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25 greatest SEC Football coaches of all time

By John Buhler

Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban reacts in the third quarter against the Michigan State Spartans in the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban reacts in the third quarter against the Michigan State Spartans in the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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College football is everything in the Southeastern United States. Here are the 25 best college football head coaches in SEC Football history.

Since it was established back in 1932, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) has been a gold standard for athletic excellence across the United States in the college ranks. The SEC is one of the Power 5 conferences and historically a dominant football conference.

While 2016 was a bit of a down year for the SEC on the gridiron, there is reason to believe that the conference will bounce back here shortly. The players keep coming up through the Southeastern pipeline, but maybe it’s time for the SEC to amp up its coaching arsenal. Outside of Nick Saban, there’s not really a lot of head ball coaches to get excited about.

However, that is absolutely not the case historically. The SEC has had some truly outstanding head coaches since its 1932 inception. Heading into its 85th year of existence, here are the 25 best college football head coaches in SEC history.

19 Oct 1996: Head coach Terry Bowden of the Auburn Tigers discusses a play call with one of his coaches over the head sets as he looks on from the sideline during a play in the Tigers 51-10 loss to the Florida Gators at Florida Field in Gainesville, Flor
19 Oct 1996: Head coach Terry Bowden of the Auburn Tigers discusses a play call with one of his coaches over the head sets as he looks on from the sideline during a play in the Tigers 51-10 loss to the Florida Gators at Florida Field in Gainesville, Flor /

25. Terry Bowden

Terry Bowden had a few things going against him when he arrived down on The Plains in 1992. Not only was he the son of Florida State Seminoles legendary head coach Bobby Bowden, but he had to replace the iconic Pat Dye at Auburn while the university dealt with sanctions.

Despite losing scholarships, dealing with a one-year television ban and a two-year bowl ban, Bowden came in and immediately started winning at a ridiculously high level at Auburn. The Auburn Tigers went 11-0 in his first season in 1993. Auburn would win its first 20 games under Bowden, going 20-1-1 in his first two years down on The Plains.

Overall, Bowden would go 47-17-1 at Auburn before resigning midway through 1998. He would lead the Tigers to a 30-14-1 record in SEC play during that 5.5-year window, go 2-1 in bowl games, and win the 1997 SEC West division crown.

Bowden had two 10-win seasons at Auburn. While he arrived in utter chaos and departed Auburn abruptly, Bowden helped keep Auburn from going in the tank amidst sanctions. He’ll never be as celebrated as any of Auburn’s best head coaches, but Bowden did keep Auburn relevant during a 5.5-year run when the program could have lust its luster.

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