SEC Football Coaches ranked by career winning percentage; who takes the top spot?

USA Today

2 days ago

SEC Football Coaches ranked by career winning percentage; who takes the top spot?
The SEC is home to some of the top brands in college football. Schools like Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, and Tennessee move the needle on the recruiting trail, in the eyes of the networks, or any time there's a coaching vacancy.
This offseason, there wasn't any turnover in the SEC. Coaches like Billy Napier, Shane Beamer, and Clark Lea coached themselves off the hot seat. Elsewhere, Brent Venables and Mark Stoops may have felt the temperature turn up on their office chairs. There were varying results among first-year SEC head coaches. Mike Elko and Texas A&M were pretty good, while Jeff Lebby has a far tougher task in revitalizing Mississippi State.
Ahead of the 2025 season, here's how the SEC coaches rank in winning percentage. Only records from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) were considered. For example, Kalen DeBoer's time at Sioux Falls wasn't considered.
1. Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Career FBS Record: 24-14
FBS Win Percentage: 85.7%
Bowl Record: 1-1
A strong season for Mike Elko in year one despite some quarterback turmoil. The defense looks ready to contend. Just need more consistency on offense.
2. Kirby Smart, Georgia
Career FBS Record: 105-19
FBS Win Percentage: 84.6%
Bowl Record: 9-3
Kirby Smart might not have played for a national championship each of the last two seasons, but Georgia is coming off of another SEC title and will be one of the favorites to contend for the national title once again. With Saban out of the picture, Smart is the top Dawg in college football.
3. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Career FBS Record: 46-13
FBS Win Percentage: 77.9%
Bowl Record: 2-2
Kalen DeBoer has had a lot of success everywhere he's been. Year one in Tuscaloosa was a disappointment, though, with losses to Vanderbilt and a not-so-good Oklahoma team. Though he's turning over the quarterback position, he won't be able to satisfy the Alabama faithful unless he gets the Tide into the playoff.
4. Josh Heupel
Career FBS Record: 65-23
FBS Win Percentage: 73.8%
Bowl Record: 3-4
Josh Heupel made quite the statement this offseason with Tennessee's stance on the Nico Iamaleava situation. That came after a 10-win season and a College Football Playoff berth. Last year, the Vols beat Oklahoma in Norman and upset Alabama at home. Heupel is one of the better coaches in college football.
5. Brian Kelly, LSU
Career FBS Record: 195-73
FBS Win Percentage: 72.7%
Bowl Record: 10-6
2024 was the first time Brian Kelly didn't win 10 games since a 4-8 season in 2016. He's only ever had two losing seasons in 21 years as a college head coach. He's a really good coach, but hasn't been able to win enough big games to win the national title. Could 2025 be the year?
6. Lane Kiffin
Career FBS Record: 106-52
FBS Win Percentage: 67%
Bowl Record: 5-4
Lane Kiffin is one of the most experienced head coaches in college football and has established himself as one of the better coaches in the game, especially on the recruiting front. His work in the transfer portal earned Kiffin the nickname "Portal King," but that wasn't enough to get Ole Miss to the playoff in 2024.
7. Eli Drinkwitz
Career FBS Record: 50-25
FBS Win Percentage: 66.7%
Bowl Record: 2-2
A four-point loss to South Carolina likely kept Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers out of the playoff. The Tigers have a manageable schedule in 2025 but need quarterback Drew Pribula to be the real deal.
8. Billy Napier, Florida
Career FBS Record: 59-31
FBS Win Percentage: 65.5%
Bowl Record: 3-2
After a pair of seven-loss seasons, Billy Napier finally earned his first winning season at Florida. With D.J. Lagway leading the offense, Napier and the Gators have a tough schedule to navigate to try and make the playoff.
9. Hugh Freeze, Auburn
Career FBS Record: 94-57
FBS Win Percentage: 62.2%
Bowl Record: 6-3
Hugh Freeze hasn't had a winning season in two years at Auburn, but he's hoping 2025 will be the year with a new quarterback in Jackson Arnold.
10. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
Career Record: 84-52
FBS Win Percentage: 61.7%
Bowl Record: 4-5
He doesn't have a high winning percentage, but back-to-back playoff appearances have earned Steve Sarkisian a lot of love from the rankers. On offense, this will be his biggest coaching challenge with how much they're turning over on offense, but it's time for the Arch Manning experience.
11. Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Career FBS Record: 29-22
FBS Win Percentage: 56.8%
Bowl Record: 1-2
Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks were just a few plays away from making the College Football Playoff. LaNorris Sellers and a strong defense give the Gamecocks a chance to be contenders in 2025.
12. Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Career Record: 22-17
FBS Win Percentage: 56.4%
Bowl Record: 0-3
It's a huge season for Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners after another 6-7 season. But despite the results from last year, there's a lot of optimism about what OU could be in 2025.
13. Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Career FBS Record: 77-73
FBS Win Percentage: 51.3%
Bowl Record: 4-4
The Brock Vandergriff experiment didn't work out for Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats, and he's hoping for better success with Zach Calzada, who's on his third SEC team after spending a year at Incarnate Word.
14. Sam Pittman, Arkansas
Career FBS Record: 30-31
FBS Win Percentage: 49.1%
Bowl Record: 3-0
Sam Pittman earned a reprieve from the hot seat after an improved 2024 where they beat Tennessee. Getting Taylen Green out of the transfer portal was huge for Pittman and his future with the Razorbacks.
15. Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Career FBS Record: 16-33
FBS Win Percentage: 32.6%
Bowl Record: 1-0
It was a big year for Vanderbilt, earning wins over Alabama and Virginia Tech and gaining bowl eligibility. Diego Pavia gave Clark Lea and the Commodores a huge boost.
16. Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State
Career FBS Record: 2-10
FBS Win Percentage: 16.7%
Bowl Record: NA
If they give Jeff Lebby time in Starkville, he'll be able to get the Mississippi State offense going. He'll have to hit regularly in the transfer portal to turn things around quickly. Lebby ranked last among Power Five coaches.
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