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

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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JANUARY 10: Head Coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Head Coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs shake hands 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) /

I’ve flip-flopped between Brian Kelly being one of the nation’s most overrated coaches and believing he’s actually a top-three coach in the SEC multiple times. Maybe I, too, am overrating the former Notre Dame coach?

Let’s not think about that.

Kelly has an excellent resume and has made two College Football Playoff appearances over the last four years. He has also finished no lower than No. 11 in the final AP Top 25 since 2016. He’s a heck of a coach and I’ve talked myself into ranking him No. 3 behind two behemoths.

Kirby Smart has been on an absolute tear since an 8-5 opening season with Georgia. He’s 58-11 since that first season and he’s proving that he belongs at the big kids table. He has defeated Nick Saban, his mentor, for a national title (2021) and an SEC title (2017) and he’s 5-2 in bowl games.

Smart is also one of the nation’s best recruiters and he is consistently reeling in top-five classes which are only reloading his already-loaded rosters.

If there’s a serious threat to Nick Saban’s throne in the SEC, it’s Smart.

The obvious choice for No. 1 heading into the 2022 season has to be Nick Saban. The legendary Alabama coach is going to be here until he retires or until his program takes a nosedive, which simply will not happen.

Saban is the greatest coach the sport has ever seen and although he was just upended by Smart in the national title game last season, he’s probably bringing back the nation’s top team for 2022.

Everyone fears Saban and Alabama, and for good reason.

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