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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) /
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Syndication: The Montgomery Advertiser
Syndication: The Montgomery Advertiser /

I’ll admit, when South Carolina hired Shane Beamer before the 2021 season, I was skeptical. I didn’t know if a guy who had never been a head coach before would be able to succeed at a program like South Carolina in a league like the SEC.

I was wrong.

In just one year, he’s brought the excitement back to the program, turning it around with a 7-6 season and following that up with some impressive recruiting, including landing Spencer Rattler in the transfer portal. The sky is the limit for Beamer.

People seem to forget that Mike Leach has one heck of a resume just because he’s 11-13 in two seasons with Mississippi State, but the Bulldogs saw major growth in his second year.

In fact, Mississippi State went from 4-7 in his first year to 7-6 in 2021 and he may just be on his way to leading the Bulldogs out of the basement. He has 150 career victories and deserves more respect from everyone. I expect big things out of him soon.

I don’t know about you, but I’m buying all the Sam Pittman stock available after a red-hot start to his Arkansas coaching career.

Before Pittman took over in 2020, the Razorbacks hadn’t won a single SEC game in two years. He won three in his first season. He followed that up with a 9-4 campaign in 2021 where the Razorbacks were ranked for most of the season. This dude can flat-out coach.

In most conferences, he’d be a top-five coach.

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