SEC Coaches Who Might Change Sidelines

The coaching world is becoming a crueler, colder place at each turn. 30 years ago, a coach like Derek Dooley at Tennessee would have been given more than just four seasons to turn the Vols around.

Granted, they probably would’ve only given him an extra two seasons or so, but who knows what could have happened in that fifth season?

In a conference like the SEC that just seems to keep getting tougher, the pressure is on like never before in college football history to win, and win now.

And if you do win, especially at a school not known for winning, bigger programs come calling.

So here are five coaches who might be seen on different sidelines in the near future:

Will Muschamp, Florida

Three weeks ago, Will Muschamp was done. Jeremy Foley had already bought his plane ticket out of town, and was probably sending out feeler emails to Steve Spurrier, Dan Mullen, and Urban Meyer. There was even a website made by Florida students devoted solely to giving Muschamp the boot. Florida wanted him out.

And then the Georgia game happened. Florida inexplicably ran for over 400 yards on their way to a shocking 38-20 upset over the Bulldogs.

Now the question remains: did that win save Muschamp’s job?

It’s difficult to say. One win over a ranked opponent in two seasons might not be enough to smooth over the fact that the Gators have gone 9-11 since a top ten finish in 2012. And it’s not as though Florida has looked good doing it.

It all depends on how he finishes this season. He needs to pick up one more win to become bowl eligible, and if he can win in the postseason, you never know.

The Georgia win might not have saved his job in the long run, but it bought him time until the end of this season.

Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

It’s possible that no one in college football has done a better coaching job than what Steve Spurrier has accomplished at South Carolina. Before Spurrier’s arrival, the Gamecocks had only won ten games in a single season. They’ve gone 11-2 the previous three seasons in a row.

He can be single-handedly credited with making South Carolina a team to be reckoned with instead of the one you schedule for your homecoming game.

There have been questions, however, of whether or not the game is starting to pass the Ol’ Ball Coach by, as his team has limped to a 4-5 record. 7-5 is quite a step backward, especially since many considered the Gamecocks to be the most likely candidate to win the SEC East.

I doubt that Spurrier would be fired from South Carolina this season or even next year, but three seasons down the road, if he puts out a losing season or two, the Gamecocks might start looking for a new face of the program.

Also be sure to keep your eye on Florida’s coaching situation. Would Spurrier consider taking the Fun ‘N Gun back to Florida if the Gators part ways with Muschamp?

Derek Mason, Vanderbilt

This one might seem like an odd choice, but hear me out. Yes, Derek Mason is only in his first year. And yes, the football expectations at Vanderbilt aren’t as high as, well, anywhere. But they are higher than they’ve ever been in the school’s history, thanks to James Franklin.

Vanderbilt fans got a small taste of what it’s like to be nationally relevant, and when Franklin left for greener pastures, they were actually pretty ticked.

And unfortunately for the Commodores, Vanderbilt has immediately slid back into being Vanderbilt. Derek Mason has done nothing to keep his team competitive in the conference, and has struggled to beat even non-conference opponents.

The low point of the season somehow happened in the first game, when Vanderbilt was blown out 37-7 at home by Temple. From there, it’s been all downhill.

A 3-9 finish is all but certain, and even though that is historically up to Vanderbilt’s usual snuff, this season has been ugly. Maybe Mason needs more time and could really make Vanderbilt competitive again, but are the fans going to be that patient?

Unrealistic or not, they came to enjoy being respectable in the football community, and their team has rapidly and catastrophically dropped from those ranks under Mason’s watch.

Bret Bielema, Arkansas

Bielema certainly has Arkansas playing physical football, and his power running scheme has allowed his Razorbacks to dominate out-of-conference opponents. They’ve averaged 225.6 rushing yards a game since the start of 2013, and they’re still getting better.

The problem is he’s lost all 13 of his SEC contests since entering the league.

Sure, his teams have been competitive in every game they’ve played, even getting oh so close to winning a couple of them, but he still hasn’t been able to take that next step. How much longer will the residents of Fayetteville tolerate an inability to compete for the SEC West? It doesn’t matter how many Texas Techs or Northern Illinois’s he blows out if he can’t start putting together winning conference records.

He’s perfectly safe this year, but if he continues this SEC losing streak into his third season, he might want to start mailing out his resume.

Dan Mullen, Mississippi State

This is admittedly my strangest choice for this list, but I ask again, hear me out. Dan Mullen has Mississippi State on track for the greatest season in program history. He could bring the Bulldogs their first national championship and Heisman winner, as well as being the head coach of the first ever 15-0 college football team.

Cousin Eddie’s lookalike will become college football’s hottest commodity if that happens.

There are several programs who would love to have a relatively young national championship coach, most notably Michigan and Florida.

I’m not saying for a minute that I absolutely think that Mullen would definitely jump ship for Florida. If he’s happy in Starkville and has truly created something great there, he has no reason to leave.

But if ever there was a place that could lure him out of Mississippi, it might just be the place where he got to coach Tim Tebow and a plethora of five-star athletes. I wouldn’t be completely shocked if he was on the Gators sideline next season.

Just food for thought.