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In college football, there are only a few scenarios for a coach. They’re either getting hired, getting a raise or getting fired, with very little in between. That mentality around college football’s athletic departments leads to plenty of openings every December.
Which coordinators around the SEC could be in line for a promotion to a head coaching job after next season? SDS has some early guesses.
Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart, Alabama
Smart has been a rumored candidate for several jobs throughout his time in Tuscaloosa, although the well-compensated defensive coordinator has said he’ll wait for the right job if he’s going to leave Nick Saban’s staff. Kiffin is a bit of a different case. As head coach twice over in college and once in the NFL, Kiffin has some work to do to rebuild his reputation before he’ll be considered for a job. It’s likely Kiffin could find a lower-tier FBS job, but one would think that with his pedigree he’d shoot higher. Would a second straight stellar season at Alabama present those opportunities?
Robb Smith, Arkansas
Few units flew under the radar like Smith’s Razorbacks defense this year, but Arkansas burst onto the national scene with three incredibly impressive performances at the end of the season. Two straight shutouts over ranked SEC foes in November and a pulverizing outing against Texas in the Texas Bowl let everyone know the Razorbacks are for real. If Arkansas can duplicate its 2014 performance next season after losing its three best defenders, Smith will start to field calls that will make him reconsider the three-year extension he recently signed.
Billy Gonzales, Mississippi State
Shortly after former defensive coordinator Geoff Collins left for Florida, there were rumors surrounding Gonzales, hinting that he might depart Starkville as well. Mississippi State churns out 1,000-yard rushers every year, and the offensive system implemented by Dan Mullen and Gonzales turned Dak Prescott into a star in 2015. There will likely be programs out there that see the work Gonzales has done in his tenure with the Bulldogs and hope he can elevate their offense.
Jake Spavital, Texas A&M
One of the youngest coordinators in the SEC got some buzz during the last round on the coaching carousel as a potential candidate for non-Power Five jobs. That buzz will likely be present again in 2015 if Spavital gets the Aggies back up to the upper echelon of college football offenses. With a more experienced passing attack in the coming year, that’s a real possibility, and the calls will likely start to roll in as coaches lose their jobs at the end of next year.
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.
