3 most overrated SEC football coaches ahead of 2024

2. Steve Sarkisian, Texas

When Texas hired Steve Sarkisian back in 2021, it was one of those moves that really shocked me. No, I don't think Sarkisian is a bad coach, but he hadn't led a program since 2015 when USC fired him following a 3-2 start. He hadn't been a head coach for six years and one of the top programs in the country hired him after letting go of Tom Herman.

It was a shock. Even Lane Kiffin had to go the Group of Five route after being an Alabama assistant under Nick Saban before taking a Power Five job again.

But Sarkisian took over and struggled in year one with a program that needed a makeover after Herman. He went 5-7 and then turned it around in 2022 with an 8-5 record. The 2023 season was much more impressive as he went 12-2 and led the Longhorns to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, losing to Washington in the semifinal.

Sarkisian is a solid head coach and probably one of the better recruiters in the nation, but it's easy to recruit at Texas -- kids grow up dreaming to play for the Longhorns. The school has a ton of NIL money, too, so recruiting is that much easier in Austin.

There has been talk that Sarkisian is a top-three coach in the SEC already, but I just can't agree with that since he's had just one 10-plus-win season in his entire career. Let's pump the breaks.