Sherrill, Mississippi State: 13 years (1991-2003); Murray Warmath (1952-1953)
- Steve Spurrier, Florida: 12 years (1990-2001); Gary Darnell (1989)
- Fran Curci, Kentucky: 9 years (1973-1981); Bernie Shively (1945)
Interim head coaches did not qualify in this list.
