Ranking the head coaches in the SEC

2. Steve Sarkisian, Texas

Sarkisian and the Longhorns finally broke through in his third year in Austin. In 2023, Sarkisian led Texas to a Big 12 Championship for the first time in over a decade. Texas also made the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history last season.

Sarkisian has the high-powered offense and a third-year returning starter at quarterback, redshirt junior Quinn Ewers, to be a national contender again in 2024.

Texas is recruiting at an elite level at the high school level and in the transfer portal under Sarkisian. Sarkisian and the Longhorns have signed a top-five ranked recruiting class nationally in the 247Sports Composite in each of the last three cycles.

With player development and on-field results finally matching the expectations and recruiting rankings, Sarkisian has the Longhorns back in the national spotlight entering the SEC in 2024.

1. Kirby Smart, Georgia

There shouldn't be any doubt as to which SEC head coach was going to top this ranking in 2024. Georgia's Kirby Smart is now the only head coach on this list that has won a national championship at his current school. Since Saban's retirement, Smart is the coach that runs this conference until proven otherwise.

I fully expect Georgia to return to the College Football Playoff in 2024. This team has the pretty clear distinction of being the No. 1 ranked squad in the major preseason polls entering fall camp. Smart has a Heisman contender returning at quarterback, Carson Beck, and the defense returns over 80 percent of its starters from last year's squad.

Georgia is a good bet to not only return to the College Football Playoff after just missing out last season and to contend for the SEC Title.

Smart is also the only FBS head coach with just two losses and over 35 wins in the last three seasons combined.

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