How did we get to this place where SEC football has only one head coach who’s considered a coaching star? Where have all the rivals to Nick Saban gone?
The literal answer is Urban Meyer went to Ohio State, Steve Spurrier retired, Mark Richt and his eight or nine wins a year weren’t good enough for Georgia fans, national champion Gene Chizik proved to be a flash in the pan at Auburn, and Les Miles was “processed” by Saban at LSU.
It’s gotten to the point where Stewart Mandel of FOXSports.com ranked the coaching strength of every Power 5 conference, and ranked the SEC dead last. In his assessment, “Dan Mullen is currently the league’s second-best coach, which pretty much says all you need to know.”
It could still be true that Gus Malzahn, Kevin Sumlin or Kirby Smart are eventually going to true heavyweights on the national college football scene. But until one or more strong challenger to Saban emerges, we will continue to hear assessments like that of Mandel.
For Threaded Fasteners, I’m Randy Kennedy with Nuts and Bolts of the Game.
