There were 28 FBS head coaching hires during this year’s coaching carousel, and Sports Illustrated has graded them all.
There were 10 grades of “A-minus” or better assigned by writer Zac Ellis, but none of those went to the SEC.
Here are the grades and the snippets that Ellis assigned to the hires by Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina:
Georgia’s Kirby Smart topped the SEC with a grade of “B-plus”:
There’s very little reason to scoff at this hire if you’re a Georgia fan. Smart has long been one of the most sought-after assistants in college football, spending the last nine seasons on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. Plus, Smart’s arrival also served as a sort of homecoming, as he played defensive back at Georgia from 1995–98. He has already notched one big win in Athens by inking the ninth-ranked signing class in the country, higher than any other new coach. But Georgia is rolling the dice with Smart to some degree. He’s still a first-time head coach replacing a longtime head coach who won at a high level.
The league’s other first-time head coach, Missouri’s Barry Odom, received a “B” grade:
Odom’s success as a defensive coordinator is well documented, as is his loyalty to the Missouri program. Save for a short stint as Memphis’s defensive coordinator (2012–14), Odom had been on Gary Pinkel’s Missouri staff since he was a grad assistant in ’03. That’s probably why the Tigers tabbed Odom as their new head coach following Pinkel’s retirement. Could Missouri have landed a bigger name? Pinkel proved the Tigers can win in the SEC by reaching the conference title game in ’13 and ’14. But situations like the football strike last fall likely painted Columbia as an unattractive destination to some suitors. The Tigers made no huge mistake in maintaining the status quo with Odom.
And bringing up the rear for the conference was South Carolina’s hire of former Florida head coach Will Muschamp.
That move received a “C-plus” rating:
This time last year Muschamp had just arrived as Auburn’s defensive coordinator after a failed tenure at Florida. Apparently that short stint on the Plains was enough to convince South Carolina that he deserves a second chance as a head coach. Muschamp went 28–21 at Florida before being fired following the 2014 season, and the coach’s primary downfall was an inept offense. After all, he had three different offensive coordinators in four seasons in Gainesville. Now Muschamp has put together a staff of great recruiters like Bryan McClendon, Travaris Robinson and Lance Thompson. But Muschamp couldn’t win at a juggernaut like Florida. There’s no reason to believe he’s a sure-fire winner with the Gamecocks.
Some other grades from former SEC coaches worth noting:
- Miami received an “A-minus” for hiring former Georgia head coach Mark Richt.
- Maryland received a “B” for the selection of former Florida defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin.
- Southern Miss received an “A-minus” for the hiring of former Ole Miss assistant Jay Hopson.
- Former LSU assistant Frank Wilson netted UTSA a “B” rating.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
