Southeastern Conference football is the best of all. Top to bottom competition is difficult, many of the best known college coaches are in the fabled SEC where National Championships are expected.
At this time the SEC has two coaches who've won two National Championships in Urban Meyer and Nick Saban. Meyer won both of his at Florida while Saban won one at LSU and the other last year at Alabama.
Les Miles and Steve Spurrier have won titles, Miles at his current position with LSU and Spurrier when he was at Florida in 1996.
The SEC has two new head coaches both are in the SEC East, Tennessee brought in Derek Dooley and Kentucky promoted their coach in waiting Joker Phillips.
Over in the SEC West are two second year coaches Dan Mullens at Mississippi State and Auburn's Gene Chizik.
If you took the first, second and third year guys out of the mix you'd only have six coaches left to stack up. For this list we'll throw Houston Nutt and Bobby Petrino in and see what comes out.
1 - Urban Meyer - success at a high level is his business where ever he's been. Meyer is first because he's won two National Championships at the SEC school he's presently with and he's done this in five seasons, actually his first four. In those five seasons he's reeled off three 13-1 records, coached a Heisman Trophy winner and has been the dominant recruiter in the country. This pick can not be argued, well it can't be argued successfully.
| Coach | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | Total |
| Urban Meyer | 9-3 | 13-1 | 9-4 | 13-1 | 13-1 | 57-10 |
| Nick Saban | - | - | 7-6 | 12-2 | 14-0 | 23-8 |
| Les Miles | 11-2 | 11-2 | 12-2 | 8-5 | 9-4 | 51-15 |
| Mark Richt | 10-3 | 9-4 | 11-2 | 10-3 | 8-5 | 48-17 |
| Steve Spurrier | 7-5 | 8-5 | 6-6 | 7-5 | 7-5 | 35-26 |
| Bobby Petrino | - | - | - | 5-7 | 8-5 | 13-12 |
| Houston Nutt | - | - | - | 9-4 | 9-4 | 18-8 |
| Bobby Johnson | 5-6 | 4-8 | 5-7 | 7-6 | 2-10 | 23-37 |
| Gene Chizik | - | - | - | - | 8-5 | 8-5 |
| Dan Mullen | - | - | - | - | 5-7 | 5-7 |
| Joker Phillips | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Derek Dooley | - | - | - | - | - | - |
2 - Nick Saban - Saban takes second place not on just what he's done at Alabama, if so he'd be third in line here. But Saban has won two National Championships as mentioned above at LSU and Bama. Many people will argue that Les Miles won on Saban's talent at LSU but no one seems to argue that Saban won on Mike Shula's talent at Alabama.
Saban is an awesome recruiter and he has the Bama fans dancing in the clouds right now.
But the fact remains Saban was erratic at best in his five seasons at LSU, but two NCs is something few men achieve...
Saban at LSU
2000 - 8-4
2001 - 10-3
2002 - 8-5
2003 - 13-1
2004 - 9-4
3 - Les Miles - You can't explain away a National Championship in a coaches 3rd season. Urban Meyer won one in his second season at Florida and no sane rational thinking man believed that Zook would have been able to pull off the same feat in 2006.
Miles won his title by gutsy calls like the game against Florida going for forth down several times he helped will his team to victory that season.
Miles first three seasons at LSU compared to Saban's first three at Alabama...
| coach | 1st yr | 2nd yr | 3rd yr | total | NC | SEC |
| Les Miles | 11-2 | 11-2 | 12-2 | 34-6 | 1 | 1 |
| Nick Saban | 7-6 | 12-2 | 14-0 | 33-8 | 1 | 1 |
Miles has recruited really well, he's had the misfortune lately of struggling with the QB position, the worst position at any level of football to be having troubles at.
4. Mark Richt - Richt edges out the old ball coach. You have to give a National Championship a lot of respect but Steve Spurrier has yet to write any history at South Carolina, Richt has at Georgia.
His overall record in nine seasons of 90-27 is simply outstanding. A 10-3 average, had Florida not been the dominating force in the SEC East Georgia under Richt would torn it up.
In his nine seasons he's won two SEC Titles in 2002 and 2005 and also finished tied for first in the SEC twice 2003 and 2007. Richt is an excellent recruiter he seems to attract some of the South's best quarterbacks, tight ends and wide receivers.
5. Steve Spurrier - Comes in fifth because in five seasons at South Carolina the best he's been able to do is 8-5. But he's had some great victories there and has been consistent in his recruiting.
Spurrier's 12-year run at Florida was for the history books, six SEC titles and another in his first season when the Gators weren't eligible to win it. Florida's first National Championship, those four SEC titles in a row 1993-94-95-96, a Heisman winner coached by the Heisman winner at the same school. Runner up for the SEC in 1992 and 1999.
Spurrier won the sec in bold, second in SEC normal type (9 of his 12 seasons at Florida)...
1990-1991-1992-1993-1994-1995-1996-1999-2001
Spurrier loved the challenge of being the first. At Duke he guided them to their first ACC football title in 1989, did the same at Florida 1991 and wants to pull that same feat off one last time at South Carolina. It's been a difficult task, none the less the old ball coach seems to love his second home away from home in the SEC.
6. Houston Nutt - This wasn't easy, this man has a lot of admiration for Bobby Johnson and his difficult task at Vanderbilt, he's a darn good coach. Lets face it Houston Nutt is a bit of a nut, but he's also a darn good coach. Pulling off back to back 9-4 seasons at Ole Miss is a serious statement for his abilities.
Bobby Petrino is going to have to do a lot more than 5-7 and 8-5 to climb into the top six, a lot of pressure is on his team this season due to the building hype over the perceived talent level at Arkansas. We'll see.
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