SEC football preseason hot seat rankings: All Good
Josh Heupel – Tennessee
There was some thought when Heupel was hired that he would only serve as a stop-gap coach to clean up Jeremy Pruitt’s mess before someone else came along. But Heupel’s had other plans, as he has the Volunteer program at a level it hasn’t been since the early-2000s.
Brian Kelly – LSU
Kelly proved to be one of the best coaches in the country at Notre Dame, but how well he’d fit in Baton Rouge was a major question. Kelly answered that by leading the Tigers to 10 wins and a SEC West title in his first season. LSU is once again a championship contender.
Lane Kiffin – Ole Miss
Kiffin came very close to taking the Auburn job before Ole Miss made him a top-10 highest paid coach in the country. One of the more beloved coaches in the CFB-sphere, he has the Rebels as a competitive program within the SEC, which is a good spot to be in.
Mark Stoops – Kentucky
Speaking of being a solid, competitive program, that’s exactly what Mark Stoops has built in Lexington. The all-time winningest coach in Kentucky history, Stoops has taken the Cats to seven-straight bowl games with a pair of 10-win seasons mixed in.
Shane Beamer – South Carolina
Beamer’s lack of play-calling and head coaching experience made him a controversial hire two years ago. But he’s proven to be the right guy for South Carolina after a pair of successful seasons and good momentum on the recruiting trail. There’s a buzz around the Gamecock program that hasn’t been there in a long time.