SEC Head Coaches

Every year, there seems to be 2-3 coaching changes in the SEC, be it based on poor performance, a coach leaving for another job, or someone retiring. This year Arkansas and Ole Miss got new coaches. The year before that, Alabama landed Saban, and the year before that Miles and Meyer settled in at LSU and Florida. It's tough to predict the future, but it's safe to say that history dictates one or two coaching vacancies will open up by the end of the 2008 football season. Here are the top candidates, in my opinion:

1. Philip Fulmer - Every year Tennessee seems to want to let Fulmer go, but each year he does something to warrant them keeping him around. He exists in Tennessee much the way Houston Nutt existed at Arkansas; he's a good coach, but the people seem ready for someone different.

2. Bobby Johson - There was talk this year of Johnson leaving, and recently he confirmed he was committed to staying at Vanderbilt. All that could change, however, as Vandy will never commit enough financially to producing a competitive football team in the SEC.

3. Rich Brooks - 2007 may have been his best chance to actually prove something, with Heisman contender Andre Woodson and senior running back Rafael Little. One would think the Wildcats would struggle in '08 with those two leaders gone, and Brooks ain't getting any younger.

4. Nick Saban - I think we all ddoubt Saban would leave after his second year, but he has to be on the list because he's always looking for a better job. If he has another poor year in '08, and the people start to turn on him, he could have Jimmy Sexton on the phone.

5. Tommy Tuberville - The king of the love-hate relationship, Tuberville's name seems to pop up in coaching vacancies every year. There's probably only one or two jobs that could lure Tuberville away from Auburn, and one of those is LSU.

Coaches Who Appear Safe - Miles, Meyer, Richt, Croom, Spurrier, Nutt, Petrino.

Any thoughts?