The SEC: Coaching Vacancies Are 'Looming Large"!

If you think you want to be a head football coach in the Southeastern Conference, then this year could present you with your big opportunity. No less than four vacancies for head coaching jobs are expected to be open in the next several weeks. Arkansas will definitely have a new coach for the 2013 season. They have always said John L. Smith was basically a one year interim coach. It appears that Kentucky's Joker Phillips is finishing up his last campaign as the Wildcat's leader. It's really bad when the ineptitude of its football coach can't be tolerated at a full-fledged basketball school. Phillips should have never been put in that position in the first place because he is an assistant coach and always should be. You never know what to expect out of Knoxville. You hear Derek Dooley is gone, then you hear he'll be given one more year. So this one's still up for grabs. I personally think Dooley is in over his head at Tennessee. Louisiana Tech was a good spot for him and he should still be there. Now to the program that's getting the most ink, and that is Auburn. The latest word I get from the Plains is that the influential alumni have already arranged to cover the $7.5 million  buyout of Gene Chizik's contract, as well as another $2 million for assistant's contracts. I don't think there is any doubt now that Chizik is coaching his last few games as a War Eagle. I don't know why Auburn people are surprised at their situation now. Chizik did not have a winning record when he came to Auburn, and if he hadn't gone out and paid Cam Newton to play for the Tigers, he wouldn't have any kind of numbers there either. So there you have it. Now for the really interesting part. If in fact all of the four positions become open for hire, who will be the first school to be in a position to hire a replacement? In other words, who will move more swiftly to fire and hire? But then it might not matter if they all are going after different coaches. Who knows? But you can take this to the bank, they all already know who they would like to be their next head coach, and those coaches might know as well. Just sayin...