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SEC Football HEAD COACH RANKINGS: Chris Phillips Ranks All 16 Coaches | Chewing Clock EXTRA
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My official head coach rankings entering the 2026 SEC football season have officially been released. So without further ado, let's pull up my list. I'll run through each of my selections. We start at number 16, Kentucky's Will Stein. I loved what Will Stein had to say at SEC many days. Guys, the reason he's at 16 is very simple. He's never been a head coach before. I, I mean that's, it's just as simple as that. It is not doubting Will Stein and his abilities. It's not me predicting future success or lack thereof. It's just he has not been a head coach before. I think that is pretty self explanatory. At number 15, I've got Mississippi State's Jeff Lebby. Lot to prove in year three for Jeff Levy. Guys, I do think he's on one of the hottest seats in the sec. I mean, listen, when you've won one conference game in two years. And I understand that he inherited a really tough situation. I understand that Mississippi State is a really, really difficult job. I get all that. But I got to see something in year three if he's going to climb this list. I know there's some first year coaches in this league that are ahead of him, but at least those guys that are ahead of him, they've actually had success and won at some level somewhere else. This was Jeff Levy's first head coaching job. I mean to this point, again, totally understand the job he inherited. But you are what your record says you are, which is he hasn't been very good. Lots to prove. Like I mentioned in year number three at number 14, I've got Auburn's Alex Golish. You know, again, the only reason down this low is because he enters the SEC as a newcomer and record against some of the other guys in front of him that also come from the G5 ranks. Here's the thing with Goalish man. Like he had a great last year at South Florida, but I mean it's not like the resume is crazy. You know, I, I think there's a big question mark here. Without excluders. I, I love, I think he's an upgrade from Hugh Freeze. I mean, I think he's going to bring some, some organization and culture and identity to Auburn. He talked about that at SEC meeting today. I think he's going to bring that, but I don't know. I mean it's, it's. Your guess is as good as mine. Is he the right guy for Auburn? Is he? The answer they're looking for is, is Alex Goish going to take Auburn to a college football. I don't know. It's just a big question mark for me. At number 13, I've got Ryan Silverfield over at Arkansas. People have used the phrase underwhelming to describe this. Higher and. And I get it to a degree. That said, and Ryan Silverfield pointed it out, look at his record against some of the other G5 guys that were hired. He's beat up on Alex Golish and John Sumrall in his career. He's in one of the most difficult spots in the SEC just based off what he has inherited and you know, what he's got standing in front of him, the conference he's in, the support or lack thereof that he has. So, you know, I want to see Arkansas do well. I want to see Arkansas be successful. I'm excited to see if Ryan Silverfield can prove himself in this league. He's at 13 for me right now. Number 12. I do have John Sumrall from Florida. Guys, a lot of this list is just simply who are you taking? If you had to pick amongst these head coaches, rank them based off of who you take and I'm sorry, I'd take John Sumrall over Ryan Silverfield just flat. That's just what it comes down to. I think they're. The margins are razor thin in regards to who's a better head coach and who's not. John Sumrall, one big at two Lane took also. Here's the deal. John Sumrall took a team to a college football playoff. That to me gives you the nod over all the other G5 coaches that have been hired. There's some people out there saying he should be even higher than he is. Let's see him. Let's see him do it in the sec. And I'm high on John Sumrall. I think he's awesome. Perfect fit for Florida. Let's just see him do it in the SEC. That's all I'm saying. Number 11, I got south Carolina, Shane Beamer again. I think he's on the hottest seat in the sec. It's just been such a mixed bag at South Carolina. You know, one year they're overachieving and out shooting expectations, and the next year they have expectations and they fall short. He's done a great job on the recruiting trail. He's done a great job in regards to retention. I mean, you don't. You don't bring back Lenora Sellers, Dylan Stewart, Nick harbor by accident. So he's done a great job on that front, they've just got to win more consistently. And guys, he's this low because of some coaching malpractice we saw a season ago as well. I mean, listen, South Carolina fans can kick and scream and hate my guts for saying it, but, I mean, guys, the Texas A and M game happened. It happened. The three ocs that failed, they were all hired by one guy, Shane Beamer. There's only one person that can be held accountable for it. So you can be mad at me, you can be mad at anybody else. I think saying Shane Beamer's on a hot seat this year, it's. It's not even remotely a hot take. It's the rational take. It's the normal take. If you have any form of expectations for the program, yes, there should be pressure on Shane Beamer. He's a. He's a. A lovable character for South Carolina fans. He fits in well. He loves the plays. He wants to be there. I hear that a lot. This is a wins and loss business, and I. I think he. The stock on Shane Bieber plummeted last year, not just because of a 4 and 8 record, but because of how they got there. The swing and miss on Mike Shula, the coaching malpractice, losing games late. A lot of it comes down to coaching. The A and M game was the cherry on top. Shane Beamer, 11 for me, feels like the right spot. Number 10, I've got Eli Drinkwitz of Missouri. This is one. Even looking at the list right now, guys, I could go higher, but listen, there's a lot of really, really good head coaches in the league. And I put Eli drinks down here because. When are you going to get me over the hump? Drink? When are you going to get me over the hump? I. I think at Missouri, he has done a really, really good job. He's done a great job at Mizzou. He has. I just need to see more. You know, it's. You've kind of. You're building this. You're. You're building this identity of we're just good enough, but we can't win the big one. That's been your right. That's becoming your identity, if you will. So, yeah, I mean, can we get over the hump? Can we take it to the next level? I think he's done a solid job there, but again, there's just. There's other coaches in this league that I think are better flat out. At number nine, I've got old Mrs. Pete Golding. Speak of the devil. Listen, I know this is Pete's first head coaching job. I totally understand and I get it. It was Lane Kiffin's team and Charlie Weiss Jr. Was still there, blah blah, blah. You go out and beat Kirby Smart, you earn my respect. You have a team one win away from going to a national championship. You got my respect. Pete Golding will probably be the most volatile on this list. From the standpoint of based off how this season goes, he goes up or down. But I'm buying stock in Pete Golding. I think what he did last year, he's been in this league a long time. The guy knows defense. He's led some really successful defenses and I think he's the perfect fit for Ole Miss. And you saw him at the podium this week. I think he's got what it takes to win big in this league. Number eight, I've got Vanderbilt's Clark Lee, one of the biggest risers from last year's list to this year's list. Well, when you take a team to go 10 and 2, best season in school history, you produce a quarterback that is in the Heisman trophy ceremony, you deserve to rise. I think what Clark Lee did was incredible. I think what Clarkley has done at Vandy is incredible. Now the big question is what's next? How do you follow it up? Right, that is the big question. But yeah, Clark Lee deservingly so one SEC head coach of the year last year should have been a college football playoff team. I was a travesty that attended to Vandy did not make a college football playoff. That said, what is next for Vanderbilt football? That will probably even more so define who Clark Lee is as a head football coach. But I loved what he had to say at SEC media days. Hey, progress is not the destination. We'll see how that carries over into 2026 and number seven, I've got Tennessee's Josh Hype on. I can hear the Vandy folks getting upset, kicking, screaming. How in the world can you have Josh Hypel ahead of Clark Lee? Especially after what Clark Lee did to him last year. I mean, guys, let's look at the overall record. I mean, if we're going to go off that, well, look what he did last year. Well, what about all the other years? You know, we can't just nitpick and say one game and Josh Hypel has taken his team to a college football playoff. Now, I understand it's harder to win at Vandy than it is at Tennessee. I get that. But I've also got some not favoritism I just. I still think Josh Hyp is a really good head football coach. I do, and I think he will prove it this year. Number six, I've got Oklahoma's Brent Venables. The only reason Venables is this low is, again, kind of like the Shane Beamer question. And I understand injuries have played a factor, some other things have played a factor, but show me consistency. 6 and 7, 10 and 3. 6 and 7, 10 and three. Now what? Now what? Right? I'm not saying you got to go 10 and 3 or go 10 and 2. You don't even have to make the College Football Playoff. But it can't revert back to what it has been. Oklahoma goes 9, 3, 10 and 2 this season. He will skyrocket up this list. But right now, you're still kind of like, you know, great year last year, but you're one bad season away from being right back on the hot seat, you know. So Brent Venables is a. Is a mastermind defensively. He's one of the best minds defensively in all of college football. I think he did a great job and who we hired with Ben Arbuckle as his OC did a great job getting John Matiere on campus, and it paid off last year. I just want to see you follow it up, that's all. I just want to see you follow it up. At number five, I got Texas A M's Mike Elko. I think what he's done with that program in College Station, leading into a playoff in his second season, had a really successful first year, in my opinion. He's brought a level of discipline, toughness. You talk about a great defensive mind as well. Let's see if the Holman Wiggins decision at offensive coordinator is the right one for Mike Elko. You notice so much of what makes a head football coach successful. We talk about. It's really just who you surround yourself with. Did you make the right step, staff decisions? That's so important when it comes to grading these head coaches. But Mike Elko has brought. He has brought a level of consistency. I feel like I know what I'm getting out of Texas A and M. He's raised the floor there. He's raised the expectations. Go into a college football playoff in year two, a really, really successful campaign. You're one win away from going to an SEC championship game. You hosted a playoff game. I think the next step for Mike Yoko, beat Texas and win a playoff game. We'll see if he can do it in year three. And number four, I've Got. And I just noticed that this is the wrong list. This is the wrong list, ladies and gents, because look at this mid show switch up. Because this is actually the right list. Because we had a late change when it comes to head coach rankings. I do apologize. How about that? Because I changed this last minute. Number four. I've got LSU's Lane Kiffin. As you can see, I went back and forth on the board. Lane Kiffin at number four. I have Lane Kiffin. The reason I made that switch. Might as well get into it. The reason I made that switch is because I think when you sit down and you look at the body of work, I understand Kaylin Abore underwhelmed is part of his culture at Alabama. You know, where the lack of physicality, lack of discipline. I hear you. But look at Kaylin Abore's record against the likes of Steve Sarkeesian, Kirby Smart, Dan Lanning, some of the best in the game. He's led a team to a national championship. He's led multiple teams to the playoff. Lane Kiffin has not done that. Lane Kiffin is a fantastic offensive mind and has evolved into a fantastic head football coach. Four is not a shabby ranking in the slightest, but for Lane Kiffin to move up this ranking, I understand last year he te. He. He led Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff. He also was not around a coach in said College Football Playoff. The three ahead of Lane Kiffin have far more accolades than what Lane Kiffin has. That's the big question I have for Lane Kiffin. I mean, listen, LSU's banking on the idea that he is going to be the best version of himself as a head coach in Baton Rouge. They very well might be right, and I think they probably will be right. But it is a question mark because Lane Kiffin before last year had never won anything of significance. Let's call it for what it is. He never won anything of significance, never been to an SEC title game, had never been to a playoff. And last year it clicked. A guy named Trinidad Chambliss became a star overnight. Kawan Lacy set a program record in regards to rushing, and that was all she wrote. Ole Miss had the most magical season in the history of their program. So they're banking on that. With more resources, more funding, more tradition, Lane Kibbut could do that. I say to you all, that's still a big question mark for me. Can Lane Kiffin win the big one? Can he? Will he be the guy that LSU invested all these resources in, all this money in that's the only reason he's not ranked higher, but it is a significant reason. And number three again, I've got Alabama's Kaylin DeBoer. Well, Kaylin aboard is at three because he has done those things again. He took a team to a national championship. He's been to the playoff. He's been to an SEC title game. He's done those things. I understand the Stock on Kayla DeBoer is low right now because of the way Bama looked at the end of last season because the way they looked under his leadership the last two years. I get it. I also don't know that we give enough credit how hard of a job he took following up the greatest coach in college football history in Nick Saban. I, I again, I don't know that we really give enough credit to that. That said, there's no excuses. I'm not sitting here saying like let's bail him out, but like that is something to factor in. Kayla Devore's record against some of the best in the country is still one of the very best. And while I know there's a lot of pressure on this year, look at the resume. Caitlin DeBore has done plenty. You could do a lot worse than Kaylin DeBoer. And number two, I've got Texas's Steve Sarkeesian. I still put a lot of stock in what he did in 23 and 24 back to back final four appearances. Now they've got a breakthrough. I totally understand that. It's, it's past time and I, I'll tell you this, there will not be a head coach that plummets more in my rankings than Steve Sarkeesian if they don't do what they need to do this year because there are no more excuses. Flat out right. Missing the College Football Playoff again with Arch Manning would be inexcusable. That's putting it lightly. I will not go on record like some have and said he should be fired. But I mean, you talk about a guy that's got every possible resource you could imagine. Texas is rolling out Lambos at recruiting visits. There's just no excuse. Look at the money they spent in the portal. Think about how long he's been at Texas. I mean, listen, he took the horns of the SEC title game again back to back Final four finishes. Those things have to be accounted for. I don't think Sark's nearly as bad a coach as some people want to make him out to be. But this is a big year. It's put up or shut up for Texas arch Manning back all the pieces they added. You bring in Will Muschamp on defense to do one job. Beat Georgia if you run into him, that's why he was brought in there. So the time is now for Steve Sarkeesian. And finally guys, number one. This one's pretty easy. George's Kirby Smart. He is a master motivator. There is not a better game day coach in all of college football. There is not a coach who does a better job of making halftime adjustments. There's not a coach who does a better job of motivating his football team, speaking to his football team. You listen to Kirby Smart talk about the game of football and it makes you want to run through a brick wall. Imagine what he does behind closed doors with his team. The accolades speak for themselves. Backto back national champions in 21, 22. Guys, he has set the bar so high at Georgia. They have won the SEC the last two years and we're asking if Kirby's lost his fastball, if Georgia's missing a beat. Oh my goodness, Georgia. Can they get back? Georgia is better than 99.9% of programs out there. But because they're not winning the whole thing, it's a quote unquote failure. It's a, it's, it's not a successful season. It's not an a season. That's where we are. But you can have the debate. Is it Kurt Signetti? Is it Kirby Smart? Is it somebody else? As far as the best head coach in all of college football, There is not a head coach in college football. I would take over Kirby Smart. From the standpoint of motivating my football team, getting my football team ready to go win a big game, building my program. There's not a head football coach I would take over. Kirby Smart. Simply put. So those are my head coach rankings going into 2026 season. Would love to hear you guys thoughts. Do you agree with me? Do you disagree? How would you power rank the head coaches of the sec? Sam.