SEC Coach Rankings: Is Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin Top-Five Following 2021 Magic?

Lane Kiffin made Rebels' history, but is he a top-five coach in the SEC entering 2022?

SEC Media Days are in full swing. Half the coaches have already addressed their upcoming plan to win the conference, fight for a College Football Playoff berth and become the next sleeping giant in the sport.

In reality, there are about three or four teams from the conference who are in contention. 

This doesn't mean that the SEC is taking a step back. In fact, one could argue with the additions of LSU's Brian Kelly and Florida's Billy Napier, the conference features the most tight-knit coaches in the country. 

Don't believe it? Look at Arkansas' Sam Pittman, Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin, South Carolina's Shane Beamer and Tennessee's Josh Heupel.

The staple of course is Nick Saban, but one could argue the remaining 13 spots up for grabs. As media days wind down, here's a look at TheGroveReport.com's rankings for all 14 coaches entering 2022.

14. Clark Lea - Vanderbilt

Lea said Tuesday that one day soon, Vanderbilt will become the "best program in the country." Before banking on winning the SEC, let's see the Commodores not lose by 20 points to FCS East Tennessee State.

13. Eliah Drinkwitz - Missouri

If anything, this is more of a knock on his experience. Drinkwitz is entering his third season as the Tigers' head coach and the fourth season leading a program in total. In 2020, Missouri impressed going 5-5 against a COVID-19 all-conference schedule, but regressed a year later to finish below .500.

Drinkwitz worked the transfer portal in his favor this offseason by adding names such as Stanford running back Nathaniel Peat, North Carolina linebacker Tyrone Hopper and Baylor defensive lineman Josh Landry. There's also offensive potential with the combination of quarterback Sam Horn and top-ranked receiver Luther Burden.

12. Bryan Harsin - Auburn

Harsin found success at his alma mater in Boise State. Year 1 on The Plains almost was his last. Boosters looked to fire him after losing to Houston in the Birmingham Bowl, and things have soured with over 15 players leaving via the transfer portal.

Auburn might be the toughest job in the SEC due to the immense expectations and geographical location for recruiting. Six wins won't cut it for the Tigers, meaning Harsin is on the hot seat entering August.

11. Shane Beamer - South Carolina

Beamer was the oddball hire of the 2021 cycle. Now, he might be the next Pittman or Dave Aranda if the Gamecocks build off their late-season success. All the traits needed to a successful SEC coach — charisma, charm, high energy — were on display with Beamer and were missing with Will Muschamp.

Quarterback issues held the Gamecocks back, yet they still managed to finish with seven wins. Beamer added former Oklahoma star Spencer Rattler and brought in Sooners' tight end Austin Stogner to replace Nick Muse. There's a high ceiling for Beamer and South Carolina to explode come Week 1.

10. Billy Napier - Florida

Napier is new to the conference, but he's been a stable head coach since 2018. During his four seasons at Louisiana, the Ragin' Cajuns were one of the best Group of Five programs in the nation, posting a 40-12 record and finishing ranked in the Top 25 twice.

One thing Napier has over others are his ties to the greats. Not only is he a disciple of Saban, but he also served on staff at Clemson under Dabo Swinney. It's too soon to tell if Napier will translate to the SEC, but there's little reason to doubt that his background won't entice recruits to The Swamp.

9. Josh Heupel - Tennessee

Like Napier, Heupel is proven as a Group of Five coach thanks to his time at UCF. Last season in Knoxville, he led the Vols to their second winning season since 2016. The offense shined under his play-calling after fizzling with Jeremy Pruitt, and the defense seemed competent down the stretch.

Tennessee falls into the sleeper category this season in large part due to the return of quarterback Hendon Hooker. He shined in Heupel's up-tempo offense and very well has cemented himself as a Heisman dark horse. Things seem to be looking up for the Vols this fall.

8. Sam Pittman - Arkansas

One season isn't enough to move Pittman past other proven coaches, but he's the biggest riser on the list. After Chad Morris made it seem impossible to win in Fayetteville, Pittman proved sometimes the underdog hire is the right one.

The Razorbacks finished 9-4 with a bowl victory over Penn State. They won all three rivalry games over Texas A&M, LSU and Missouri, plus finished ranked inside the top 25 for the first time since 2011. Arkansas also retained both coordinators in Kendal Briles and Barry Odom, plus has quarterback KJ Jefferson returning. Pittman very well could be top-five by next July.

7. Mike Leach - Mississippi State

Yes, Leach hasn't turned the Bulldogs into SEC contenders, but the offense took massive strides in 2022. Mississippi State finished with a seven-win regular season in 2021, which included victories over ranked opponents in Auburn, Kentucky and Texas A&M. Quarterback Will Rogers also set the SEC on fire with his rocket arm and high-tempo passing.

In large part, Leach lands this high because of his previous success at Texas Tech and Washington State. The Air-Raid offense works for his current players and very well could be the reason State contends for a top-three finish in the SEC West.

6. Lane Kiffin - Ole Miss

This was the hardest ranking by far. One could argue Kiffin is top-five, but for now, it's better to bank on upside than reach. Two years into his tenure on The Grove, and Kiffin has brought life to the Rebels. His 10-win regular season is a record at Ole Miss, and the Sugar Bowl loss might be blamed due to the injury to quarterback Matt Corral.

When fired by USC, Kiffin was the laughing stock of college football. Since then, he's revilitized his career and transformed into more than a walking meme with witty comebacks on Twitter. He's the "Portal King" of 2022 in terms of recruiting, but can he be the future of the SEC with consistency?

5. Mark Stoops - Kentucky

There isn't a more underappreciated coach in college football than Stoops. The Wildcats are coming off their second 10-win season in four years. Prior to that, Kentucky hadn't finished with double-digit wins since 1977.

Since arriving in Lexington, Stoops has posted five winning seasons and six consecutive bowl appearances. The Wildcats also have improved in recruiting and turned Kroger Field into an enticing transfer destination. For years, Kentucky was known as a basketball program and an easy "W" on the gridiron for opponents. All that's changed since Stoops took over.

4. Brian Kelly - LSU

Kelly is a proven winner. During his 12-year run at Notre Dame, the Irish finished with seven 10-plus win seasons, eight top 25 appearances, two College Football Playoff berths and a spot in a BCS National Championship Game. He also is the all-time winningest coach in program history if one were to include the vacated victories.

Expectations are high for Kelly. Ed Orgeron, Les Miles and Saban all won at least one national title during their tenures prior to Kelly's arrival. One of the biggest marks against the Tigers' coach is his ability to recruit due to the academic and geographic challenges that follow Notre Dame. That won't be a problem in Baton Rouge.

Will finding wins be a struggle?

3. Jimbo Fisher - Texas A&M

The last domino to keep Fisher out of the top-three rankings fell when Alabama did in College Station last October. Fisher proved he could hang with the big boys of the sport and just solidified the Aggies' promise with a No. 1 recruiting class this past offseason.

Fisher won a national title in 2013 at Florida State. He brought the Aggies a spot short of making the College Football Playoff in 2020. One thing that's held the Aggies back is their quarterback play, but Fisher is high on his current options entering the year. Is 2022 finally the year A&M is a legitimate contender?

2. Kirby Smart - Georgia

Smart became the second disciple to take down Saban, but this was for a national title. Not only did Smart bring Georgia its first championship in 41 years, but he's also kept the Dawgs ranked inside the top 10 five of his six seasons in Athens.

Considered by some to be the top recruiter in the sport, Smart brings in future NFL talent on the regular. His defense always seems to rank inside the top 10, and he's a threat to win the SEC title over Alabama each year. Despite mediocre quarterback play, Georgia has been at its best since Smart's arrival in 2016.

1. Nick Saban - Alabama

He's won six titles since 2009 at Alabama and seven total in his career. Since taking over in 2007, Saban has posted a 178–25 record, meaning he's won 88 percent of his games.

Saban isn't just the greatest coach in the SEC. He's the greatest college coach of all-time. And no, this isn't up for debate, either.

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You can follow Cole Thompson on Twitter at @MrColeThompson

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