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Mamas, do let your babies grow up to be defensive coordinators in the SEC.
Now that Kirby Smart (Georgia), Will Muschamp (South Carolina) and Barry Odom (Missouri) have parlayed their most recent gigs into head-coaching jobs in the conference, it’s time to reassess the league’s best defensive coordinators and where they rank.
Let’s take a look at who’s left and where they land on our list:
1. Geoff Collins, Florida: It hasn’t taken Collins long to top this group. In his one season as the Gators’ DC, Collins helped Florida finish in the top 3 in the SEC in rushing defense, total defense and scoring defense. Florida finished eighth in the nation in the latter category, allowing 16.5 points per game.
Under Collins last year, Mississippi State led the nation in red-zone defense and was 10th nationally in scoring ‘D,’ allowing 19.4 points per game.
2. John Chavis, Texas A&M: Considering Chavis’ track record of success at Tennessee and LSU, it’s no surprise that his Aggies are dramatically better in his first season. Texas A&M is yielding nearly seven points fewer per game than it did in 2014 (21.6, versus 28.1) and is seventh in the SEC total yards per game (367.2, as opposed to 450.8 last year, when it finished last). The Aggies still can improve, but you can bet the man nicknamed “The Chief” won’t stop working until they do.
3. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: Yes, Mason is Vanderbilt’s head coach, but he’s also the Commodores defensive coordinator, a position he took over after a disastrous 2014. A year ago, Vandy was last in the SEC in scoring defense (33.3 points per game) and 10th in total defense, when it allowed 402.1 yards a game. The Commodores are surrendering 51.6 fewer yards per contest in 2015 and they are yielding just 21.0 points a game.
With improvements such as those, it makes you wonder if Mason should coach Vandy’s inept offense as well.
T4. John Jancek: Tennessee, Manny Diaz, Mississippi State (tie): The Volunteers have improved their scoring defense by three points this year, and their yards per play allowed (5.33) is almost exactly what it was in 2014. Meanwhile, Diaz — in his second stint in Starkville — help the Bulldogs improve their total defense by 36 yards a game from a year ago and lower their yards per play allowed from 5.65 to 5.32.
6. Dave Wommack, Ole Miss: The Rebels were sort of a mixed bag on defense in 2015: They allowed opponents to run an SEC-high 955 plays but are allowing just 4.87 yards per play to rank fifth in the league in that category.
Wommack, in his fourth season, will have to improve his team’s scoring defense in 2016. Ole Miss allowed only 16 points a game to lead the nation in that category a year ago. It is tied with Mississippi State for 36th in the country this year, allowing 22.8 points a contest.
Note: The rest of the SEC’s current defensive coordinators are Kentucky’s D.J. Eliot, Arkansas’ Robb Smith and LSU’s Kevin Steele. Muschamp reportedly has hired Travaris Robinson as his defensive coordinator at South Carolina.
Stan Chrapowicki is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Alabama and Auburn.
