How many draft picks has each SEC coach produced?

It’s no secret that the SEC produces more NFL talent than any other conference in the nation. Last spring marked the eighth straight draft in which the SEC had the most draftees in the nation, and the conference topped the nation in first round picks for the fourth straight year as well.

There are plenty of factors that go into that, from the athletes the conference recruits to the level of play. Coaches play a big role in that as well; the SEC has long had some of the best coaches in the nation, and those coaches have done a great job in developing the top-notch athletes they recruit.

Let’s take a look at just how many draft picks each coach has produced while coaching in the SEC. For the men who have been head coaches at multiple SEC schools, we’ll look at their full SEC career. For Gary Pinkel, we’ll limit it to just the years Missouri has been in the SEC (this is irrelevant for Kevin Sumlin, whose career with Texas A&M coincides with the school’s move to the SEC).

Steve Spurrier, not surprisingly, takes the cake for most draft picks in his career. He’s produced 31 draft picks at South Carolina and another 65 at Florida, putting him at 96 for his SEC career, not to mention another four picks while he was at Duke.

Nick Saban (67 total picks) and Les Miles (63) follow not-so-close behind, as is Mark Richt, but at their current rates they might catch Spurrier sooner than later. Miles’ first nine teams at LSU have produced an average of seven draft picks per year, including more than one first rounder per year. Saban produces draft picks at a lower rate, but has a whopping 18 first round picks to his name since becoming an SEC coach, nearly two per year, heading into Thursday’s draft.

Brett Weisband

A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.