The 2017 college football regular season has come to a close so let us reflect on the coaching situations around the SEC. We began the year with three SEC coaches on the hot seat: Bret Bielema at Arkansas, Butch Jones at Tennessee, and Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M. All of these coaches have now been fired. Florida also fired Jim McElwain to bring the total to four.

While you can never get too comfortable in the SEC, most of the coaches remaining are in a good spot moving forward. Besides Derek Mason at Vanderbilt, every other coach met or exceeded expectations in 2017.

Here is a look at all of the coaching situations in the SEC.

Nick Saban, Alabama: 125-20 overall, 72-13 in SEC play (11 seasons)

Nick Saban is currently the longest tenured coach in the SEC as he just finished his eleventh regular season at Alabama. In this span he has won five SEC Championships and four National Championships. Alabama had another successful season winning eleven games, but suffered a 26-14 loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl.

Alabama will not play for the SEC Championship on December 2, but still have an outside chance to play for a National Championship as they did in 2011. They currently sit fifth in the College Football Playoff Poll. Meanwhile, former offensive coordinator is unmercifully trolling Saban and his team on Twitter.

Bret Bielema, Arkansas: 29-34 overall, 11-29 in SEC play (5 seasons)

Bret Bielema was fired coming off the field following a 28-24 loss to Missouri. Arkansas regressed in 2017 and did not make a bowl game for the first time since Bielema’s first season in 2013. Beyond the losses, Bielema’s fate was sealed when athletic director was fired at Arkansas.

Arkansas now must hire a new athletic director and head coach. Their dream head coaching candidate is Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn, but hopes of him may have faded with Auburn in the SEC Championship Game and College Football Playoff picture.

Will they hold out for Gus or will they move forward?

Gus Malzahn, Auburn: 45-20 overall, 25-15 in SEC play (5 seasons)

No one has had more ups and downs in 2017 than Gus Malzahn. Malzahn faced doubts after an early season loss at Clemson and then again after a loss at LSU. Since then, Auburn has bounced back to defeat two top-ranked teams in Georgia and Alabama. Auburn now has a chance to win the SEC and National Championship.

The “Gus Bus” is rolling, but could it take a detour to Fayetteville?

Dan Mullen, Florida: 1-0 in press conferences

Dan Mullen returns to Florida where he was the offensive coordinator from 2005-2008. In that time Mullen helped the Gators win two SEC Championships and a National Championship. He also mentored Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.

Mullen helped make Mississippi State a competitive team in the SEC West. He led the Bulldogs to seven straight bowl games for the first time in program history and guided them to their first ten win season since 1999 in 2014.

Mullen know takes over at Florida which many would consider one of the premier jobs in the country. Gator fans hope that he can resurrect the offense that ranked thirteenth in the conference in both yards per game and points per game.

Dan Mullen Introduced as Florida Head Coach

He won the press conference, but now can he lead Florida back to prominence?

Kirby Smart, Georgia: 19-6 overall, 11-5 in SEC play (2 seasons)

Kirby Smart has Georgia in the SEC Championship in just his second year. Georgia was rather pedestrian in his first season, but this year he has the Bulldogs poised for a potential College Football Playoff berth. Georgia’s defense is ranked fourth nationally giving up 271.9 yards per game. Senior running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel lead a rushing attack that ranks in the top ten nationally.

Georgia’s lone loss came earlier this month at Auburn. Auburn dominated Georgia that day, putting up forty points, and holding the Bulldogs to only forty-six rushing yards. Georgia will get another shot at Auburn with a SEC Championship and College Football Playoff berth on the line.

Win or lose, this season was a success for Smart. Georgia is also in a great position going forward. The Bulldogs won the SEC East with freshman Jake Fromm at quarterback and currently have a top five recruiting class for 2018. The class is headlined by Justin Fields who is the highest rated quarterback for 2018.

Mark Stoops, Kentucky: 26-35 overall, 12-28 in SEC play (5 seasons)

Mark Stoops has Kentucky bowl eligible for the second straight season, but there are concerns. Kentucky has lost four of their last six including a 44-17 beatdown at the hands of rival Louisville.

Stoops is still in good shape for now, and a bowl game win will ensure that.

Ed Orgeron, LSU: 15-5 overall, 10-4 in SEC play (2 seasons)

After the Troy loss, it appeared the sky was falling in Baton Rouge. However, if there is one man that can lead a rally, it is Ed Orgeron. LSU went on to win six of its final seven including a win over Auburn.

After finishing just his first season as permanent head coach, Orgeron is already the third longest tenured coach in the SEC West behind Nick Saban and Gus Malzahn. Having continuity should help Orgeron maintain the momentum gained in the second half of the season. However, there are now reports that offensive coordinator Matt Canada may be moving on after just one year. It should be noted that LSU is Canada’s sixth different coaching post in the past eleven years.

Orgeron’s success will depend on hiring a good offensive coordinator to develop the young quarterbacks on the roster. Tight ends coach Steve Ensminger took over the LSU offense in 2016 when Orgeron took over after Les Miles’ firing. LSU scored thirty-two points per game during that time. Will Orgeron turn to Ensminger again or will he look elsewhere?

Dan Mullen, Mississippi State: 69-46 overall, 33-39 in SEC play (9 seasons)

Dan Mullen’s success helped him attain the job at Florida. Florida will pay Mullen $6 million per year over the $4.5 million he was paid while at Mississippi State. Perhaps it was not a lateral move after all.

Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen did not wait long in hiring Mullen’s replacement. On Tuesday, it was announced that Mississippi State hired Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead as its new head coach.

Joe Moorhead, Mississippi State: 0-0

Moorhead has had success as both an offensive coordinator and a head coach. Moorhead had a career record of 38-13 while head coach at Fordham after inheriting a team that was 1-10. He led a similar turnaround as offensive coordinator at Penn State. Penn State was ranked 105th in the country in yards per game in 2015 and in Moorhead’s first season they finished 49th. This past year they finished 28th in that category.

At Mississippi State will take over an offense which returns two of its top playmakers from 2017. Moorhead will get junior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald and junior tailback Aeris Williams in 2018. Fitzgerald averaged two hundred forty-nine yards all purpose yards per game and Williams averaged just under eighty-five rushing yards per game during the 2017 season.

Barry Odom, Missouri: 11-13 overall, 6-10 in SEC play (2 seasons)

Missouri finished the regular season winning six in a row. It was an impressive turnaround for Odom and company to get his team bowl eligible for the first time during his tenure. Now he appears to be getting an extension.

Odom has a defensive background, but it was the Missouri offense that led the way in 2017. Missouri led the SEC in yards and points per game. Quarterback Drew Lock threw for 3,695 yards and an SEC record 43 touchdowns. If Lock returns for his senior season, Missouri will be a legitimate threat in the SEC East for 2018.

Matt Luke, Ole Miss: 6-6 overall, 3-5 in SEC play (1 season)

Not long after Ole Miss won the Egg Bowl 31-28 over Mississippi State, Matt Luke had the interim tag removed. With NCAA sanctions looming, Luke, an Ole Miss alum, presents a steady hand in the university’s trying times.

Ole Miss finished 2017 with a 6-6 record despite losing starting quarterback Shea Patterson. Junior quarterback Jordan Ta’amu stepped in and the offense kept rolling, going 3-2 in the games he started.

You can expect a large number of players to transfer out when the penalties are announced. Luke has already allowed safety Deontay Anderson to transfer out. However, if there is one coach who can retain the players on the Ole Miss roster, it is Luke.

Tough times are ahead for Ole Miss.

Will Muschamp, South Carolina: 14-11 overall, 8-8 in SEC play (2 seasons)

The 34-10 loss to rival Clemson sours an otherwise successful season for South Carolina. Will Muschamp has helped turnaround a program that was 3-9 just two seasons ago. South Carolina finished second behind Georgia in the SEC East and is bowl eligible for the second straight season.

The 2018 season presents plenty of hope for the South Carolina football program. Quarterback Jake Bentley will be a junior and should continue to improve. Receiver Deebo Samuel, who was lost for the season in a loss to Kentucky, will return as well. Samuel accounted for six touchdowns in the three games he played during the season.

Butch Jones, Tennessee: 34-27 overall, 14-24 in SEC play (5 seasons) 

2017 was a season to forget for Tennessee. Butch Jones was fired after a 50-17 loss to Missouri. Brady Hoke coached the final two games and lost by double digits to both LSU and Vanderbilt. Predictably, they finished near or at the bottom of the league in many offensive and defensive statistical categories.

When it comes to hiring a coach, things have been just as bad. On Sunday, Greg Schiano was in line to be Tennessee’s next head coach. Then an outcry against the hire, both on social media and on campus, caused John Currie to rescind the contract.

Tennessee has since been turned down by Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy. Gundy, an Oklahoma State alumnus, was a long shot, but do not tell that to a fan base who once thought Jon Gruden was a candidate.

Since then, names that have been mentioned are Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm, North Carolina State Dave Doeren, and USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin.

Plenty of certainty remains at Tennessee and it could last for a while.

Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M: 51-26 overall, 25-23 in SEC play (6 seasons)

Texas A&M finished the season with a 45-21 loss to LSU and fell to 7-5. Kevin Sumlin was fired two days later. After finishing with eleven wins in his first season, Sumlin finished with nine wins in 2013. From 2014 to 2016, he finished every year with a record of 8-5.

Sumlin’s job was on the line going into 2017 and simply did not deliver. Texas A&M regressed on both sides of the ball. The Aggies built a reputation for offensive firepower under Sumlin, but did not even finish 2017 in the top half of the SEC in yards per game. The defense which had improved under defensive coordinator gave up 28.7 points per game, which was ranked 81st in the country.

Texas A&M is targeting Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher. At 5-6, Fisher is amidst his worst season at Florida State with a game against Louisiana-Monroe remaining. However, Fisher is a proven winner having won three ACC Championships and a National Championship. Texas A&M will try to accomplish what LSU could not for two consecutive years in prying Fisher out of Tallahassee.

Hint: They probably will.

Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: 18-31 overall, 6-26 in SEC play (4 seasons)

Derek Mason and Vanderbilt got their first SEC win of 2017 defeating Tennessee 42-24 in the SEC’s saddest game of the season. Both teams entered with zero SEC wins on the year. Even with the win, Vanderbilt is not bowl eligible.

After four seasons, Mason has only led Vanderbilt to one bowl game. While Vanderbilt is a tough job, Mason is failing to live up to the standard set by his predecessor James Franklin. Franklin led Vanderbilt to three straight bowl games during his tenure.

That concludes SEC Hot Seats for 2017. I am already excited for 2018 and all the possibilities.

OUTTA HERE!