Saturday Blitz
Fansided

SEC Football: Power ranking the head coaches ahead of 2022 season

By Connor Muldowney

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JANUARY 10: Head coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs holds up the National Championship trophy after the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18 in the 2022 CFP National Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 10, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JANUARY 10: Head coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs holds up the National Championship trophy after the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18 in the 2022 CFP National Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 10, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel at the 2021 Music City Bowl NCAA college football game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.Kns Tennessee Purdue
Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel at the 2021 Music City Bowl NCAA college football game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.Kns Tennessee Purdue /

I like Eli Drinkwitz and I think he’s capable of moving up this list, but right now he hasn’t proven enough. He’s 11-12 through his first two seasons with Missouri and lost his only bowl appearance in 2021. If the Tigers can win 7-8 games this year, I think he could sneak into that top-10 range in the SEC, but for right now, he’s near the bottom.

How can a head coach who has never led a Power Five team before be ranked ahead of three guys? Billy Napier was one of the best coaches in the Group of Five for years and deserves at least a little respect for going 12-1 at Louisiana a year ago.

Napier spent time as an assistant at Clemson, Alabama, and Arizona State before taking over at Louisiana and 40-12 over four seasons, including a 33-5 record over the last three years. He was a massive hire for the Gators and I think he could be one of the SEC’s best soon.

I’m not completely sold on Josh Heupel yet even though a lot of people are ready to declare him the savior of Tennessee football. He was just 7-6 in his first season with the Volunteers which is impressive, but he’s not quite “top-tier” just yet.

Heupel has a great offensive mind and it showed in his first season with the Volunteers as they put up some points, but he needs to prove that he can contend at least for division titles.

Home/SEC