The SEC is coming off a historic season which saw record success from non-conference matchups to NCAA Tournament representation. With only two of 16 teams making a change on the bench, there is plenty coaching depth to sort through here. Once year after massive changes, A Buzz Williams departure which led to up-and-coming coach Bucky […]
The SEC is coming off a historic season which saw record success from non-conference matchups to NCAA Tournament representation. With only two of 16 teams making a change on the bench, there is plenty coaching depth to sort through here.
Once year after massive changes, A Buzz Williams departure which led to up-and-coming coach Bucky McMillan headlined the coaching cycle for Texas A&M. Texas also made a change, bringing in Sean Miller to lead the program forward after previous interest.
Ranking the Top 10 coaches in any of the four power conferences is a difficult task, as a multitude of factors determine how the coach is viewed in the moment. There are historical markers throughout a coach’s career which cement them in a certain tier, while recent records and recruiting success play a major factor in remaining on top.
Entering the 2025-26 college basketball season, here is a look at how the Top 10 SEC coaches stack up against their peers in another competitive year.
1. Todd Golden – Florida
Todd Golden currently sits at the top of college basketball, leading Florida to a national championship to cap off a historic season of dominance in the SEC. After going through college basketball’s toughest gauntlet, he proved that his system is the gold standard for others to follow.
Golden utilizes analytics to build out his Florida roster and look for competitive advantages on both ends of the floor. He now looks to repeat his formula with the most coveted advantage in college basketball, continuity, on his side.
2. Nate Oats – Alabama
Coming off another successful Alabama season, Nate Oats and have again rebuilt the rotation around a combination of returning players and incoming transfers. The formula also leans on his analytics-focused model, which has brought the program to the top of the sport.
The philosophy behind Oats’ success has brought him into greater conversations about where he stands, still needing to break through with a national championship to fully cement his legacy. However, his success in the SEC over multiple seasons should not be overlooked when evaluating the resume.
3. Bruce Pearl – Auburn
Bruce Pearl has built the Auburn basketball program in his image over the past decade, taking true ownership of the brand. With multiple Final Four trip under his belt there is no question he sits in an elite group of college coaches across the country.
Now tasked with a large-scale rebuild of the roster, Pearl will rely on his team-building success to bring together a unique group of players in his image for a functional rotation. While his X’s and O’s are not often compared to his peers, he is ahead of the game building each roster.
4. Rick Barnes – Tennessee
From his time at Texas to Tennessee, Rick Barnes has established himself as one of the best coaches in the sport for years now. Questions about postseason success in recent years hold increasingly little weight compared to the overwhelming body of work building a program.
He continues to string together successful seasons, placing him one breakout postseason performance away from a totally different conversation about him in the grand picture. He has a group plenty talented enough to do it, with a combination of freshmen upside and veteran presence ready to mold into his defensive system.
5. Mark Pope – Kentucky
When Mark Pope first arrived at Kentucky, the reviews were all over the place. While he was Big Blue Nation’s own, he entered with no NCAA Tournament success and a far less impressive resume than the numerous candidates they publicly swung on and missed. All that quickly went into the rearview mirror when his exciting brand hit the floor.
The up-tempo style matches the modern game perfectly, and his focus on team building puts him near the top of the conference in that category. Now with top-end freshmen set to join his impressive group of transfer talent which fills need, he is primed to show his full potential as a coach.
6. John Calipari – Arkansas
After leaving Kentucky for Arkansas, there was plenty pressure on John Calipari to change his ways which got him to the top of the game. However, a slide in results meant he needed to adapt, something that a new program gave him the best platform to accomplish.
Early returns were a mixed bag, but the final stretch of the postseason led to widespread optimism as he gets a chance to learn from his first new roster by adapting again this offseason. The roster Arkansas now brings to the table now comes much closer to resembling other successful programs.
7. Chris Beard – Ole Miss
Another coach who found himself at the top of many lists just a few seasons ago, Chris Beard has dealt with off-court setbacks to his career. After leaving Texas, he landed at Ole Miss with a chance to rehab his image and bring back a program. He accomplished big strides toward his goal last season.
Now tasked with repeating success in college basketball’s most competitive conference, he can eliminate all doubt about the program’s ability to compete by doubling down on success with a unique roster. However, with the razor-thin margins, he also risks sliding down if the program does not have another big year.
8. Sean Miller – Texas
Texas finally got their guy this offseason, hiring Sean Miller to lead the program. They previously had interest in the coach, but went another direction just a few years ago. After being caught up in the drama which swept across college basketball while at Arizona, he has rehabbed his image during a second stint at Xavier.
There is no question that he is among the top group of college basketball coaches, and has been for many years. He now gets back to a top tier program with the opportunity to get in the mix with top NIL funds in the sport’s best conference.
9. Chris Jans – Mississippi State
Chris Jans continues to put together good seasons as a head coach. Perhaps an underrated trait, he has four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances dating back before he landed the Mississippi State job. While his method is not as pretty to watch as some, the commitment to putting big bodies on the floor and dominating the opposition has served Mississippi State well.
Sustained success is good enough to keep Jans in the mix with all these coaches, but he must also hold on with a new-look roster to hold steady. A deep NCAA Tournament run would give him another boost in showing the world his value.
10. Dennis Gates – Missouri
Dennis Gates has seen a mixed bag during his time at Missouri, seeing historic lows, but offsetting them with surprising high-points. He is an ultimate culture-builder with an image for his basketball team which can often help raise the level of each individual part.
There is more for him to prove moving forward, with consistency first among them. Another NCAA Tournament run could solidify him in this mix, but another fall would provide plenty room for others to jump in line.
SEC coaches looking to break into Top 10
Mike White – Georgia
Matt McMahon – LSU
Porter Moser – Oklahoma
Lamont Paris – South Carolina
Bucky McMillan – Texas A&M
Mark Byington – Vanderbilt
Listed alphabetically by school.
There is no shortage of talented SEC coaches ready to assert themselves in the conversation for a Top 10 spot within the 2025-26 season. The deep list of coaches is sure to present plenty surprises, with NCAA Tournament teams coming from this group.
Category: General Sports
