I was just reading an article posted here about Florida's Mike White being on the hotseat and I'm looking around the SEC and see several others who may be right there with him. I'm thinking about the strength of this league compared with years past and it really is night and day. I can remember a day when it was Kentucky and then everyone else. I can remember when it was UK, Florida, and then everyone else. More recently, it was UK, Florida, and maybe Tennessee and then everyone else. But right now, you have to start at the other end. You have to say, "Well, there's Missouri and then everyone else." As in, there aren't any gimmes on the schedule. There will be a bunch more losses for Mike White this season. And he's not alone. Who else is on the hotseat? Cuonzo Martin is right there, I'd say. Tom Crean is also. What about Frank Martin at SC?
Here's my thought: this conference may result in some catastrophic seasons for some coaches that may otherwise have had a pretty decent team. In a regular season, even 5 years ago, this Florida team wouldn't be bad. Arkansas was 10-2 entering league play. Now they're 11-5. I doubt Eric Musselman would be in trouble after last season, but they will struggle in this league. South Carolina was 9-3, now 10-5. Florida and SC could be playing Saturday for the right for someone to keep their job and someone to lose it. What about Jerry Stackhouse at Vandy? His team isn't terrible and would have done well in this league 20 years ago, but they might lose 10 conference games. Alabama seems like they have a decent team and Nate Oats is coming off one of the best seasons in Alabama history, but that team has lost 2 in a row and their next two are at Miss St and home vs LSU.
It's just a wild thought to me how much this conference has improved. Seats may be getting warmer all around.
Here's my thought: this conference may result in some catastrophic seasons for some coaches that may otherwise have had a pretty decent team. In a regular season, even 5 years ago, this Florida team wouldn't be bad. Arkansas was 10-2 entering league play. Now they're 11-5. I doubt Eric Musselman would be in trouble after last season, but they will struggle in this league. South Carolina was 9-3, now 10-5. Florida and SC could be playing Saturday for the right for someone to keep their job and someone to lose it. What about Jerry Stackhouse at Vandy? His team isn't terrible and would have done well in this league 20 years ago, but they might lose 10 conference games. Alabama seems like they have a decent team and Nate Oats is coming off one of the best seasons in Alabama history, but that team has lost 2 in a row and their next two are at Miss St and home vs LSU.
It's just a wild thought to me how much this conference has improved. Seats may be getting warmer all around.
