Photo by Andrew Kilzer, TexAgs
Top Down Approach: Ranking SEC's best coaching staffs
As every college football fan knows, an SEC team has won each of the past seven national titles. Having good players helps. So does having top-flight coaches.
The league has a lot of both.
The unquestioned, top-of-the-heap college coach is Alabama’s Nick Saban. Two other SEC coaches also own national title rings, and 10 of the league’s 14 head men have guided their teams to at least one season with double-digit wins.
The league also is the home of excellent coaching staffs. Top to bottom, no league can touch the SEC when it comes to the caliber of assistants.
Here is a ranking of the 14 SEC coaching staffs. Let us repeat that: This is a ranking of staffs and not just the head coach. (An aside: Four league teams have new staffs this fall.)
Coordinators: Neal Brown (offense); D.J. Eliot (defense)
Comment: Stoops, the younger brother of Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, arrives from Florida State, where he had been defensive coordinator.
Stoops and his staff did a nice job on the recruiting trail, reeling in a consensus top-35 class. One problem: The class ranked sixth in itsdivision. UK has a long way to go to catch the SEC East heavyweights.
Brown has done nice work at Troy and Texas Tech, but the offensive staff as a whole doesn’t appear to be anything special. Eliot is a first-time defensive coordinator. Of course, that’s Stoops’ specialty. But we’ll say it again: New coaches can get bogged down worrying too much about one side of the ball and not seeing the big picture.
Coordinators: Rhett Lashlee (offense); Ellis Johnson (defense)
Comment: Malzahn was the offensive coordinator for the 2010 Auburn team that won the national title and spent last season as the coach at Arkansas State. Now he’s back on the Plains. It’s not a given that his success as a Tigers assistant automatically will carry over now that he is their head coach; he has been a head coach for just one season — and that was in the Sun Belt. Chances are, he will be at least somewhat successful eventually. But the Tigers were a mess last season and there is a lot of work to be done by the new staff to get the players back on the right side of the line.
Can it be done? Hiring Johnson was a master stroke; his one-season tenure as coach at Southern Miss was an unmitigated disaster — not every day does a program go from double-digit wins to a 0-12 season — but Johnson has a long and successful track record as a SEC defensive coordinator.
The offense bears watching. It obviously will be Malzahn’s baby, but newer coaches can be derailed when they spend too much time focusing on one unit on the team. Lashlee, 29, is in just his third season as a full-time college assistant; he was Arkansas State’s coordinator last season and was at FCS member Samford in 2011.
USA TodayJones has given reason for optimism with his recruiting and energy, but much of the rest of the staff is undesirable on paper.{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"Jones has given reason for optimism with his recruiting and energy, but much of the rest of the staff is undesirable on paper.","MediaItemID":32927}
Coordinators: Mike Bajakian (offense); John Jancek (defense)
Comment: Jones replaced the overmatched Derek Dooley and arrives in Knoxville after successful stints at Central Michigan and Cincinnati. But Jones followed Brian Kelly at both previous stops, and — being kind here — Kelly and Dooley aren't in the same zip code when it comes to coaching acumen and talent evaluation.
The Vols need a serious infusion of talent and this is no quick turnaround job. Can Jones handle it? In addition, while Bajakian is a good hire, Jancek’s hiring was somewhat of a surprise. Yes, he was Jones’ coordinator at Cincinnati, but Jancek’s work at Georgia in the past decade wasn’t noteworthy. Indeed, the defensive staff as a whole except for line coach Steve Stripling is underwhelming.
Coordinators: Les Koenning (offense); Geoff Collins (defense)
Comment: Remember when Mullen was the “it” coach in the SEC a few seasons ago? That, my friends, is why coaches need to leave mid-level (or lower) programs in power conferences after a successful season: You risk being passed up by other “it” coaches — and sometimes even in your own state.
The Bulldogs’ offense has improved under Mullen’s watch, but the passing attack still has a long way to go. The talent level in the defensive front seven has dropped a bit, and Collins needs to find a way to make the Bulldogs tougher against the run. Mullen and his staff have to be a bit stunned by how well archrival Ole Miss recruited this past cycle and must rev up their efforts.
Coordinators: Dan Werner (offense); Dave Wommack (defense)
Comment: The staff did yeoman work last season in taking what had been a horrible team and making it respectable; they then did unbelievable work on the recruiting trail.
The league has a lot of both.
The unquestioned, top-of-the-heap college coach is Alabama’s Nick Saban. Two other SEC coaches also own national title rings, and 10 of the league’s 14 head men have guided their teams to at least one season with double-digit wins.
The league also is the home of excellent coaching staffs. Top to bottom, no league can touch the SEC when it comes to the caliber of assistants.
Here is a ranking of the 14 SEC coaching staffs. Let us repeat that: This is a ranking of staffs and not just the head coach. (An aside: Four league teams have new staffs this fall.)
14. Kentucky
Coach: Mark StoopsCoordinators: Neal Brown (offense); D.J. Eliot (defense)
Comment: Stoops, the younger brother of Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, arrives from Florida State, where he had been defensive coordinator.
Defense is Stoops’ specialty. But we’ll say it again: New coaches can get bogged down worrying too much about one side of the ball and not seeing the big picture.{"Module":"quote","Alignment":"right","Quote":"Defense is Stoops’ specialty. But we’ll say it again: New coaches can get bogged down worrying too much about one side of the ball and not seeing the big picture.","Author":""}
Unlike Bob and brother Mike, whose first head-coaching job was at Arizona, Mark is taking over a program that has not had much recent success; UK has won as many as eight games just twice since 1984 and just three times since 1977. Stoops and his staff did a nice job on the recruiting trail, reeling in a consensus top-35 class. One problem: The class ranked sixth in itsdivision. UK has a long way to go to catch the SEC East heavyweights.
Brown has done nice work at Troy and Texas Tech, but the offensive staff as a whole doesn’t appear to be anything special. Eliot is a first-time defensive coordinator. Of course, that’s Stoops’ specialty. But we’ll say it again: New coaches can get bogged down worrying too much about one side of the ball and not seeing the big picture.
13. Auburn
Coach: Gus MalzahnCoordinators: Rhett Lashlee (offense); Ellis Johnson (defense)
Comment: Malzahn was the offensive coordinator for the 2010 Auburn team that won the national title and spent last season as the coach at Arkansas State. Now he’s back on the Plains. It’s not a given that his success as a Tigers assistant automatically will carry over now that he is their head coach; he has been a head coach for just one season — and that was in the Sun Belt. Chances are, he will be at least somewhat successful eventually. But the Tigers were a mess last season and there is a lot of work to be done by the new staff to get the players back on the right side of the line.
Can it be done? Hiring Johnson was a master stroke; his one-season tenure as coach at Southern Miss was an unmitigated disaster — not every day does a program go from double-digit wins to a 0-12 season — but Johnson has a long and successful track record as a SEC defensive coordinator.
The offense bears watching. It obviously will be Malzahn’s baby, but newer coaches can be derailed when they spend too much time focusing on one unit on the team. Lashlee, 29, is in just his third season as a full-time college assistant; he was Arkansas State’s coordinator last season and was at FCS member Samford in 2011.
USA TodayJones has given reason for optimism with his recruiting and energy, but much of the rest of the staff is undesirable on paper.{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"Jones has given reason for optimism with his recruiting and energy, but much of the rest of the staff is undesirable on paper.","MediaItemID":32927}12. Tennessee
Coach: Butch JonesCoordinators: Mike Bajakian (offense); John Jancek (defense)
Comment: Jones replaced the overmatched Derek Dooley and arrives in Knoxville after successful stints at Central Michigan and Cincinnati. But Jones followed Brian Kelly at both previous stops, and — being kind here — Kelly and Dooley aren't in the same zip code when it comes to coaching acumen and talent evaluation.
The Vols need a serious infusion of talent and this is no quick turnaround job. Can Jones handle it? In addition, while Bajakian is a good hire, Jancek’s hiring was somewhat of a surprise. Yes, he was Jones’ coordinator at Cincinnati, but Jancek’s work at Georgia in the past decade wasn’t noteworthy. Indeed, the defensive staff as a whole except for line coach Steve Stripling is underwhelming.
11. Mississippi State
Coach: Dan MullenCoordinators: Les Koenning (offense); Geoff Collins (defense)
Comment: Remember when Mullen was the “it” coach in the SEC a few seasons ago? That, my friends, is why coaches need to leave mid-level (or lower) programs in power conferences after a successful season: You risk being passed up by other “it” coaches — and sometimes even in your own state.
The Bulldogs’ offense has improved under Mullen’s watch, but the passing attack still has a long way to go. The talent level in the defensive front seven has dropped a bit, and Collins needs to find a way to make the Bulldogs tougher against the run. Mullen and his staff have to be a bit stunned by how well archrival Ole Miss recruited this past cycle and must rev up their efforts.
Wommack — who has SEC experience — has to find a way to put together a much tougher secondary this season. Remember, though, that Freeze was a somewhat controversial hire, and he definitely has the program headed in the right direction.{"Module":"quote","Alignment":"left","Quote":"Wommack — who has SEC experience — has to find a way to put together a much tougher secondary this season. Remember, though, that Freeze was a somewhat controversial hire, and he definitely has the program headed in the right direction.","Author":""}
10. Ole Miss
Coach: Hugh FreezeCoordinators: Dan Werner (offense); Dave Wommack (defense)
Comment: The staff did yeoman work last season in taking what had been a horrible team and making it respectable; they then did unbelievable work on the recruiting trail.
Still, the Rebels finished just 7-6 and beat only one team (archrival Mississippi State) that finished with a winning record.
Werner did a nice job with limited offensive talent, and Wommack — who has SEC experience — has to find a way to put together a much tougher secondary this season. Remember, though, that Freeze was a somewhat controversial hire, and he definitely has the program headed in the right direction.
Coordinators: Josh Henson (offense); Dave Steckel (defense)
Comment: We’re betting Pinkel and his staff have a greater appreciation of how tough the SEC truly is this year. The Tigers had trouble along the line of scrimmage last season and must get tougher on both sides of the ball. This group has a solid track record, though, and knows how to win. Henson is new to his role, and it’s vital his unit does a good job this season. Even with as successful as Pinkel has been at Mizzou, he likely would not survive another losing season.
Coordinators: Jim Chaney (offense); Chris Ash (defense)
Comment: Bielema’s hiring was one of the biggest offseason surprises; he left an ultra-successful Big Ten program to take over an Arkansas program that has been uneven, to say the least, over the past two decades. Bielema won in the Big Ten with a strong rushing attack and a tough defense, which has been Saban’s and Miles’ blueprint at Alabama and LSU. Thing is, those guys have a lot more talent with which to work than Bielema.
The guy to keep an eye on is offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who also had been at Tennessee. Bielema’s Wisconsin teams were known for their overpowering lines, so Pittman has a high standard to live up to. The bottom line: Arkansas AD Jeff Long hired one of the Big Ten’s best coaches — and he did it for a mid-level SEC program. That, folks, says it all about the SEC and its place in the national scene.
Coordinators: John Donovan (offense); Bob Shoop (defense)
Comment: Franklin and his staff have done a wonderful job in two seasons, taking the Commodores to back-to-back bowls (the first time that has happened in school history) and doing solid work on the recruiting trail. They have changed the mindset within the program and have the players believing they can hang with anybody.
That said, in 16 conference games under Franklin, the Commodores have beaten just one team that finished with a winning record (Ole Miss last season, by one point) and Vandy overall has beaten just two teams with a winning record in the past two seasons. To Franklin’s credit, Vandy didn’t use to beat anybody. The Commodores now have to take the next step and pull some upsets.
Coordinators: Brent Pease (offense); D.J. Durkin (defense)
Andrew Kilzer, TexAgsMuschamp has assembled a solid staff beneath him and guided the Gators to an unexpected BCS berth in 2012.{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"Muschamp has assembled a solid staff beneath him and guided the Gators to an unexpected BCS berth in 2012.","MediaItemID":21625}Comment: After a middling debut season in 2011, Muschamp guided the Gators to a BCS bowl last season, which eased a lot of pressure on him. The loss of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to the same job with the Seattle Seahawks hurts, and while Durkin is seen as a rising star in the coaching ranks (he has coached under Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer), he bears watching this season, his first as a coordinator.
Florida did hire away defensive line coach Brad Lawing from South Carolina, and he did excellent work with the Gamecocks. Pease, in his second season after being hired away from Boise State, needs to find a way to make the offense more explosive.
Werner did a nice job with limited offensive talent, and Wommack — who has SEC experience — has to find a way to put together a much tougher secondary this season. Remember, though, that Freeze was a somewhat controversial hire, and he definitely has the program headed in the right direction.
9. Missouri
Coach: Gary PinkelCoordinators: Josh Henson (offense); Dave Steckel (defense)
Comment: We’re betting Pinkel and his staff have a greater appreciation of how tough the SEC truly is this year. The Tigers had trouble along the line of scrimmage last season and must get tougher on both sides of the ball. This group has a solid track record, though, and knows how to win. Henson is new to his role, and it’s vital his unit does a good job this season. Even with as successful as Pinkel has been at Mizzou, he likely would not survive another losing season.
8. Arkansas
Coach: Bret BielemaCoordinators: Jim Chaney (offense); Chris Ash (defense)
Comment: Bielema’s hiring was one of the biggest offseason surprises; he left an ultra-successful Big Ten program to take over an Arkansas program that has been uneven, to say the least, over the past two decades. Bielema won in the Big Ten with a strong rushing attack and a tough defense, which has been Saban’s and Miles’ blueprint at Alabama and LSU. Thing is, those guys have a lot more talent with which to work than Bielema.
The guy to keep an eye on is offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who also had been at Tennessee. Bielema’s Wisconsin teams were known for their overpowering lines, so Pittman has a high standard to live up to.{"Module":"quote","Alignment":"right","Quote":"The guy to keep an eye on is offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who also had been at Tennessee. Bielema’s Wisconsin teams were known for their overpowering lines, so Pittman has a high standard to live up to.","Author":""}
Ash had been coordinator at Wisconsin and did nice work. Former Miami coach Randy Shannon is the Hogs’ new linebacker coach, and he heads a solid group of position coaches. Chaney had been Tennessee’s coordinator, and say what you want about the Vols but their offense was quite productive the past few seasons. The guy to keep an eye on is offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who also had been at Tennessee. Bielema’s Wisconsin teams were known for their overpowering lines, so Pittman has a high standard to live up to. The bottom line: Arkansas AD Jeff Long hired one of the Big Ten’s best coaches — and he did it for a mid-level SEC program. That, folks, says it all about the SEC and its place in the national scene.
7. Vanderbilt
Coach: James FranklinCoordinators: John Donovan (offense); Bob Shoop (defense)
Comment: Franklin and his staff have done a wonderful job in two seasons, taking the Commodores to back-to-back bowls (the first time that has happened in school history) and doing solid work on the recruiting trail. They have changed the mindset within the program and have the players believing they can hang with anybody.
That said, in 16 conference games under Franklin, the Commodores have beaten just one team that finished with a winning record (Ole Miss last season, by one point) and Vandy overall has beaten just two teams with a winning record in the past two seasons. To Franklin’s credit, Vandy didn’t use to beat anybody. The Commodores now have to take the next step and pull some upsets.
6. Florida
Coach: Will MuschampCoordinators: Brent Pease (offense); D.J. Durkin (defense)
Andrew Kilzer, TexAgsMuschamp has assembled a solid staff beneath him and guided the Gators to an unexpected BCS berth in 2012.{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"Muschamp has assembled a solid staff beneath him and guided the Gators to an unexpected BCS berth in 2012.","MediaItemID":21625}Florida did hire away defensive line coach Brad Lawing from South Carolina, and he did excellent work with the Gamecocks. Pease, in his second season after being hired away from Boise State, needs to find a way to make the offense more explosive.
Former Kentucky coach Joker Phillips is the new wide receiver coach, which is a big upgrade for the Gators. Phillips was a successful assistant before he became UK’s coach, and he definitely should make an impact in the passing attack.
Coordinators: Clarence McKinney (offense); Mark Snyder (defense)
Comment: Sumlin is heading into his sixth season as a head coach and he already has guided his teams to three seasons with double-digit wins. His first go-round at A&M was impressive: The Aggies finished 11-2 one season after going 7-6. Sumlin brought in a more advanced offense and greatly improved his defense with Snyder’s hiring. The offense bears watching this season — McKinney has been promoted from running backs coach in the wake of Kliff Kingsbury’s departure to coach Texas Tech.
Sumlin was able to hire quarterback coach Jake Spavital away from West Virginia; Spavital, 24, is considered a fast-riser in the coaching ranks. Defensive line coach Terry Price, an A&M alum, has more than a decade’s worth of SEC experience as an assistant.
Coordinators: Cam Cameron (offense); John Chavis (defense)
Comment: Again, remember that this is a ranking of coaching staffs, not head coaches. Miles does a lot of … well, weird stuff that pays off.
Andrew KilzerMiles has his ups and downs, but wins games and leads a staff that is experienced and solid top-to-bottom.{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"left","Size":"large","Caption":"Miles has his ups and downs, but wins games and leads a staff that is experienced and solid top-to-bottom.","MediaItemID":23143}He also does a lot of weird stuff that has backfired, too. But he has a national title ring, oversees good assistants and signs big-time prospects every season.
Chavis, known as “The Chief,” has been bedeviling SEC offenses for almost two decades, beginning at Tennessee. He works with big-time athletes and turns them loose to make plays.
Cameron was hired this offseason in an effort to jump-start what has been a mediocre offense; it has been mediocre because of a pedestrian passing attack. Cameron rubs some people the wrong way, but he has ample experience and usually gets good results.
Still, there is some unknown as to how well he fits in with this staff.
Defensive line coach Brick Haley is a good one.
Coordinators: Mike Bobo (offense); Todd Grantham (defense)
Comment: Ahh, the vagaries of coaching — Richt was all but gone early in the 2011 season but now is the coach who has won back-to-back SEC East titles. Bobo is a frequent target of criticism but always seems to oversee solid offenses; he does a nice job of tailoring his offense to what he has on hand (i.e., becoming run-oriented or preferring to throw it instead).
Grantham has received a lot of acclaim, but his defense last season underachieved relative to its talent level. He's a good motivator who isn’t afraid to be aggressive with his play-calling.
Coordinators: Spurrier (offense); Lorenzo Ward (defense)
Comment: Spurrier’s greatness as a college coach has been reinforced by his work with the Gamecocks. He has made South Carolina football relevant nationally, which is a stunning achievement (easily a much tougher accomplishment than what he did at Florida). The Gamecocks started playing football in 1894 and have had just three seasons with double-digit wins; two of those have occurred in the past two seasons.
Andrew Kilzer, TexAgsHe has surrounded himself with talented assistants, but the driver of South Carolina's success is none other than Spurrier.{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"He has surrounded himself with talented assistants, but the driver of South Carolina\u0027s success is none other than Spurrier.","MediaItemID":19541}While his Florida teams were known for their high-flying passing attacks, Spurrier’s best Gator teams also ran the ball effectively and played solid defense.
His South Carolina squads have won with defense and strong ground attacks; instead of being criticized for not throwing for 300 yards a game, Spurrier should be praised effusively for understanding what his team must do to win.
Ward called defensive signals for the first time last season and did a solid job. Of the nine assistants on the staff, five are in their first or second season with the Gamecocks.
Coordinators: Doug Nussmeier (offense); Kirby Smart (defense)
Comment: Saban and the Tide have won three national titles in the past four seasons, so he and his staff obviously are doing a lot of things correctly. Saban gets criticized for his “roster management,” but we doubt he seriously cares about the criticism. His team plays rather simple football: It runs the ball downhill and it stifles you with its defense. That simplicity has led to a whole bunch of wins. The staff recruits better than any other, then develops the talent it signs.
Nussmeier is heading into his second season with the Tide and he moved seamlessly into the play-calling role after being hired off Washington’s staff, where coach Steve Sarkisian called plays.
Saban always credits Smart for the Tide’s defensive prowess, but is anyone really listening? Saban gets the bulk of the credit for his team’s play on that side of the ball, and that might be the reason Smart hasn’t been hired away to be a head coach elsewhere.
Running backs coach Burton Burns is excellent. There was some movement off the staff this offseason, with secondary coach Jeremy Pruitt (now Florida State’s coordinator), offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland (same position with the Philadelphia Eagles) and wide receiver coach Mike Groh (same position with the Chicago Bears) departing.
5. Texas A&M
Coach: Kevin SumlinCoordinators: Clarence McKinney (offense); Mark Snyder (defense)
Comment: Sumlin is heading into his sixth season as a head coach and he already has guided his teams to three seasons with double-digit wins. His first go-round at A&M was impressive: The Aggies finished 11-2 one season after going 7-6. Sumlin brought in a more advanced offense and greatly improved his defense with Snyder’s hiring. The offense bears watching this season — McKinney has been promoted from running backs coach in the wake of Kliff Kingsbury’s departure to coach Texas Tech.
Sumlin was able to hire quarterback coach Jake Spavital away from West Virginia; Spavital, 24, is considered a fast-riser in the coaching ranks. Defensive line coach Terry Price, an A&M alum, has more than a decade’s worth of SEC experience as an assistant.
4. LSU
Coach: Les MilesCoordinators: Cam Cameron (offense); John Chavis (defense)
Comment: Again, remember that this is a ranking of coaching staffs, not head coaches. Miles does a lot of … well, weird stuff that pays off.
Andrew KilzerMiles has his ups and downs, but wins games and leads a staff that is experienced and solid top-to-bottom.{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"left","Size":"large","Caption":"Miles has his ups and downs, but wins games and leads a staff that is experienced and solid top-to-bottom.","MediaItemID":23143}Chavis, known as “The Chief,” has been bedeviling SEC offenses for almost two decades, beginning at Tennessee. He works with big-time athletes and turns them loose to make plays.
Cameron was hired this offseason in an effort to jump-start what has been a mediocre offense; it has been mediocre because of a pedestrian passing attack. Cameron rubs some people the wrong way, but he has ample experience and usually gets good results.
Still, there is some unknown as to how well he fits in with this staff.
Defensive line coach Brick Haley is a good one.
3. Georgia
Coach: Mark RichtCoordinators: Mike Bobo (offense); Todd Grantham (defense)
Comment: Ahh, the vagaries of coaching — Richt was all but gone early in the 2011 season but now is the coach who has won back-to-back SEC East titles. Bobo is a frequent target of criticism but always seems to oversee solid offenses; he does a nice job of tailoring his offense to what he has on hand (i.e., becoming run-oriented or preferring to throw it instead).
Grantham has received a lot of acclaim, but his defense last season underachieved relative to its talent level. He's a good motivator who isn’t afraid to be aggressive with his play-calling.
2. South Carolina
Coach: Steve SpurrierCoordinators: Spurrier (offense); Lorenzo Ward (defense)
Comment: Spurrier’s greatness as a college coach has been reinforced by his work with the Gamecocks. He has made South Carolina football relevant nationally, which is a stunning achievement (easily a much tougher accomplishment than what he did at Florida). The Gamecocks started playing football in 1894 and have had just three seasons with double-digit wins; two of those have occurred in the past two seasons.
Andrew Kilzer, TexAgsHe has surrounded himself with talented assistants, but the driver of South Carolina's success is none other than Spurrier.{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"He has surrounded himself with talented assistants, but the driver of South Carolina\u0027s success is none other than Spurrier.","MediaItemID":19541}His South Carolina squads have won with defense and strong ground attacks; instead of being criticized for not throwing for 300 yards a game, Spurrier should be praised effusively for understanding what his team must do to win.
Ward called defensive signals for the first time last season and did a solid job. Of the nine assistants on the staff, five are in their first or second season with the Gamecocks.
1. Alabama
Coach: Nick SabanCoordinators: Doug Nussmeier (offense); Kirby Smart (defense)
Comment: Saban and the Tide have won three national titles in the past four seasons, so he and his staff obviously are doing a lot of things correctly. Saban gets criticized for his “roster management,” but we doubt he seriously cares about the criticism. His team plays rather simple football: It runs the ball downhill and it stifles you with its defense. That simplicity has led to a whole bunch of wins. The staff recruits better than any other, then develops the talent it signs.
Nussmeier is heading into his second season with the Tide and he moved seamlessly into the play-calling role after being hired off Washington’s staff, where coach Steve Sarkisian called plays.
Saban always credits Smart for the Tide’s defensive prowess, but is anyone really listening? Saban gets the bulk of the credit for his team’s play on that side of the ball, and that might be the reason Smart hasn’t been hired away to be a head coach elsewhere.
Running backs coach Burton Burns is excellent. There was some movement off the staff this offseason, with secondary coach Jeremy Pruitt (now Florida State’s coordinator), offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland (same position with the Philadelphia Eagles) and wide receiver coach Mike Groh (same position with the Chicago Bears) departing.
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