Media day in the SEC in 2026 might need a lot of name tags.
OK, that’s an exaggeration; these coaches all have reputations strong enough to land jobs in the nation’s toughest conference. But the fact remains that Georgia coach Kirby Smart is the only one of the 16 SEC coaches to have coached an SEC game before 2020. Six SEC schools will enter 2026 with new head coaches, and more than half the league’s coaches weren’t in their current jobs two years ago.
With six new hires in place, it’s a good time to examine which schools nailed the search and which ones may have swung and missed. Here’s a ranking of the new SEC hires based on fit, logic, and long-term upside.
1. Will Stein, Kentucky
How in the world did Kentucky, of all places, make the best hire of the SEC cycle? Even more surprising: the Wildcats were the last program to fire their coach. Auburn, Arkansas, LSU, and Florida all made changes during the season, and Ole Miss lost Lane Kiffin after the Egg Bowl. Kentucky waited until season’s end to move on from Mark Stoops, then quietly made the cleanest steal of the offseason.
Stein’s résumé speaks for itself. Oregon’s offenses have been electric under his direction. Bo Nix became an NFL starter in large part because of Stein’s work, and Dante Moore blossomed as well. Even better for Kentucky: Stein is a Bluegrass native. He grew up in Louisville and played for the Cardinals. If he wins in Lexington, he is unlikely to jump ship.
The lesson here: patience pays. Kentucky waited, took a targeted swing, and landed exactly the coach it wanted.
2. Alex Golesh, Auburn
Alex Golesh’s rise has been remarkable. Seven years ago, he was coaching tight ends at Iowa State. Since then, he’s coordinated explosive offenses at UCF and Tennessee and rebuilt South Florida into a respectable program.
Now he steps into perhaps the most volatile job in the SEC. Auburn’s ceiling and floor are both extreme. The Tigers can win national titles, but they can also go winless in the league, as they did in 2012.
Golesh checks two major boxes:
- He chose Auburn over another suitor (Arkansas).
- He understands the SEC footprint.
Auburn needs a coach who embraces the culture and unifies the fan base. Golesh should do both. This is a smart hire.
3. Jon Sumrall, Florida
Florida fans wanted Lane Kiffin. They likely ended up better off with Jon Sumrall.
Sumrall has dominated the Group of 5, going 42-11 with only four conference losses in four seasons. He wins with defense, discipline, and structure, which isn’t flashy, but it may be exactly what Florida needs.
The truth: Florida hasn’t been a consistent national power for a long time. Only seven 10-win seasons in the past 24 years. Steve Spurrier made greatness look easy, but that era ended two decades ago.
Florida has churned through coaches ever since. Urban Meyer is the only one in that stretch to hit a fifth season and leave voluntarily.
Sumrall can stabilize the program if Gator fans show patience, something that has been in short supply.
4. Lane Kiffin, LSU
It is remarkable how little Kiffin seems to have learned from past exits. Once again, he left in the messiest way possible, and once again, he jumped to a job that may not actually be better than the one he left.
LSU has championship resources and history. Three different coaches have won titles this century. But this athletic department has real issues. The governor of Louisiana is openly involved in athletic decisions. LSU is not a patient program. Ed Orgeron went from a national title to unemployed in two seasons.
Kiffin will recruit and score points, but he is stepping into a pressure cooker. Had he stayed at Ole Miss, he could have kept winning 9-10 games and been beloved. At LSU, the bar is simple and unforgiving: win championships. Nothing else counts.
This could work, but it’s far from the slam dunk some make it out to be.
5. Pete Golding, Mississippi
The Steve Fisher comparison is fun, but this is a tough job for Pete Golding.
He is a respected coordinator, but not someone who was on many shortlists for head coaching jobs. He takes over with full support from the fan base, and he’ll have talent to work with. But so much rides on this month. If he makes a deep playoff run, he could ride that momentum into becoming the long-term guy. If he stumbles, Ole Miss may regret moving so quickly.
It’s a high-variance hire.
6. Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas
This feels like a panic hire.
Ryan Silverfield did a respectable job at Memphis, but the program underachieved relative to previous coaches. The AAC is weaker now than it used to be, yet Memphis never reached a conference title game under his watch.
His predecessors haven’t exactly flourished either. Justin Fuente struggled at Virginia Tech. Mike Norvell has had little success at Florida State lately. Silverfield wasn’t a hot name this cycle, and he was not Arkansas’ first choice.
Even worse, he inherits a program without an identity in the new SEC. Since Missouri joined the league, the Razorbacks are 5-19 combined against LSU and the Tigers. That simply won’t cut it.
This is the biggest gamble of the cycle.
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