re: How attractive is the UT job?

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Definitely a great job, but not as "easy" as some of teh other top jobs.

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True, it ain't Florida or USC. Hell, it's not even LSU, which has no major instate rival and fertile high school base. I think Penn St should be the "easiest" job in the country.

But it's still a very good job.

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How attractive is the UT job?

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Good, but not great.

I'd say that the absolute elite jobs are:

Florida,
Texas and
USC

Followed by:

Ohio State,
Michigan,
Penn State,
Alabama,
Georgia,
LSU,
Oklahoma,
Oregon,
Florida State,
Miami,
Virgina Tech,
(Not in order and I'm sure I'm missing a few.)

Then places like:

Notre Dame,
Tennesse,
Auburn,
Oklahoma State,
Georgia Tech,
Iowa,
Cal,
UCLA,
Arizona State,
etc.



This is all IMO, but I'd say its a good guess based upon money, facilities, prestige and shared recruiting bases.

How attractive are SEC jobs in general if one is not coaching UF or Bama? The schedule is brutal, and is amplified if competing in a program with lesser in-state recruiting opportunity. Bama, when it employs a high caliber coach who instills a highly effective program, is an elite program offset by the need to live in Tuscaloosa, but some might say this of LSU and Baton Rouge, too. AL is primarily a Bama state to begin with, I think AU is going to really struggle until Saban is gone.

I believe UT benefited greatly in its glory years from employing above average coaches and many in the league have caught and surpassed them in this respect. GA has a population of ~ 10 M, UT has to recruit GA and FL well to have a chance at high level success. UGA really doesn't compete with GTech to a high degree for in-state SEC caliber players of which the state produces many, leaving plenty of opportunity for neighboring out of state teams if the player's family has no allegiance to UGA.

UT is still a great program, but UF and UGA should have a clear lead on future success in the SEC east due to demographics if for no other reason.

LSU has access to a great demographic area with no in-state competition, it hasn't seemed to help them that much the last two years, same can be said for UGA. I don't think Richt's coaching staff the last 3-years is in the same universe of coaches he employed his first 5-years or so, some might say the same of Miles who seems to turnover bad initial hires with regularity these days. UGA is offering $600k for a DC and has yet to land one, what does that imply?