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Jackson ranks the SEC head coaches for the 2024 college football season. Who is the best coach in the SEC? Read the 2024 college football outlook.
The Southeastern Conference has dominated college football for most of the last 15-plus years, and with Texas and Oklahoma joining the league, it will become even more of a powerhouse. There is no shortage of premier programs led by talented head coaches heading into 2024.
Nick Saban has been the best coach in college football for a long time, and his retirement leaves the door open for a new leader of the pack in the SEC. The league now has 16 programs, so let's take a look at each head coach and where they stack up among the other SEC shot-callers.
Who is the best coach in the SEC? Who is the worst? Find out the answer to those questions and everything in between in our Power Rankings For SEC Head Coaches below.
16. Jeff Lebby - Mississippi State
Career Record: 0-0
Top Accomplishment: N/A
Lebby is last on the list by default since he has no previous head-coaching experience. However, he's been a part of great offenses under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss and Josh Heupel at UCF. In 2023, he got his first chance to run his own offense at Oklahoma. The Sooners ranked third in total yards (507.0) under his direction. He has a ton of upside as an offensive innovator, but Mississippi State is a tough place to win.
It'll be interesting to see where Lebby lands on this list in two or three years.
BREAKING NEWS:
Mississippi State has OFFICIALLY hired Jeff Lebby to be the school’s head football coach pic.twitter.com/Sz6Ms4wuL5
— Hail State Stool (@HailStateStool) November 26, 2023
15. Clark Lea - Vanderbilt
Career Record: 9-27
Top Accomplishment: Five-win season (2022)
Vanderbilt's head-coaching role is one of the toughest jobs in college football. With sky-high academic standards, Lea has limited recruiting power in the SEC. With Texas and Oklahoma joining the conference, it's only going to get more challenging. Vandy's athletic department does not expect to win a National Championship, but it wants to at least see a bowl berth. Lea has seasons of 2-10, 5-7, and 2-10 so far, so the end of his tenure could be near.
However, since Lea is a former Commodores fullback and Nashville native, he could be given a longer leash than usual.
14. Billy Napier - Florida
Career Record: 51-26
Top Accomplishment: 12-win season at Louisiana (2021)
Napier had an excellent career as the head coach of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. He led the program to four straight appearances in the Sun Belt Championship Game, winning two. His time in Gainesville has gone about as bad as it can go.
Through two seasons with the Gators, Napier is 11-14 with one bowl game loss, two losses to Florida State and Kentucky, and one loss to Tennessee. Those are must-win games for the program that won two National Championships in the BCS era, and he's firmly on the hot seat in 2024. If the Gators do not win at least eight games this year, he could be looking for a new job.
Billy Napier might have just landed back on the hot seat with this one. Getting blown out by Kentucky is simply inexcusable. pic.twitter.com/leil5ZSe7q
— Big Game Boomer (@BigGameBoomer) September 30, 2023
In 2024, Florida finishes its season with a terrifying seven-game stretch that includes Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, and Florida State. Good luck, Billy!
13. Sam Pittman - Arkansas
Career Record: 23-25
Top Accomplishment: Nine-win season (2021)
Pittman, a longtime offensive line coach, looked to have the Hogs headed in the right direction with a nine-win campaign in 2021. He's gone 11-14 since, even with veteran quarterback KJ Jefferson. Arkansas is another school that faces challenges in competing in an elite league, but the 4-8 season in 2023 is inexcusable and made his seat hot.
As long as he can get back to bowl eligibility, he could extend his tenure in Fayetteville. That could be a tough task after the departure of Jefferson (UCF) and star tailback Raheim "Rocket" Sanders (South Carolina) via the transfer portal.
12. Shane Beamer - South Carolina
Career Record: 20-18
Top Accomplishment: Eight-win season (2022)
The son of legendary former Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, Shane has had his fair share of ups and downs at South Carolina. He led the Gamecocks to two straight bowl berths in 2021 and 2022, and he defeated No. 6 Tennessee and No. 13 Clemson at the end of the 2022 campaign.
With Spencer Rattler back for the 2023 season, expectations were high, and Beamer failed to meet them. USC went 5-7 with its wins coming against Furman, Jacksonville State, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt. He'll get more time to build the program in Columbia, but his poor 2023 showing knocks him down a few spots in these rankings.
Did Shane Beamer actually DOWNGRADE his coaching staff after a 5-7 season? The numbers say so. https://t.co/7pKXMG75W2
— SEC Unfiltered (@SECUnfiltered) February 20, 2024
11. Brent Venables - Oklahoma
Career Record: 16-10
Top Accomplishment: 10-win season (2023)
Venables has a long history of dominant defenses as a coordinator for Oklahoma and Clemson from 1999 to 2021. He waited patiently for the right head-coaching opportunity, which he was afforded at Oklahoma in 2022. He improved from 6-7 to 10-3 from Year 1 to Year 2 and handed Texas its only regular-season loss of 2023, so there's plenty to be optimistic about moving forward.
He could skyrocket in these rankings with a successful debut season in the SEC, but since his defenses ranked outside the top 45 stop units in points allowed in both seasons of his tenure, he's at 11 for now.
FINAL: Oklahoma BEATS Texas to remain undefeated on the season‼️https://t.co/yneaxEexOE pic.twitter.com/DjcdownukW
— On3 (@On3sports) October 7, 2023
10. Mike Elko - Texas A&M
Career Record: 16-9
Top Accomplishment: Nine-win season at Duke (2022)
Elko served under former Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher as his defensive coordinator for four seasons. His excellence earned him the head job at Duke, where he went 16-9. His five ACC wins in 2021 were the program's most since 2014. Despite having a major talent gap, the Blue Devils limited opponents to under 23 points per game in both campaigns.
Now, he's set to take over a program with no shortage of resources, recruiting upside, and NIL money.
9. Hugh Freeze - Auburn
Career Record: 80-54 (27 wins vacated)
Top Accomplishment: 10-win season at Ole Miss (2015)
Freeze is difficult to analyze since 27 of his wins at Ole Miss were vacated for recruiting and academic violations. However, he combined to go 44-17 at Arkansas State and Liberty and had a decent debut season at Auburn. The Tigers went 6-7 after the program was left in rough shape by former head coach Bryan Harsin. Auburn had Alabama on the ropes in 2023, but the Crimson Tide miraculously scored a touchdown on fourth and goal from the 31-yard-line with 32 seconds remaining.
Jalen Milroe ➡️ Isaiah Bond
ALABAMA SCORES ON 4TH AND GOAL FROM THE 31-YARD LINE WITH 32 SECONDS TO PLAY pic.twitter.com/xMEmIWAZKl
— 247Sports (@247Sports) November 26, 2023
The 54-year-old has the right combination of recruiting juice and offensive creativity, so it will be fun to see if he can make the Iron Bowl a competitive rivalry moving forward, especially with Nick Saban out the door. The Tide have won four straight Iron Bowls and eight of the last 10.
8. Mark Stoops - Kentucky
Career Record: 73-65
Top Accomplishment: 10-win season (2018, 2021)
Stoops' win-loss record isn't going to blow anyone away, but given his resources at Kentucky, he's had an excellent run in Lexington. Over the last eight seasons, Kentucky has won double-digit games twice and has not failed to qualify for a bowl game.
To put things into perspective, the Wildcats made eight bowl games in 23 years prior to the start of that streak (2015), and the program had not won double-digit games since 1977 before the 2018 campaign.
Stoops was rumored to be headed to Texas A&M this offseason, and he likely would've been a great hire. He's staying in Lexington, and although he's unlikely to make the Kentucky program a powerhouse contender in the SEC, it should remain respectable.
7. Eliah Drinkwitz - Missouri
Career Record: 40-22
Top Accomplishment: 11-win season (2023)
Drinkwitz went 17-19 during his first three seasons in Columbia, but his stellar 2023 campaign proved he can compete with the best in the league. Missouri's only two losses were to LSU and Georgia, and it gave the Bulldogs all they could handle in Athens.
Back in the day, athletics departments were patient and let coaches build a program for at least half a decade. Missouri did that with Drinkwitz and reaped the reward with an 11-2 season and Cotton Bowl Classic victory.
Quarterback Brady Cook and all-world wideout Luther Burden III are back in 2024, so expect the offensive fireworks to continue. The Tigers are a sleeper pick to make the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
This is what has been missing from Mizzou’s offense
Brady Cook connects with Luther Burden on 47-yard bomb for a touchdown pic.twitter.com/7PrtfMGRLG
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) September 16, 2023
6. Lane Kiffin - Ole Miss
Career Record: 95-49
Top Accomplishment: 11-win season (2023)
Kiffin's head-coaching career with Tennessee and USC didn't get out to a great start. The son of legendary defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin went 7-6 in one season at Tennessee, then 28-15 in four seasons at USC. He credits his three years as Nick Saban's offensive coordinator at Alabama as a pivot point of his career.
He led Florida Atlantic to two Conference USA titles before earning a new SEC job at Ole Miss. The Rebels have gone 34-15 under his direction, including a 2023 Peach Bowl win over Penn State.
Kiffin can be polarizing due to his goofy off-the-field antics and trash talk, but there's no denying he's a bright offensive mind with stellar recruiting skills. Ole Miss is bringing in the No. 1 transfer portal class of 2024, and the Rebels are fully expected to compete for a College Football Playoff spot.
5. Josh Heupel - Tennessee
Career Record: 55-20
Top Accomplishment: 12-win season at UCF (2018) OR 11-win season (2022)
Heupel, a former Heisman Trophy runner-up at Oklahoma, has had significant success early in his head-coaching career. The 45-year-old won 28 games in three years at UCF before Tennessee called him to be their fifth head coach since 2009.
The Volunteers program was left with scholarship reductions and a mass exodus of players via the transfer portal following the departure of former head coach Jeremy Pruitt, but it didn't seem to slow Heupel down.
The Vols were immediately bowl-eligible in 2021 with a 7-6 season. In 2022, he led the program to its first 11-win campaign since 2001, capped off by an Orange Bowl victory over Clemson. The team regressed to 9-4 in 2023 following the loss of Hendon Hooker and Jalin Hyatt, but considering the state of the program he took over, it should still be viewed as a successful year.
SCENES IN KNOXVILLE 😱🙌 pic.twitter.com/zhLe0erCzt
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 15, 2022
Heading into Year 4, the Tennessee fan base is ready to raise expectations to national title contention. Highly touted quarterback Nico Iamaleava in Heupel's fast-paced, wide-open offense should give Tennessee the ammo to compete for it all.
4. Brian Kelly - LSU
Career Record: 283-103-2 (21 wins vacated)
Top Accomplishment: CFP Appearance (2020)
After going 118-35-2 from 1991 to 2003 and winning two Division II National Championships at Grand Valley State, a Division I National Championship has been elusive for Kelly. However, his career record is incredible, and he's had overwhelming success at Central Michigan, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame. Between all his stops, he's won at least 10 games 14 times in 35 years as a head coach.
His 20-7 record at LSU isn't what the fans expect, so his seat could be hot if he's not a prime contender in 2024. However, he's already taken a program to a BCS National Championship Game and a College Football Playoff, so it won't be surprising if he finally gets all the pieces together for the Tigers to make a real run.
There is an argument for some of the younger coaches like Lane Kiffin and Josh Heupel to be ranked ahead of Kelly, but those coaches haven't been to the heights Kelly has yet. Needless to say, an important year is ahead for the 62-year-old veteran.
3. Steve Sarkisian - Texas
Career Record: 71-49
Top Accomplishment: CFP Appearance (2023)
It took longer than the Longhorn faithful wanted, but Sarkisian officially brought the Texas program "back" in 2023. Following Texas' 2009 loss in the BSC National Championship Game, the program only had one double-digit win season before 2023 (10-4 in 2018). Sarkisian led Texas to 12 wins, its most since the aforementioned 2009 campaign.
The Texas Longhorns are your 2023 Big 12 Football Champions 🏆 pic.twitter.com/y0M4VZISQx
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) December 2, 2023
Last season, Sarkisian became just the third former Nick Saban assistant to beat him head-to-head, and the Longhorns gave Alabama its first double-digit home loss since 2004. Later on, Texas lost just one regular season game by four points and was defeated by Washington in the College Football Playoff semifinal by six points. Although Sarkisian has had mixed results otherwise in his coaching career, the future is bright in the SEC.
Quinn Ewers will be back on campus in 2024, and Arch Manning will take over the signal-caller spot beyond this year. Texas has flashed a bright future in the past and has ultimately been a letdown, but this time feels different under Sarkisian's play-calling and recruiting skill set.
2. Kalen DeBoer - Alabama
Career Record: 104-12
Top Accomplishment: CFP Appearance (2023)
Some might think DeBoer is a little high here since he's only coached a Power 5 program for two seasons, but his 104 wins in 116 career games speaks for itself. The three-time NAIA National Champion has only been a head coach for four years at the FBS level, but he took a team to the College Football Playoff in Year 4. His two wins over Oregon and CFP semifinal win over Texas elevated him to landing the Alabama job, which was arguably the biggest job opening of all time.
Under his guidance, Michael Penix Jr. threw for 9,544 yards, 67 passing touchdowns, and 19 interceptions in two years. Penix threw for just 4,197 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 15 touchdowns in 20 games in four seasons and Indiana. With Alabama's recruiting power, he will have no shortage of talent to work with, and his development of players has already been on display in his short time leading programs.
1. Kirby Smart - Georgia
Career Record: 94-16
Top Accomplishment: Two-time CFP national champion
With Nick Saban gone, Smart is now the greatest active coach in the SEC and the nation. Since the start of the 2021 season, the Bulldogs are 42-2. Both losses came to Alabama. The program is 24-0 in the SEC during that span with two National Championships and 29 overall consecutive wins.
As the Alabama dynasty seemingly ended, the Georgia dynasty began. The Bulldogs are the favorites to win the 2024-25 CFP National Championship, and it would be a shocker if they aren't among the final four teams standing.
Georgia’s win streak ends at 29.
The most in SEC history & tied for 2nd all-time.
The first ever CFP back-to-back champions during that run.
Hats off to Kirby Smart & the entire program for one of the best runs in CFB history.
Just 47… there are many more years ahead. pic.twitter.com/2gWOQBMptD
— Jon Tweets Sports (@jontweetssports) December 3, 2023
