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The best players don’t always make the best coaches.
SEC playing greats Steve Spurrier, Johnny Majors and Frank Broyles did. Bart Starr, Ray Goff and Mike Shula didn’t fare as well — not as head coaches, anyway.
Who were the best players among current SEC coaches? Too bad Spurrier and Missouri coach Gary Pinkel retired. A Heisman Trophy winner at Florida, Spurrier would have been at the top of the list. Pinkel, an All-MAC tight end at Kent State, would have been high on the list.
Here’s a top 6 of current SEC coaches — as players.
6. Will Muschamp, South Carolina: The new Gamecocks coach played in every game in his four-year career at Georgia, making nine starts at strong safety in 1994.
5. Les Miles, LSU: The Mad Hatter was a tough offensive lineman at Michigan, starting at guard for Bo Schembechler. The Wolverines were 18-3-2 when he lettered in 1974 and 1975.
4. Bret Bielema, Arkansas: Bielema worked his way up from walk-on to start 11 games on the defensive line at Iowa. He made 83 tackles and two sacks. In his sophomore year, the Hawkeyes went to the Rose Bowl. In his junior year, they went 10-1-1.
3. Barry Odom, Missouri: An unheralded recruit from Oklahoma, Odom compiled 362 tackles, fourth-most ever at Mizzou from 1996-1999, playing a big role in consecutive top 25 teams in 1997 and 1998.
2. Kirby Smart, Georgia: A first-team All-SEC safety as a senior, Smart finished with 13 career interceptions — fourth-best in Georgia history. He made 12 of his interceptions in his final two seasons.
1. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M: A four-year starter at Purdue, Sumlin led the Boilermakers in tackles as a freshman. He made 375 tackles in his career and played on Purdue’s 1984 Peach Bowl team.
