Ad Disclosure
What sent them packing: Final season record for the last 10 fired SEC coaches
By Keith Farner
Published:
If the Georgia fans loyal to Mark Richt needed another reason to show that his firing was not normal when compared to other jobs and schools, a glance at the last 10 fired SEC coaches is Exhibit A.
You can start with Will Muschamp’s Florida team that went 7-5 in 2014. Then rewind two years to the four-pack pink slips of Derek Dooley at Tennessee (5-7), Joker Phillips at Kentucky (2-10), Gene Chizik at Auburn (3-9) and John L. Smith at Arkansas (4-8).
The one outlier of recent firings, of course, came in the spring of 2012 in Arkansas when Bobby Petrino was fired following an 11-2 season in 2011 because of an inappropriate relationship where he hired his mistress.
Despite his memorable quotes at SEC Media Days, Robbie Caldwell was fired by Vanderbilt after a 2-10 campaign in 2010.
Before the retirements or other voluntary exits by Urban Meyer, Rich Brooks and Lane Kiffin, the previous two firings were Sylvester Croom at Mississippi State (4-8) and Tommy Tuberville at Auburn (5-7).
While the situations that led to their firings were as different as their personalities, coaching styles and schools, Richt, Muschamp and Petrino all have something in common: They were fired from their previous school as a head coach with a winning record, including at least seven victories.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
