re: SEC coach of the year?

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College Football Talent Composite

2. Georgia
8. LSU
19. Tennessee

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Despite what some people think, recruiting is part of what makes a college coach good.

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For example, Kirby won it in 2017 even though Bama won the title. He did win it in 2021 too... because he got UGA over the national title hump. But unless they get worse before having another great season or there's no coach who brought a team up significantly, he'll be passed over.

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If he wins back to back NCs, he’s in pretty rare air for coaches. But I understand what you are saying

Ask yourself this. What would smart record be if he was at UT? It’s easy to coach when you have the most talent of any team in the country. But what can you do when you are facing situations like Kelly and Heupel has.

Jimbo

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Kelly took over a team that is rated #8 roster talent wise.

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This is not true. The #8 talent ranking that is posted in this thread is full of guys that Kelly brought in.

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Ask yourself this. What would smart record be if he was at UT? It’s easy to coach when you have the most talent of any team in the country. But what can you do when you are facing situations like Kelly and Heupel has.

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It’s easy? Smart has the most talent in the SEC because he outworks everyone at recruiting…which is half of a college coaches job.

Kelly and Heupel have both done excellent jobs, but Smart is on path for back to back undefeated regular seasons, that isn’t easy..anywhere.

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They rarely give this kind of award to a coach that was great and continues to be great like Smart.

It tends to go to coaches who's teams were not good in prior years and then do well.

For example, Kirby won it in 2017 even though Bama won the title. He did win it in 2021 too... because he got UGA over the national title hump. But unless they get worse before having another great season or there's no coach who brought a team up significantly, he'll be passed over.

Saban probably should have 10 of these. He only has 5 (1 from LSU).

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In some cases, yes, but here are the winners since 2008 and remember COY is named before the bowl games

2008 - Saban - undefeated regular season
2009 - Sabana - won SEC
2010 - Chizick - won SEC
2011 - Miles - won SEC
2012 - Sumlin - went 11-2
2013 - Gus - won SEC
2014 - Mullen - Saban maybe could have gotten it here
2015 - McElwain - Saban should have gotten it here
2016 - Saban - won SEC
2017 - Smart - won SEC
2018 - Stoops - took Kentucky to a 10-3 record, deserved
2019 - Orgeron - won SEC
2020 - Saban won SEC
2021 - Smart won SEC

It hasn't happened often that the COY didn't also win the SEC title, Saban being one of those coaches. The only year I say Saban may have gotten robbed was in 2014. But no, he shouldn't have won 10 of these, maybe 6 or 7 to the 5 he's won.

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Kelly took over a team that is rated #8 roster talent wise

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No, Kelly built it back up to that. LSU's roster was not #8 talent-wise the day he took the job. LSU's roster had 39 scholarship players. He signed a good class and picked up good players from the transfer portal. Those talent composites also don't take into account how old players are. True freshman are counted just the same as 5th year seniors. LSU has 11 freshman or transfer players starting right now. Almost the entirety of Tennessee's 2-deep are upperclassmen.

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I often wondered why Georgia hasn't been dominant all these years being the Atlanta backyard team.

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They weren't what they are now, but UGA was an elite program for basically the entirety of Richt's tenure. They just couldn't get over the hump.

I know they probably don't factor in the likelihood that the coach they pick will continue to excel in the future (so their pick doesn't look lame in hindsight), but if they do, I'd say the chances of Kelly continuing to do well are excellent. I really don't follow Tenn enough to say if the same can be said of Heupel.