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5 best SEC defensive coaches in 2016

Christopher Smith

By Christopher Smith

Published:


The level of saturation for good defensive assistant coaches in the SEC is such that one doesn’t need to get any further than the coordinators in order to find the five best.

Renowned assistants like Chris Kiffin, Ed Orgeron and Torrian Gray merited consideration as excellent recruiters, terrific motivators and proven positional ability, but we felt that others deserved higher recognition for handling a greater amount of on-field responsibility.

It’s significant to note that three of our top five for 2015 — Will Muschamp, Kirby Smart and Craig Kuligowski — now coach elsewhere. Muschamp and Smart became head coaches, while “Coach Kool” followed Mark Richt to Miami.

Perform well as a defensive coordinator in the SEC and usually there’s a head coaching opportunity that awaits. That is, assuming the coach isn’t a lifer as a coordinator (John Chavis). But these days, top SEC coordinators command seven-figure salaries. So, like Smart did the last seven years at Alabama, often those guys will bide their time until a gem of an opportunity presents itself.

For young coordinators like Travaris Robinson at South Carolina — Muschamp’s right-hand defensive guy for several years now — and Jeremy Pruitt, that could spell years of success at their current institution.

SEC’S 5 BEST DEFENSIVE COACHES

Just missed the cut: Randy Shannon, Florida co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach; Robb Smith, Arkansas defensive coordinator; Mel Tucker, Georgia defensive coordinator; Dave Wommack, Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator; Chris Kiffin, Ole Miss defensive line coach; Geoff Collins, Florida defensive coordinator; Travaris Robinson, South Carolina defensive coordinator; Ed Orgeron, LSU defensive line coach; Torrian Gray, Florida defensive backs coach.

5. Jeremy Pruitt, Alabama defensive coordinator

Pruitt already has proven he can be part of a national championship staff if he’s given top-notch talent. His resume includes three national titles while working as a defensive backs coach for Alabama (’11, ’12) and defensive coordinator for Florida State (’13).

That FSU defense was first in the nation in points allowed per game (10.7), and he did some nice things at Georgia the last two years. (Don’t believe that? Ask any UGA fan if there were bigger issues on offense or defense in ’15.)

Speaking of inheriting talent, Pruitt will do just that once again in Tuscaloosa as Smart’s replacement. Standouts like Jonathan Allen, Eddie Jackson and Tim Williams decided to return from a unit that spearheaded Bama’s ’15 national championship, plus there are former five-star players at every position group.

Pruitt is a proven coordinator who has earned his current situation. Nick Saban’s track record in terms of hiring assistant coaches is sterling, so that’s yet another vote of confidence for Pruitt.

4. Dave Aranda, LSU defensive coordinator

SEC fans mostly are unfamiliar with LSU’s new coordinator. We’re guessing it won’t take long for him to become a household name.

With all the focus on LSU’s passing game and the job status of head coach Les Miles and coordinator Cam Cameron, casual fans did not notice the significant regressions by the team’s defense in 2015 post-John Chavis. To be fair to the one-and-done Kevin Steele, the team’s personnel wasn’t an ideal fit for his preferred schemes.

But we believe that Aranda’s disciplined approach (along with retaining Orgeron) will be a remedy for LSU. According to ESPN, in three years at Wisconsin, Aranda’s units ranked first nationally in total defense, second in scoring defense, third in pass defense and fourth in run defense.

Perhaps its apples to oranges, as he’s been transplanted into the uber difficult SEC West. But he’s also inherited greater athleticism and a deeper talent pool. So we’re banking on Aranda continuing to oversee one of the nation’s top units.

3. Bob Shoop, Tennessee defensive coordinator

One of the most curious coordinator transitions in the SEC in the last five years (along with Doug Nussmeier for Lane Kiffin at Alabama), Shoop follows John Jancek, who did a respectable job in Knoxville — wherever you land in the debate  between third-down and fourth-down defensive stats.

This seems to be a philosophical move toward aggression. The Vols have the personnel to take risks and get after quarterbacks in 2016. Penn State led the Big Ten with 46 sacks last year under Shoop’s guidance, although the unit regressed from No. 2 to No. 14 in the country in yards allowed.

Shoop has been hitched to James Franklin since 2011. He played a noteworthy role in Vanderbilt’s brief period of relevance and should know the state of Tennessee. If he can coax even incremental improvement from UT’s defense this year, the Vols should be in position to make a run at Atlanta.

2. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt head coach/defensive coordinator

The jury is still out on Mason as a head coach. He improved during his second year (2015), but it didn’t take much to build upon an 0-8 year in the SEC.

As a coordinator, though, Mason is among college football’s best. If (when?) he does lose his job at Vanderbilt at some point, expect several major programs to get into a bidding war for his services, circa Will Muschamp after Florida fired him in 2014.

Vandy finished sixth in the SEC last year in total defense (21.0 points per game) and total defense (350.5 yards per game). Consider the context — the Commodores rank at or near the bottom of the conference recruiting rankings each year, and the team’s offense was historically bad — and those figures are even more impressive.

His scoring defense will have a chance at back-to-back seasons in the national top 25. While at Stanford, he finished 11th and 10th in the country in that category as the team’s defensive coordinator in ’12 and ’13. If he can cultivate some help on offense, Vanderbilt has a longshot chance to return to the postseason in 2016.

1. John Chavis, Texas A&M defensive coordinator

This season will test the mettle of Chavis as the No. 1 defensive assistant coach in the SEC.

His resume clearly is the best. “The Chief” has been a defensive assistant in the conference each season since 1989, and has worked as a coordinator for Tennessee, LSU or Texas A&M since 1995.

But college football has become a “what have you done for me lately now” sport more than it has ever been. Chavis is due to get paid $1.55 million from the Aggies to coach the defense this fall. And he benefits from the presence of Myles Garrett, the presumed No. 1 pass rusher in all of college football.

Texas A&M’s defensive personnel may still be one more class from being able to compare to programs like Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee, especially at linebacker. But Chavis has enough talent this season to complete the turnaround from “awful” to “asset.”

If Texas A&M’s offense can look even a little like the one it fielded in 2013, Chavis will have even more going for him. We’re betting his aggressive 4-3 defense takes a major step forward this fall.

Christopher Smith

An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.

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