The SEC lost three of its most respected head coaches this season.

It will be difficult, at best, to reproduce the wins and brand name recognition that Steve Spurrier, Gary Pinkel and Mark Richt produced.

But the carousel moves on. It always moves on.

Here are the winners and losers on the SEC’s coaching carousel:

Winners

Alabama: Yes, the Tide lost defensive coordinator Kirby Smart to Georgia, but it turned to former Tide DB Jeremy Pruitt, also a former Georgia and FSU defensive coordinator who spent three years as Saban’s defensive backs coach. His familiarity with Alabama, Nick Saban and Saban’s defensive schemes will make for a smooth transition. Just like it worked for Smart, who started as Saban’s defensive backs coach with the Miami Dolphins.

LSU: It kept Les Miles, which was a victory for common sense. Look for Miles to revamp his offense, which would be a win for the Tigers.

South Carolina: Grading on the curve, and it’s a steep one, but Will Muschamp 2.0 will be better than Will Muschamp 1.0 — and certainly a more proven option than ripping the interim tag off Shawn Elliott’s title. Good for Muschamp, too, to retain Elliott on the staff.

Losers

Arkansas: Bret Bielema, with the help of his offensive line, tried to talk position coach Sam Pittman into staying. It didn’t work. Pittman bolted for Georgia.

Auburn: There are probably some Tigers fans who were happy Muschamp left and would grade this differently, but that depends on the hire. There are several quality candidates, but as of now, the Tigers are without a DC and a top recruiter in Travaris Robinson, whom Muschamp hired as his defensive coordinator at South Carolina.

Georgia: The Bulldogs fired head coach Mark Richt and turned to Kirby Smart, a former UGA linebacker who has never been a head coach. It might work. It might not. Richt worked. But you don’t have to look long or hard to find cautionary tales among first-time head coaches in the SEC, from Ron Zook to Joker Phillips to Will Muschamp to Ed Orgeron, and on, and on. Until Smart proves it’s an upgrade, it’s a loss.

Kentucky: Another wait-and-see after the Wildcats fired offensive coordinator and QB coach Shannon Dawson after just one season. The new coordinator will inherit some skill in RB Boom Williams and a building block in rising sophomore QB Drew Barker.

Missouri: The Tigers replaced Pinkel, the program’s winningest coach, with a first-time head coach in Barry Odom. Again, it might work. But history is ahead, late in the fourth quarter.

Texas A&M: Check back, maybe tomorrow … Head coach Kevin Sumlin and offensive coordinator Jake Spavital are still running the Aggies, but reports of their demise are circulating as quickly as the denials. Losing two starting quarterbacks in a week won’t help. It feels like the clock is ticking.