SEC football head coach rankings: Who's No. 1 entering 2026 season?

The drama and chaos in the Southeastern Conference this offseason are setting the stage for an intriguing and thrilling season of college football. At the center of it all are the head coaches of each program in the league, six of whom led their teams to the playoffs last season. Following the conclusion of the 2025 regular season, 38% of SEC teams got new leadership in a span of 36 hours.

That includes Alex Golesh ( Auburn ), Jon Sumrall (Florida), Ryan Silverfield ( Arkansas ), Pete Golding ( Ole Miss ), Will Stein (Kentucky) and Lane Kiffin ( LSU ). Out of those hires, Kiffin's was the messiest, however. After leading Ole Miss to an 11-1 record, he jumped ship from Oxford, Miss.

, to Baton Rouge, La. , in one of the most controversial moves in recent memory. Kiffin became the first person ever to coach at three different SEC schools, as he continues to add fuel to the fire of the much-anticipated Week 3 showdown between the Tigers and Rebels.

Meanwhile, returning coaches like Jeff Lebby and Shane Beamer are in two of the hottest seats in the country, if they can't manage to break through in the new nine-game conference schedule. Here is where every SEC head football coach ranks entering the 2026-27 season: 1. Kirby Smart - Georgia There's no debating who holds the title of the best head coach in the SEC.