When the hammer fell in Gainesville, Florida, on then head coach, Jim McElwain, many were surprised despite the team’s recent struggles. When Butch Jones was fired as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers nobody was surprised, in fact most were happy to see him go. Now that the regular season has come to its rocky ending, the coaching carousel has begun taking victims yet again and the Southeastern Conference appears to be in for the highest body count.
The list of victims has picked up a pair of new faces this weekend including Arkansas’ Brett Bielema and Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin. In total thus far, four head coaches will no longer be roaming the sidelines in the SEC next season. Additionally, Matt Luke will likely not survive the offseason as Ole Miss’ head coach, either, pushing that number to five.
In addition to these five, there is also another situation broiling in which yet another SEC school could lose their coach. Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen has taken the Bulldogs’ football program to new heights in his time at Starkville, and it appears Florida has taken an interest in him. In fact, it is reportedly already a done deal:
Source: Dan Mullen’s lawyer is in Mississippi State AD John Cohen’s office currently negotiating his buyout. Mullen to #Gators is happening. Announcement expected today.
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) November 26, 2017
Should this become official, State would be forced to begin the search for a new head coach of their own. Replacing Dan Mullen, who went 69-46 in his tenure, will be a monster task. Few can do what he has done in his time.
For a team already in shambles, it appears Tennessee’s Athletic Director, John Currie, is not afraid to allow it to fall completely apart. Rumors of hiring Ohio State’s defensive coordinator, Greg Schiano, have picked up steam. The issue is not so much within the hire itself (though his track record does not make him out as an appealing head coach) but with the baggage he carries with him. He has been condemned in the past for allegedly “sweeping child abuse under the rug” during his time at Penn State. Should Vols hire him, they should certainly expect some backlash – much like what they’ve already received on social media. The Texas A&M/Arkansas’ head coaching search has yet to put a blimp on anyone’s radar, but as soon as the controversy in UF and UT are leveled out, attentions will be turned in their direction.
Between four and six sidelines appear they could see massive changes come the 2018 season. most of which will be for the best, but few can predict what will truly happen. Stay tuned for updates on rumors and official hires.
