The SEC is home to the last four national champions, and its top-notch coaches are a big reason why. Kirby Smart led Georgia to back-to-back national titles, and he doesn't show signs of slowing down anytime soon. The Bulldogs are heavy favorites to win the upcoming College Football Playoff, according to Caesars Sportsbook, though a three-peat hasn't been accomplished since Minnesota did it from 1934-36.
Smart's success on the national level has not only elevated Georgia into the modern day dynasty, it knocked Alabama -- and coach Nick Saban -- off the perch. That doesn't mean it will last forever, though. Saban has seven national titles under his belt (six at Alabama), the last of which came after the 2020 season when he led the Crimson Tide to the sport's ultimate glory.
The two newcomers in the conference come from different ends of the spectrum. Auburn welcomed former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze back into the SEC after he elevated Liberty in the national scene from 2019-22. On the other hand, Mississippi State promoted Zach Arnett following the death of legendary offensive guru Mike Leach.
Here is a look at how all 14 SEC coaches stack up as previously voted by the CBS Sports and 247Sports college football staff.
Complete Power Five coach rankings: 1-25 | 26-69
2023 SEC Coach Rankings
| 1 |  |
| Nick Saban (1 overall): Saban not only built a dynasty at Alabama, he maintained one for more than a decade. His success in the era of scholarship limits, massive recruiting budgets, NIL and the transfer portal not only places him atop our rankings, but in the debate as the best coach of all time. He's 285-69-1 overall, including a 194-27 mark in Tuscaloosa, and established the Tide as the gold standard off the field in the world of recruiting. Last year: 1 in the SEC | |
| 2 |  |
| Kirby Smart (2 overall): Smart has emulated Saban, his mentor, and learned how to sustain success at an elite level. That's one of the most difficult goals to accomplish in a sport that is played by young men fresh out of high school. He is 81-15 overall, winning 17 straight, with two conference titles and three appearances in the CFP. The three-time SEC Coach of the Year shows no sign up letting up. Last year: 2 in the SEC | |
| 3 |  |
| Brian Kelly (6 overall): Kelly orchestrated one of the most immediate turnarounds in the country last season when he led the Tigers to the SEC West title in his first year in Baton Rouge after moving from Notre Dame. In the process, the 61-year-old Kelly has given Tiger fans hope after a disastrous two-year run following the 2019 CFP national title. Kelly is 273-100-2 all time, which includes a 92-40 record with the Fighting Irish from 2010-21. Last year: 4 in the SEC | |
| 4 |  |
| Lane Kiffin (14 overall): Kiffin took over Ole Miss following the lackluster Matt Luke era and has given Rebel fans hope for the first time since Hugh Freeze roamed the sidelines in Oxford. Kiffin is 23-13 in three years leading the Rebels, which includes a 10-3 mark and No. 11 overall final ranking in 2021. What's more, he has welcomed the new era of college football and earned the moniker the "portal king" due to his success luring players to town via the transfer portal. Last year: 6 in the SEC | |
| 5 |  |
| Josh Heupel (16 overall): Heupel led the Volunteers back into the national conversation in 2022 -- so much so that they were ranked No. 1 in the first set of College Football Playoff Rankings. He polished off an 11-2 record with a win in the Orange Bowl, pushing his overall record to 18-8 in two seasons in Knoxville. That followed his success at UCF from 2018-20 when he led the Knights to a 28-8 mark. Last year: 10 in the SEC | |
| 6 |  |
| Mark Stoops (18 overall): Stoops has brought something to Lexington that not many coaches have accomplished: Consistency. He's led the once-downtrodden program to seven straight bowl berths with double-digit win seasons in 2018 and 2021. The Wildcats have finished in the final AP Top 25 twice since Stoops took over in 2013 and become one of the most physical teams in the country on an annual basis. Last year: 5 in the SEC | |
| 7 |  |
| Jimbo Fisher (20 overall): Fisher's tenure with Texas A&M hasn't led to national titles, but he is 39-21 and produced a one-loss season in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. He has eight or more wins in four of his five seasons in College Station following a successful run at Florida State featuring a BCS National Championship in the 2013 season. Last year: 3 in the SEC | |
| 8 |  |
| Hugh Freeze (26 overall): Freeze enters his inaugural campaign on the Plains looking to revitalized a program that fell on hard times during the Bryan Harsin debacle. Freeze was 39-25 at Ole Miss from 2012-16 with New Year's Six bowl appearances in 2014 and 2015. He led Liberty to eight or more wins in each of his four seasons (2019-22) and played a big role in the Flames' move to Conference USA. Last year: N/A in the SEC | |
| 9 |  |
| Shane Beamer (40 overall): Beamer's second season at South Carolina included a 63-38 win over Tennessee and a 31-30 win over rival Clemson in consecutive weekends. That came after a 7-6 effort in 2021 in his first year as a head coach at any level. He has embraced the transfer portal and molded the program into a reflection of his personality, which goes a long way towards keeping star players in house. Last year: 11 in the SEC | |
| 10 |  |
| Sam Pittman (42 overall): Pittman is 19-17 with the Razorbacks, which includes bowl appearances in each of his three seasons in Fayetteville. That's quite an accomplishment for the head hog following the disastrous two-year Chad Morris era. Pittman led the Hogs to a 9-4 record in 2021, which included a No. 21 ranking in the final AP Top 25. Arkansas isn't a pushover anymore, and Pittman is the primary reason the Hogs are one of the most physical teams in the nation. Last year: 7 in the SEC | |
| 11 |  |
| Billy Napier (43 overall): Napier posted a lackluster 6-7 record in his first season in Gainesville after taking over for Dan Mullen, and that hasn't resonated within a fanbase that demands nothing short of division title contention. However, he has been on a recent recruiting tear, giving fans at least some hope. He reeled off double-digit win seasons in his final three years at Louisiana (2019-21), so the potential is there. Last year: 9 in the SEC | |
| 12 |  |
| Eli Drinkwitz (51 overall): The good news is that Drinkwitz led the Tigers to three straight bowl berths, which included a Gasparilla Bowl appearance after last season. The bad news is that he has never finished above .500 overall and is 3-5 in the conference in each of his last two seasons in Columbia. However, his 12-1 record at Appalachian State in 2019 shows that the ability to win at a high level exists ... he just has to find a way to harness that in the toughest conference in the country. Last year: 12 in the SEC | |
| 13 |  |
| Clark Lea (56 overall): Lea is 7-17 in his two seasons with the Commodores, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence for a fanbase craving relevancy in the SEC East. However, the 'Dores went 2-6 in the SEC last year, which included wins over Kentucky and Florida in November. That provided a massive dose of momentum by Vanderbilt standards, which is something that is almost impossible to accomplish for a program widely regarded as one of the most difficult jobs in the country. Last year: 14 in the SEC | |
| 14 |  |
| Zach Arnett (68 overall): Arnett was elevated to lead the Bulldogs in December 2022 following the death of legendary offensive guru Mike Leach. The 36-year-old was hired by Leach to run the Bulldogs defense in 2020 following Arnett's nine-year stint on the San Diego State staff -- the last two of which were as the Aztecs' defensive coordinator. It's unfair to Arnett to judge his coaching acumen prior to his first year at the helm, and that will likely be the case following the 2023 season due to the circumstances that led to his promotion. Last year: N/A in the SEC | |
