Most Coaching Changes for the SEC in a Single Season? Almost

(KMDL-FM) The coaching carousel in the Southeastern Conference is spinning more like Beyblades than a kiddie ride. Of course, in the SEC, football is a business for "grown folks," so fans whose teams aren't performing should expect a little carnage along the way.

The Auburn Tigers were the latest Southeastern Conference football program to announce that they think Lane Kiffin is the second coming of Nick Saban. What I mean is they fired Hugh Freeze over the weekend, and naturally the speculation went directly to Kiffin, as it had already at LSU and Florida.

READ MORE: Did Alabama Influence the SEC to Avoid Playing LSU Every Year?

READ MORE: Which SEC School Has Been Fined the Most for Storming the Field?

And about that fourth opening in the Southeastern Conference? That belongs to the University of Arkansas; they fired Sam Pittman even before Florida let go of Billy Napier and LSU sacked Brian Kelly. So that is four job openings in the most important football conference in all of college football in a single season.

Get our free mobile app

Is This The Most Head Coaching Openings in the SEC's History?

Currently, there are 16 member schools in the conference, so that means one-fourth of the available coaching jobs are open. But it's still not a record for the most coaching carnage in a single SEC season. Actually, there has been a "four jobs open" scenario in the SEC five times in the past 25 years.

Those job actions in bulk are the current season, the 2020 season, the 2019 season, the 2012 season, and the 2004 season. LSU coaching changes have figured into two of those. Naturally, the Brian Kelly firing this season is one; the other is when Nick Saban left the Tigers to help the Saints get Drew Brees by becoming the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. If you know, you know, right?

What's the Record For Most Coaching Openings in the SEC in a Single Season?

There was actually a football season that saw five SEC coaching jobs go vacant. That season was 2017. In that year, Arkansas fired Bret Bielema, Florida fired Jim McElwain, Tennessee fired Butch Jones, and Texas A&M fired Kevin Sumlin. The other coaching changes happened when Dan Mullins left Mississippi State to assume the head coaching position at Florida.

To be honest, we can't rule out more coaching changes this season in the SEC since Lane Kiffin could leave Ole Miss for another SEC school. And the win-loss records for South Carolina and Kentucky aren't looking that great either. So we might have a tie or break the record, depending on how the "coaching dominoes" fall.

And since we are mentioning Lane Kiffin as the hottest name in all of college coaching, has anyone actually asked what coach Kiffin has done or won in his career? As an assistant, he's certainly earned some rings, but as the head guy?  He sure seems to have a lot of room on the trophy shelf for a guy who is "the second coming" of Saban.

But then again, the schools of the SEC don't pay people to coach anymore; they pay coaches to leave. It's almost like a high-profile divorce when a coach leaves. Maybe that's why your team only plays like crap every other Saturday when it's Dad's turn to buy the pizza.