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Dare I say there’s stability among the SEC coaching ranks? Yeah, I’m sure that will last.
But really, there’s only one SEC head coach who’s obviously on the hot seat entering 2026. After a tumultuous coaching cycle at the end of last season, there’s been a reset that should lead to momentary calm. But this is the SEC — not exactly the most level-headed of leagues.
Let’s take stock of the SEC’s coaches and where they sit entering 2026. Whose seat is safe? Whose is warming up?
Coaches are listed in tiers by job security, from most to least. The higher their number, the safer they are.
16. Kirby Smart, Georgia (117-21, 69-12 SEC)
Georgia hasn’t won a playoff game since repeating as national champs in 2021 and 2022. The Bulldogs are also 36-6 with two SEC championships since then. Any notion of a Georgia “slip” is based on the impossibly high standards Smart has set. Georgia is 37-3 in SEC play over the last five seasons. How’s that for a slip? Hot-seat ranking: 0/10
15. Clark Lea, Vanderbilt (26-36, 11-29 SEC)
Ten times Vanderbilt has had a 10-loss season. One time Vanderbilt has had a 10-win season. That was last year, of course, under Lea. Give the man a lifetime contract. The fact that he’s a Vandy alum only makes the story better. Hot-seat ranking: 1/10
More: Big 12 football hot-seat rankings: Which coaches enter 2026 in danger?
14. Will Stein, Kentucky (0-0)
The former Oregon offensive coordinator is following Mark Stoops, the winningest coach in program history. Still, this is Kentucky football. Stein has the least amount of pressure of any of the first-year coaches. The only potential worry for Stein is that the athletic director who hired him, Mitch Barnhart, has since retired. J Batt, the former Michigan State AD, is now on the job in Lexington. Hot-seat ranking: 1/10
13. Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas (0-0)
Silverfield had a six-year run at Memphis. Sam Pittman almost lasted six seasons at Arkansas, where he went 32-34 (14-29 SEC). The Hogs, by SEC standards, are fairly realistic about their football program. The last time Arkansas had a winning record in SEC play? You have to go all the way back to 2015. Arkansas is 4-20 in the SEC since 2023. Hot-seat ranking: 1/10
12. Jon Sumrall, Florida (0-0)
Sumrall, the former head man at Troy and Tulane, is my favorite of the first-year coaches. This is a high-variance job with less stability than you might think. Since Steve Spurrier stepped down after the 2001 season, Urban Meyer is the only coach who’s held the job for more than five seasons. Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain, Dan Mullen and Billy Napier all went three-and-out or four-and-out. Hot-seat ranking: 2/10
11. Alex Golesh, Auburn (0-0)
Auburn went from a bad culture fit in Bryan Harsin to a morally corrupt choice in Hugh Freeze. In steps Golesh, who was one of my favorite candidates for the Oklahoma State job. Auburn isn’t an easy place to win, but the ceiling is high. So too are the expectations. Hot-seat ranking: 2/10
10. Lane Kiffin, LSU (0-0)
What happens when you match a capricious coach with an unreasonable university? We’re about to find out. It could be a disaster. It could also work. Kiffin is a tremendous coach. You just can’t trust him. And LSU is a place you can win a national title in short order. It’s also a you-know-what show. I don’t know if Kiffin has the longest or shortest leash among the new SEC head coaches. I think he’d leave for a new job before he’d get fired. Hot-seat ranking: 3/10
9. Pete Golding, Ole Miss (2-1)
Golding is 2-1 in the College Football Playoff and 0-0 in the regular season. What a sport, huh? Golding did an admirable job in stabilizing Ole Miss after Lane Kiffin ditched the Rebels mid-dance. Golding doesn’t have the polished public persona of most of his colleagues, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Hot-seat ranking: 3/10
8. Steve Sarkisian, Texas (48-20, 30-13 SEC)
The Longhorns won the conference title in their last year in the Big 12, and they’re 13-3 in two seasons in the SEC. Sarkisian is 3-2 against OU and 2-0 against Texas A&M. The Longhorns failed to live up to their No. 1 preseason billing in 2025, but they still won 10 games. In case you haven’t noticed: Texas is back. Hot-seat ranking: 3/10
7. Mike Elko, Texas A&M (19-7, 12-4 SEC)
Elko has brought a pragmatic approach to College Station — a place that’s more than a little cuckoo. Texas A&M was 11-0 last season before dropping its final two games at Texas and against Miami in the first round of the CFP. It appears the Aggies have a coach who can make good on the talent Texas A&M can attract. Hot-seat ranking: 3/10
6. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri (46-29, 26-24 SEC)
Missouri has been .500 or better in SEC play in four of Drinkwitz’s six seasons. Mizzou has appeared in the College Football Playoff rankings in each of the last three seasons. Pretty darn impressive. We went from questioning if Drinkwitz would be fired to wondering if he’s a flight risk to leave for a better job. Hot-seat ranking: 3/10
5. Josh Heupel, Tennessee (45-20, 24-16 SEC)
Tennessee’s SEC record by season under Heupel: 4-4, 6-2, 4-4, 6-2, 4-4. That’s a pattern Tennessee should gladly take. Before Heupel, the last Vols coach to win six SEC games in a season was Phillip Fulmer. Way back in 2007. And Heupel’s done it twice in five seasons. He’s two years removed from leading Tennessee to the College Football Playoff. Hot-seat ranking: 4/10
4. Brent Venables, Oklahoma (32-20, 18-16 SEC)
Leading the Sooners to the College Football Playoff was a massive boost for Venables. After a 2-6 SEC debut, the Sooners flipped their conference record to 6-2. Venables has alternated between 6-7 and 10-3 seasons in his first four years on the job. A regression to six wins would put Venables back on the hot seat, but there’s positive momentum in Norman. Beating Texas (easier said than done) would go a long way for Venables, who’s 1-3 against the ‘Horns. Hot-seat ranking: 5/10
More: OU football DE Taylor Wein has gone from underdog to anchor entering Sooners' 2026 season
3. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama (20-8, 12-4 SEC)
The good: Alabama is coming off an 11-win season in which it won a road playoff game (sorry, OU fans). The bad: Alabama was humiliated by Indiana 38-3 in the CFP quarterfinals. Now, that wasn’t the Indiana of old. It wasn’t Nick Saban’s Alabama, either. There’s no longer a fear factor with Alabama. DeBoer knew what he signed up for in following Saban. Nothing he does is going to feel adequate in comparison. Hot-seat ranking: 6/10
2. Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State (7-18, 1-15 SEC)
The record isn’t as bad as it looks. Three of the Bulldogs’ seven conference losses last season were by single digits. Mississippi State is an awfully tough place to win, but Lebby is faring worse than his predecessors. The former OU offensive coordinator probably can’t afford another dud season. Hot-seat ranking: 7/10
1. Shane Beamer, South Carolina (33-30, 16-24 SEC)
The former Sooner assistant is one of the nice guys in the business, but that’s not going to help him survive a repeat of last year (4-8, 1-7 SEC). Beamer’s job might be dependent on a LaNorris Sellers bounceback at quarterback. South Carolina needs to bank wins in the first half of its schedule. The back half is brutal. Hot-seat ranking: 8/10
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at [email protected]. Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: SEC football coach hot-seat rankings: How safe is Brent Venables' job at OU?
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But really, there’s only one SEC head coach who’s obviously on the hot seat entering 2026. After a tumultuous coaching cycle at the end of last season, there’s been a reset that should lead to momentary calm. But this is the SEC — not exactly the most level-headed of leagues.
Let’s take stock of the SEC’s coaches and where they sit entering 2026. Whose seat is safe? Whose is warming up?
Coaches are listed in tiers by job security, from most to least. The higher their number, the safer they are.
“Where would you like your statue?”
16. Kirby Smart, Georgia (117-21, 69-12 SEC)
Georgia hasn’t won a playoff game since repeating as national champs in 2021 and 2022. The Bulldogs are also 36-6 with two SEC championships since then. Any notion of a Georgia “slip” is based on the impossibly high standards Smart has set. Georgia is 37-3 in SEC play over the last five seasons. How’s that for a slip? Hot-seat ranking: 0/10
15. Clark Lea, Vanderbilt (26-36, 11-29 SEC)
Ten times Vanderbilt has had a 10-loss season. One time Vanderbilt has had a 10-win season. That was last year, of course, under Lea. Give the man a lifetime contract. The fact that he’s a Vandy alum only makes the story better. Hot-seat ranking: 1/10
More: Big 12 football hot-seat rankings: Which coaches enter 2026 in danger?
“This is just the beginning”
14. Will Stein, Kentucky (0-0)
The former Oregon offensive coordinator is following Mark Stoops, the winningest coach in program history. Still, this is Kentucky football. Stein has the least amount of pressure of any of the first-year coaches. The only potential worry for Stein is that the athletic director who hired him, Mitch Barnhart, has since retired. J Batt, the former Michigan State AD, is now on the job in Lexington. Hot-seat ranking: 1/10
13. Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas (0-0)
Silverfield had a six-year run at Memphis. Sam Pittman almost lasted six seasons at Arkansas, where he went 32-34 (14-29 SEC). The Hogs, by SEC standards, are fairly realistic about their football program. The last time Arkansas had a winning record in SEC play? You have to go all the way back to 2015. Arkansas is 4-20 in the SEC since 2023. Hot-seat ranking: 1/10
12. Jon Sumrall, Florida (0-0)
Sumrall, the former head man at Troy and Tulane, is my favorite of the first-year coaches. This is a high-variance job with less stability than you might think. Since Steve Spurrier stepped down after the 2001 season, Urban Meyer is the only coach who’s held the job for more than five seasons. Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain, Dan Mullen and Billy Napier all went three-and-out or four-and-out. Hot-seat ranking: 2/10
11. Alex Golesh, Auburn (0-0)
Auburn went from a bad culture fit in Bryan Harsin to a morally corrupt choice in Hugh Freeze. In steps Golesh, who was one of my favorite candidates for the Oklahoma State job. Auburn isn’t an easy place to win, but the ceiling is high. So too are the expectations. Hot-seat ranking: 2/10
10. Lane Kiffin, LSU (0-0)
What happens when you match a capricious coach with an unreasonable university? We’re about to find out. It could be a disaster. It could also work. Kiffin is a tremendous coach. You just can’t trust him. And LSU is a place you can win a national title in short order. It’s also a you-know-what show. I don’t know if Kiffin has the longest or shortest leash among the new SEC head coaches. I think he’d leave for a new job before he’d get fired. Hot-seat ranking: 3/10
9. Pete Golding, Ole Miss (2-1)
Golding is 2-1 in the College Football Playoff and 0-0 in the regular season. What a sport, huh? Golding did an admirable job in stabilizing Ole Miss after Lane Kiffin ditched the Rebels mid-dance. Golding doesn’t have the polished public persona of most of his colleagues, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Hot-seat ranking: 3/10
“We really like what you’re doing”
8. Steve Sarkisian, Texas (48-20, 30-13 SEC)
The Longhorns won the conference title in their last year in the Big 12, and they’re 13-3 in two seasons in the SEC. Sarkisian is 3-2 against OU and 2-0 against Texas A&M. The Longhorns failed to live up to their No. 1 preseason billing in 2025, but they still won 10 games. In case you haven’t noticed: Texas is back. Hot-seat ranking: 3/10
7. Mike Elko, Texas A&M (19-7, 12-4 SEC)
Elko has brought a pragmatic approach to College Station — a place that’s more than a little cuckoo. Texas A&M was 11-0 last season before dropping its final two games at Texas and against Miami in the first round of the CFP. It appears the Aggies have a coach who can make good on the talent Texas A&M can attract. Hot-seat ranking: 3/10
6. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri (46-29, 26-24 SEC)
Missouri has been .500 or better in SEC play in four of Drinkwitz’s six seasons. Mizzou has appeared in the College Football Playoff rankings in each of the last three seasons. Pretty darn impressive. We went from questioning if Drinkwitz would be fired to wondering if he’s a flight risk to leave for a better job. Hot-seat ranking: 3/10
5. Josh Heupel, Tennessee (45-20, 24-16 SEC)
Tennessee’s SEC record by season under Heupel: 4-4, 6-2, 4-4, 6-2, 4-4. That’s a pattern Tennessee should gladly take. Before Heupel, the last Vols coach to win six SEC games in a season was Phillip Fulmer. Way back in 2007. And Heupel’s done it twice in five seasons. He’s two years removed from leading Tennessee to the College Football Playoff. Hot-seat ranking: 4/10
4. Brent Venables, Oklahoma (32-20, 18-16 SEC)
Leading the Sooners to the College Football Playoff was a massive boost for Venables. After a 2-6 SEC debut, the Sooners flipped their conference record to 6-2. Venables has alternated between 6-7 and 10-3 seasons in his first four years on the job. A regression to six wins would put Venables back on the hot seat, but there’s positive momentum in Norman. Beating Texas (easier said than done) would go a long way for Venables, who’s 1-3 against the ‘Horns. Hot-seat ranking: 5/10
More: OU football DE Taylor Wein has gone from underdog to anchor entering Sooners' 2026 season
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“This isn’t exactly what we’re used to”
3. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama (20-8, 12-4 SEC)
The good: Alabama is coming off an 11-win season in which it won a road playoff game (sorry, OU fans). The bad: Alabama was humiliated by Indiana 38-3 in the CFP quarterfinals. Now, that wasn’t the Indiana of old. It wasn’t Nick Saban’s Alabama, either. There’s no longer a fear factor with Alabama. DeBoer knew what he signed up for in following Saban. Nothing he does is going to feel adequate in comparison. Hot-seat ranking: 6/10
“Show us … something”
2. Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State (7-18, 1-15 SEC)
The record isn’t as bad as it looks. Three of the Bulldogs’ seven conference losses last season were by single digits. Mississippi State is an awfully tough place to win, but Lebby is faring worse than his predecessors. The former OU offensive coordinator probably can’t afford another dud season. Hot-seat ranking: 7/10
“We really don’t want to do this”
1. Shane Beamer, South Carolina (33-30, 16-24 SEC)
The former Sooner assistant is one of the nice guys in the business, but that’s not going to help him survive a repeat of last year (4-8, 1-7 SEC). Beamer’s job might be dependent on a LaNorris Sellers bounceback at quarterback. South Carolina needs to bank wins in the first half of its schedule. The back half is brutal. Hot-seat ranking: 8/10
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at [email protected]. Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: SEC football coach hot-seat rankings: How safe is Brent Venables' job at OU?
Continue reading...
