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Continuity among college football teams is an obvious key to success.
If you look at the most successful teams in the NCAA, they have coaching staffs that stick together and have been around for a while.
Consistency breeds success.
It’s no coincidence that Missouri won back-to-back SEC titles with largely the same staff that Gary Pinkel brought to the program in 2001. Pinkel’s successor, defensive coordinator Barry Odom, retained long-time assistants Andy Hill and Cornell Ford and brought in Ryan Walters, who worked with him at Memphis.
While there have been several shakeups with coaches in the SEC this year, there are still programs that thrive off continuity and consistency.
Here’s a look at the SEC coaching staffs that have managed the most continuity:
Alabama: Nick Saban has been a staple in Tuscaloosa and may never leave. Until now, he has had Kirby Smart by his side running the defense. Lane Kiffin has been at Alabama for only two seasons but has proven himself as a hot commodity. Regardless of who the assistants are, it’s clear that Saban understands how to win and put together a successful coaching staff. Saban is the constant and everything else seems to fall into place.
LSU: We all heard the rumors about Les Miles getting ousted at LSU. Obviously it didn’t happen. Miles and the Tigers seem to go hand and hand. Like Saban, he has found success with an array of coordinators. Cam Cameron’s future as LSU’s offensive coordinator may be in limbo, but if he leaves there’s reason to expect Miles will bring in a solid replacement.
Ole Miss: Hugh Freeze has a good thing going in Oxford. He took over in 2011 and has steadily built the program. The Rebels are on the cusp of something special. That’s largely due to Freeze and his supporting cast.
Tennessee: After Phil Fulmer, the Vols struggled to find an answer at head coach. Butch Jones was hired three years ago and has gradually transformed Tennessee into a program on the rise. The Vols may be the favorite to win the SEC East next year. Jones has revitalized a program that’s struggled for almost a decade.
Sean Labar is an SEC football contributor for Saturday Down South.
