In the loaded SEC, it all start with coaching
There are more than a few fans who get tired of hearing about how good the SEC is on an annual basis. Well, those folks are going to have to put their fingers in their ears and say “La-la-la-la-la” a lot this season because the SEC is loaded again – so loaded that it wouldn’t be a surprise if a conference team wins the national title for the third consecutive season.
Florida and Georgia in the East and Auburn and LSU in the West are the teams with legit hopes they’ll be in Miami for the BCS Championship Game this season. Sure, each of those teams has some holes. But they’re also supremely talented and supremely coached.
The good coaching thing is prevalent in this league. Five SEC coaches have won national titles – Tennessee’s Phillip Fulmer, Florida’s Urban Meyer, LSU’s Les Miles, Alabama’s Nick Saban and South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier. Two others – Georgia’s Mark Richt and Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville – would be among the first 10 or so names mentioned when a roll call of the nation’s best coaches was taken. Arkansas’ Bobby Petrino has taken a team to a BCS bowl. Ole Miss’ Houston Nutt won two SEC West titles at Arkansas. Kentucky’s Rich Brooks has rebuilt the Wildcats’ program; the same with Sylvester Croom at Mississippi State. And while Bobby Johnson hasn’t had a ton of success at Vanderbilt, he took Furman to the I-AA national title game in 2001.
rivals.com
8/11/08
Magnolia Tribune
