League’s coaches top the list
The SEC has seven of the 10 highest-paid coaches in the country, according to USA Today’s annual salary survey.
Nick Saban, in his 17th season at Alabama, tops the list with compensation of $11,407,000.
It’s money well-spent by Alabama considering Saban has led the Crimson Tide to six national championships since 2008. He also won a national title at LSU in 2003.
Kirby Smart, who has led Georgia to back-to-back national championships, is third on the list at $10,705,600 behind Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, a former Alabama player who has led the Tigers to two national titles — beating Alabama both times.
Other SEC coaches in the top 10 are LSU’s Brian Kelly at No. 6 ($9,975,000), Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher at No. 7 ($9,150,000), Kentucky’s Mark Stoops ($9,013,600) and Tennessee’s Josh Heupel and Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, tied for No. 9 at $9,000,000.
University of Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman is ranked No. 22 at $6,357,500.
Other SEC coaches’ rank and salaries are Florida’s Billy Napier at No. 16 ($7,720,000), Auburn’s Hugh Freeze and South Carolina’s Shane Beamer in a tie at No. 20 ($6,500,000), Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz at No. 25 ($6,000,000), Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea at No. 56 ($3,051,881) and Mississippi State’s Zach Arnett at No. 58 ($3,000,000).
Oklahoma and Texas are joining the SEC next season and Sooners Coach Brent Venables is at No. 17 ($7,100,000) and the Longhorns’ Steve Sarkisian is at No. 30 ($5,600,000).
The average salary for the SEC’s 14 current coaches is $7,611,113 according to USA Today, which leads all conferences. The Big Ten is second with an average of $6,744,323 followed by the ACC ($5,189,399), Pac12 ($4,767,917) and Big 12 ($4,674,708).
Brooks’ diagnosis
LSU defensive back Greg Brooks, a former Arkansas player, has been diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer, the Brooks family and LSU announced Wednesday.
Brooks, a senior from New Orleans and team captain for the Tigers, underwent emergency surgery on Sept. 15 to have a tumor removed from his brain. He played in the first two games this season against Florida State and Grambling before the tumor was discovered.
The Tiger Athletic Foundation, a private, nonprofit corporation supporting LSU athletics, has launched “The Greg Brooks Victory Fund” to help cover medical expenses for Brooks and his family.
ESPN reported that medulloblastoma affects between 350 to 500 people in the United States annually, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“Greg has been a daily
inspiration to us all,” the Brooks family said in a statement. “He fights like a Tiger each day and continues to make incremental improvements. We have a long road ahead and are appreciative of the support from our LSU family and Tiger fans.”
Brooks also has received strong support from the Arkansas program and its fans. When Arkansas played at LSU two weeks ago, Razorbacks Coach Sam Pittman visited Brooks at the hospital and Pittman has stayed in contact with his family members.
“Greg has fans around the world and our phones have been ringing off the hook for the last several weeks with words of encouragement and support,” the Brooks family said in it’s statement. “Greg is a warrior! Please continue to keep No. 3, and our entire family, in your prayers.”
Brooks, 22, played for the Razorbacks from 201921, then transferred to LSU for the 2022 season. He started 31 games for the Razorbacks and started 13 of his 14 games at LSU. He has a combined 185 career tackles — including 111 at Arkansas — and 6 interceptions.
No picks
Missouri junior quarterback Brady Cook has set an SEC record with 348 consecutive passes without an interception.
Cook set the record last week when he completed 33 of 41 passes for 395 yards and 4 touchdowns in the Tigers’ 38-21 victory at Vanderbilt.
The SEC record had been held by Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson, who had 325 consecutive passes without an interception during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
“Smart, disciplined decision-making at the quarterback position is kind of a hallmark of success,” Missouri Coach Eli Drinkwitz said on Wednesday’s SEC coaches teleconference of the key to Cook’s streak. “At some point he’s going to throw [an interception]. It’s a matter of when.
“But he’s been very good at valuing the ball and knowing when to try to put it into tight places, and when to not try that. I’m proud of him for doing that.”
Colby Cameron, who played at Louisiana Tech, holds the NCAA record with 444 consecutive passes without an interception from 2011-12.
Cook is the second quarterback to play for Drinkwitz with a notable streak without throwing an interception.
When Drinkwitz was North Carolina State’s offensive coordinator, Ryan Finley had a streak of throwing 339 consecutive passes without an interception during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
“I really don’t think it’s me. I think it’s the common denominator of having quarterbacks … who understand the game,” Drinkwitz said. “There are different points in the game when you don’t want to be conservative, and there are times where you say, ‘Hey, the defense has us, let’s take the check-down or let’s throw the ball away and live to play another down.’
“I think it has to do more with the player than the coach. Otherwise all the guys I’ve coached wouldn’t throw an interception. But that’s not quite the case.”
Sankey at Big 12
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey will attend Saturday’s Oklahoma-Texas game in Dallas, according to a report by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.
It’s a Big 12 matchup, but with the Sooners and Longhorns joining the SEC next season, Sankey’s appearance makes sense.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark doesn’t plan to attend the game, but he told ESPN’s Heather Dinich he’s not upset about Sankey being present.
“That’s his future,” Yormark said. “He should support them.”
Oklahoma and Texas look to be coming into the SEC on a high after both programs have had some issues.
Coach Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for Southern Cal after the 2021 season and took quarterback Caleb Williams — last year’s Heisman Trophy winner — with him. The Sooners finished 6-7 last season in Venables’ debut.
Oklahoma is off to a 5-0 start this season and ranked No. 12 going into the Texas game.
The Longhorns went 5-7 in 2021 in Sarkisian’s first season, including a 40-21 loss at Arkansas, and were 8-5 last season.
Texas is ranked No. 3 this season with a 5-0 start, highlighted by a 34-24 victory at Alabama.
It’s the first time since 2008 both Oklahoma and Texas are ranked going into their matchup.
Sankey also plans to attend Alabama’s game at Texas A&M on Saturday.
Nimrod catches on
Tennessee wide receiver Chas Nimrod, a redshirt freshman from Bentonville, could be playing a bigger role on offense with the loss of Bru McCoy, who underwent ankle surgery after being injured in the Vols’ 41-20 victory over South Carolina last week.
Nimrod was targeted twice in the South Carolina game and had his first career reception for a 10-yard gain.
“The other night tell you what, Chas Nimrod did some really good things,” Tennessee Coach Josh Heupel said Wednesday.
Saban on Petrino
Bobby Petrino’s Arkansas teams were 0-4 against Alabama from 2008-2011 and never scored more than 20 points, but Crimson Tide Coach Nick Saban has plenty of respect for Texas A&M’s new offensive coordinator.
Petrino is calling the plays for the Aggies as he’s always done as a head coach, including at Arkansas.
“He’s a great offensive coach, there’s no doubt,” Saban said Wednesday on the SEC coaches teleconference. “I do see some similarities in the run game as well as the passing game and more utilization of various personnel groups, which causes you a lot of different things you’ve got to work on in practice and prepare for.”
Saban’s Alabama teams beat Petrino and the Razorbacks 49-14 in 2008, 35-7 in 2009, 24-20 in 2010 and 38-14 in 2011. The Tide also beat Petrino and Louisville 51-14 in 2018.
Texas A&M Coach Jimbo Fisher hired Petrino after the Aggies finished 101st nationally in scoring offense (22.8 points per game) and 90th in total yards (333.4 yards per game) last season.
This season the Aggies are 20th in scoring offense (37.4 points) and 34th in total offense (443.4 yards) with Petrino calling the plays, though obviously the schedule will be tougher with more SEC games.
Fisher previously was an offensive coordinator for Saban at LSU.
“I think the combination of [Petrino] and Jimbo has been very productive for them offensively in terms of how they utilize their players,” Saban said.
Rank ’em all
The SEC has seven teams ranked in this week’s Associated Press poll, but that’s not nearly enough for Georgia Coach Kirby Smart.
Asked Monday at his weekly news conference about the perception the SEC is somewhat down this season with his No. 1 Bulldogs being the only conference team in the top 10, Smart was quick to put up a strong defense.
“I personally think every SEC team should be ranked,” Smart said of the 14-member conference. “I guarantee you there are some teams [ranked in other conferences] that don’t want to play [SEC teams].”
Smart said he couldn’t relate to a reporter’s question about the SEC not being as strong as usual.
“I literally have no idea what you’re referencing, because every team we play in the SEC is good enough to beat us,” Smart said. “And, whether they’re ranked or not, I could care less. I’m trying to be more physical than them and outscore them. And that’s the only thing I’m concerned with – not their ranking.”
Alabama is the SEC’s second-highest ranked team behind Georgia at No. 11.