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Longest Tenured Coaches in the SEC
Posted on 4/2/26 at 11:22 am
Posted on 4/2/26 at 11:22 am
There are a lot of relatively new faces in the SEC. Here is how long each current SEC football head coach has been at their current job. The attrition rate the past few years has been brutal.
Golesh (Auburn): < 1 season
Silverfield (Atkansas): < 1 season
Sumrall (Florida): < 1 season
Stein (Kentucky): < 1 season
Kiffin (LSU): < 1 season
Golding (Ole Miss): < 1 season
Deboer (Alabama): 2 seasons
Lebby (MSU): 2 seasons
Elko (TAM): 2 seasons
Venables (OU): 4 seasons
Beamer (USCe): 5 seasons
Sarkisian (Texas): 5 seasons
Heupel (Tennessee): 5 seasons
Lea (Vandy): 5 seasons
Drink (Mizsou): 6 seasons
Smart (Georgia): 10 seasons
It seems unusual that the longest tenured coach in the SEC has been there only 10 years. And only 2 coaches have been at their current job for more than 5 seasons. It sure seems the leash on coaches just gets tighter and tighter. Even coaches like Doug Barfield used to get 5 seasons.
Golesh (Auburn): < 1 season
Silverfield (Atkansas): < 1 season
Sumrall (Florida): < 1 season
Stein (Kentucky): < 1 season
Kiffin (LSU): < 1 season
Golding (Ole Miss): < 1 season
Deboer (Alabama): 2 seasons
Lebby (MSU): 2 seasons
Elko (TAM): 2 seasons
Venables (OU): 4 seasons
Beamer (USCe): 5 seasons
Sarkisian (Texas): 5 seasons
Heupel (Tennessee): 5 seasons
Lea (Vandy): 5 seasons
Drink (Mizsou): 6 seasons
Smart (Georgia): 10 seasons
It seems unusual that the longest tenured coach in the SEC has been there only 10 years. And only 2 coaches have been at their current job for more than 5 seasons. It sure seems the leash on coaches just gets tighter and tighter. Even coaches like Doug Barfield used to get 5 seasons.
This post was edited on 4/2/26 at 11:29 am
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Posted on 4/2/26 at 11:24 am to captdalton
Might wanna recheck Venables he’s headed into his 5th year
This post was edited on 4/2/26 at 11:26 am
Posted on 4/2/26 at 11:27 am to OU Guy
Good catch, it had him listed at 2 years - but that was just in the SEC. He has completed 4 seasons, 2 in the SEC and 2 in the Big 12. It doesn’t really change how the list looks.
This post was edited on 4/2/26 at 11:36 am
Posted on 4/2/26 at 11:29 am to captdalton
Nearly 40% of schools had a coaching change for this year. Has the SEC come close to that before?
Posted on 4/2/26 at 11:33 am to borotiger
I certainly can never remember when over half the coaches in the SEC had been there 2 or less seasons. And no, I can never remember a season with this many new head coaches. Maybe someone else can do some digging.
Posted on 4/2/26 at 12:24 pm to captdalton
Wow, lot of turnover. Kirby is the new Saban. He’s at UGA until he calls it quits
Posted on 4/2/26 at 12:37 pm to captdalton
quote:
Beamer (USCe): 5 seasons
About the only dude that couldn't beat Brian Kelly.
Posted on 4/2/26 at 12:51 pm to captdalton
In the past 5 years, since 2021, four schools have had three or more coaches.
Auburn
2021-22: Harsin
2022: Williams
2023-25: Freeze
Current: Golesh
LSU
2021: Orgeron
2022-25: Kelly
2025: Wilson
Current: Kiffiin
MSU
2021-22: Leach
2023: Arnett
2024-present: Lebby
Florida
2021: Mullen
2022-25: Napier
Current: Sumrall
Lots of turnover. The days of getting 5 years seem to be long gone most places.
Auburn
2021-22: Harsin
2022: Williams
2023-25: Freeze
Current: Golesh
LSU
2021: Orgeron
2022-25: Kelly
2025: Wilson
Current: Kiffiin
MSU
2021-22: Leach
2023: Arnett
2024-present: Lebby
Florida
2021: Mullen
2022-25: Napier
Current: Sumrall
Lots of turnover. The days of getting 5 years seem to be long gone most places.
Posted on 4/2/26 at 1:05 pm to captdalton
I guess it's gone from "Chasing Saban" to "Chasing Smart"
Posted on 4/2/26 at 1:10 pm to captdalton
And we wonder why the sec is losing their grip on college football. Patience is a thing of the past
Posted on 4/2/26 at 1:19 pm to captdalton
Kiffin,s been in the SEC much longer tans that ?
Posted on 4/2/26 at 1:19 pm to captdalton
And that is a big part of the problem. Coaching stability at the college level is a must. Teams that change coaches like Eva Gabor changed husbands typically continue to struggle.
Kirby Smart - 10 years - Success
The guys that are around 4-5 years, the schools have smartly chose to keep them even when there is a valley of a season.
I will say State is an anomaly (over the last four years) as the death of Coach Leach really threw the program into a tail spin. However Coach Lebby made nice progress from year one to year two. And hopefully we will hang on to him to allow him to fully develop the program.
Lea at Vanderbilt is a good example of sticking with a coach and allowing him to develop his program.
Until some of the other SEC schools learn this lesson they will continue to struggle.
Kirby Smart - 10 years - Success
The guys that are around 4-5 years, the schools have smartly chose to keep them even when there is a valley of a season.
I will say State is an anomaly (over the last four years) as the death of Coach Leach really threw the program into a tail spin. However Coach Lebby made nice progress from year one to year two. And hopefully we will hang on to him to allow him to fully develop the program.
Lea at Vanderbilt is a good example of sticking with a coach and allowing him to develop his program.
Until some of the other SEC schools learn this lesson they will continue to struggle.
Posted on 4/2/26 at 1:19 pm to captdalton
quote:
It seems unusual that the longest tenured coach in the SEC has been there only 10 years. And only 2 coaches have been at their current job for more than 5 seasons. It sure seems the leash on coaches just gets tighter and tighter. Even coaches like Doug Barfield used to get 5 seasons.
It might seem unusual but it definitely seems logical. These coaches demand so much $ that they have no right to expect a long leash. If you want a long leash, you better be more affordable.
Posted on 4/2/26 at 1:21 pm to Godawgs4
quote:
Coaching stability at the college level is a must.
Is it? Seems like Indiana proved that is not true.
Posted on 4/2/26 at 1:41 pm to borotiger
quote:
Nearly 40% of schools had a coaching change for this year. Has the SEC come close to that before?
So...this year there are 6 of the 16 changing, which is 37.5% turnover. In 2017 there were 5 out of the 14 schools, which is 35.7%. That's the closest year that there has been. In 2004, there were 4 out of the 12 schools which is 33.3%. There were also 4 out of 12 in 1961 and 1953 (when Tulane and GT were still in the conference).
Posted on 4/2/26 at 1:44 pm to lefty08
quote:
And we wonder why the sec is losing their grip on college football. Patience is a thing of the past
OU has had 3 coaches since 1999.
Posted on 4/2/26 at 1:49 pm to captdalton
quote:
Lea (Vandy): 5 seasons
For some reason that one jumps out. I would have guessed less years.
Posted on 4/2/26 at 1:53 pm to captdalton
Weird to count some interims and not others.
Posted on 4/2/26 at 2:35 pm to kew48
quote:
Kiffin,s been in the SEC much longer tans that ?
quote:
Here is how long each current SEC football head coach has been at their current job
Posted on 4/2/26 at 2:36 pm to mckibaj
quote:
Weird to count some interims and not others.
There is not exactly a database of interim coaches who coached a game. If I missed some feel free to point them out.
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