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5 replacements for Gary Pinkel at Missouri

By Cody Williams

Nov 5, 2015; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel looks on prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2015; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel looks on prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 18, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Kirby Smart during the A-day game at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 18, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Kirby Smart during the A-day game at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Kirby Smart

When you’re talking about the holy grail of coaching hires in the SEC, there’s one name that consistently comes up in the conversation: Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kirby Smart. While Nick Saban deservedly gets a ton of love for what he’s done with the Crimson Tide over his tenure as head coach, there’s no doubt that the strength of all of Alabama’s successful teams has been their capabilities on the defensive side of the ball. That’s at least partly by Smart’s design.

Virtually any head coaching vacancy that has opened up at a large program, particularly one in the SEC, has had Smart’s name linked to it at one point or another. It’s impossible to refute what he’s been able to put on the field in terms of his defenses. It also doesn’t hurt his case in the slightest that he’s been working with and has been under the tutelage of Saban since 2008. Being under the umbrella of Alabama football over the past decade lends itself to credibility in itself.

The problem with Smart is two-fold. For one, there’s at least a strong chance that the Gamecocks of South Carolina will also have his name on the list. Secondly, Smart has seemed content to stay with the Crimson Tide, knowing that he’s got a good thing going with the never-ending flow of five-star recruits and as the highest paid defensive coordinator in college football. However, his pedigree and success make him at least worth targeting as the Tigers look to find their next head coach.

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