Usually tough sledding for first-year SEC football coaches

In fewer than two weeks, Southeastern Conference football media days will begin in Hoover (Ala.).

LSU’s Ed Orgeron will be the only head coach who was not at least year’s event at the Wynfrey Hotel. Orgeron is not totally new to the SEC media days’ spotlight. Orgeron was the head coach at Ole Miss from 2005-08.

In addition, Orgeron was named the Tigers’ interim head coach after Les Miles was fired four games into the 2016 season. Under Orgeron, LSU posted a 6-2 record. After being named the permanent head coach, Orgeron led the Tigers to a 29-9 victory against Louisville in the Citrus Bowl.

Still, Orgeron will be considered a first-year coach in 2017.

Since 2000, only four first-year SEC coaches won at least ten games. Nick Saban was not one of them – failing to reach ten wins in his first season at both Alabama and LSU.

Gus Malzahn has been the most successful first-year SEC coach as he led Auburn to a 12-2 record in 2013. Auburn lost to Florida State in the national title game that season.

Both Miles at LSU and Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M won 11 games in their first seasons as a SEC coach. In his first year at Florida, coach Jim McElwain won ten games. Of these four coaches, Miles was the only one who replaced someone who was not fired.

Malzahn has been the only first-year SEC coach since 2000 to take his team to a BCS or New Year’s Six bowl game. Just five first-year coaches won at least six SEC games – the four previously mentioned individuals and Ron Zook at Florida.

A little more than half of these first-year coaches (20-of-35) have taken teams to bowl games. There have been 19 first-year SEC coaches who had a losing overall record. Moreover, just nine first-year coaches had a winning SEC record.

Five of the nine coaches with winning SEC records in their first seasons worked at Florida or LSU – Zook (6-2 in 2002), Urban Meyer (5-3 in 2005), McElwain (7-1 in 2015), Saban (5-3 in 2000) and Miles (7-1 in 2005).

The other four coaches were Malzahn (7-1 at Auburn in 2013), Houston Nutt (5-3 at Ole Miss in 2008), Steve Spurrier (5-3 at South Carolina in 2005) and Sumlin (6-2 at Texas A&M in 2012).

Here are the records of first-year SEC football coaches since 2000.

ALABAMA

2001 – Dennis Franchione: 7-5, 4-4 in SEC; Independence Bowl. Replaced Mike DuBose, who was fired.

2003 – Mike Shula: 4-9, 2-6 in SEC. Replaced Mike Price, who was fired before coaching a game.

2007 – Nick Saban: 7-6, 4-4 in SEC; Independence Bowl. Replaced Shula, who was fired.

ARKANSAS

2008 – Bobby Petrino: 5-7, 2-6 in SEC. Replaced Houston Nutt, who was fired.

2012 – John L. Smith: 4-8, 2-6 in SEC. Replaced Petrino, who was fired.

2013 – Bret Bielema: 3-9, 0-8 in SEC. Replaced Smith, who was fired.

AUBURN

2009 – Gene Chizik: 8-5, 3-5 in SEC; Outback Bowl. Replaced Tommy Tuberville, who resigned.

2013 – Gus Malzahn: 12-2, 7-1 in SEC; BCS championship game. Replaced Chizik, who was fired.

FLORIDA

2002 – Ron Zook: 8-5, 6-2 in SEC; Outback Bowl. Replaced Steve Spurrier, who resigned to be the Washington Redskins coach.

2005 – Urban Meyer: 9-3, 5-3 in SEC; Outback Bowl. Replaced Zook, who was fired.

2011 – Will Muschamp: 7-6, 3-5 in SEC; Gator Bowl. Replaced Meyer, who resigned.

2015 – Jim McElwain: 10-4, 7-1 in SEC; Citrus Bowl. Replaced Muschamp, who was fired.

GEORGIA

2016 – Kirby Smart: 8-5, 4-4 in SEC; Liberty Bowl. Replaced Mark Richt, who was fired.

KENTUCKY

2001 – Guy Morriss: 2-9, 1-7 in SEC. Replaced Hal Mumme, who was fired.

2003 – Rich Brooks: 4-8, 1-7 in SEC. Replaced Morriss, who resigned to be the coach at Baylor.

2010 – Joker Phillips: 6-7, 2-6 in SEC; BBVA Compass Bowl. Replaced Brooks, who retired

2013 – Mark Stoops: 2-10, 0-8 in SEC. Replaced Phillips, who was fired.

LSU

2000 – Nick Saban: 8-4, 5-3 in SEC; Peach Bowl. Replaced Gerry DiNardo, who was fired.

2005 – Les Miles: 11-2, 7-1 in SEC; Peach Bowl. Replaced Saban, who resigned to be the Miami Dolphins coach.

2017 – Ed Orgeron (interim coach). Replaced Miles, who was fired four games into the 2016 season.

OLE MISS

2005 – Ed Orgeron: 3-8, 1-7 in SEC. Replaced David Cutcliffe, who was fired.

2008 – Houston Nutt: 9-4, 5-3 in SEC; Cotton Bowl. Replaced Orgeron, who was fired.

2012 – Hugh Freeze: 7-6, 3-5 in SEC; BBVA Compass Bowl. Replaced Nutt, who was fired.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

2004 – Sylvester Croom: 3-8, 2-6 in SEC. Replaced Jackie Sherrill, who was fired.

2009 – Dan Mullen: 5-7, 3-5 in SEC. Replaced Croom, who was fired.

MISSOURI (joined SEC in 2012)

2016 – Barry Odom: 4-8, 2-6 in SEC. Replaced Pinkel, who retired.

SOUTH CAROLINA

2005 – Steve Spurrier: 7-5, 5-3 in SEC; Independence Bowl. Replaced Lou Holtz, who retired.

2016 – Will Muschamp: 6-7, 3-5 in SEC; Birmingham Bowl. Replaced Spurrier, who retired.

TENNESSEE

2009 – Lane Kiffin: 7-6, 4-4 in SEC; Chick-fil-A Bowl. Replaced Phillip Fulmer, who was fired.

2010 – Derek Dooley: 6-7, 3-5 in SEC; Music City Bowl. Replaced Kiffin, who resigned to be the coach at Southern California.

2013 – Butch Jones: 5-7, 2-6 in SEC. Replaced Dooley, who was fired.

TEXAS A&M (joined SEC in 2012)

2012 – Kevin Sumlin: 11-2, 6-2 in SEC; Cotton Bowl. Replaced Sherman, who was fired.

VANDERBILT

2002 – Bobby Johnson: 2-10, 0-8 in SEC. Replaced Woody Widenhofer, who was fired.

2010 – Robbie Caldwell: 2-10, 1-7 in SEC. Replaced Johnson, who retired.

2011 – James Franklin: 6-7, 2-6 in SEC; Liberty Bowl. Replaced Caldwell, who was fired.

2014 – Derek Mason: 3-9, 0-8 in SEC. Replaced Franklin, who resigned to be the coach at Penn State.