SEC Job Ranking Brought Surprises; Where Arkansas Razorbacks, Others Should Rank

Did Field of 68's 'anonymous' coaches poll get it right or should changes be made?

Florida Gators coach Todd Golden and Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari talk before the game at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Some coaches would consider it blasphemy not to rank the Kentucky Wildcats basketball program as the No. 1 brand in the SEC.

On3's Field of 68 is in the midst of ranking every single conference's basketball programs on the basis of how good of a job it is, and recently released its poll on top SEC teams. While some schools’ placements aren’t arguable, others near the top are surprising.

Here are the parameters of how the media group came up with the rankings.

We’ll rank the jobs in every league from top to bottom – and will do it by anonymously polling veteran coaches (head coaches and assistants) in each conference.

There are no specific parameters. Each coach was able to utilize their own specific parameters to determine their list from top to bottom.

However, while recruiting base and facilities were a major factor when I did a similar exercise in 2018, now it’s obviously financial resources (NIL) that are paramount.

Jeff Goodman, FIeld of 68

SEC JOB RANKINGS:

1. Kentucky – 256 (16)
2. Texas – 222
3. Arkansas – 218
4. Tennessee – 212
5. Florida – 210
6. Texas A&M – 148
7. Alabama – 146
8. Missouri – 140
9. Auburn – 138
10. LSU – 110
11. Georgia – 100
12. Vanderbilt – 88
13. Ole Miss – 72
14. Oklahoma – 60
15. Mississippi State – 32
16. South Carolina – 24

The biggest surprise of the rankings was Texas being at No. 2 ahead of Arkansas, Tennessee and Florida. Each of those three programs has competed at a high level recently, but Texas being ranked that high is questionable.

Texas has been to one Final Four since the field expanded to 64 teams way back in 1985. Despite having proven coaches such as Rick Barnes, Chris Beard, and Shaka Smart pacing the sideline, the Longhorns haven't advanced past the Elite Eight since playing for a Final Four in 2003.

Apparently, SEC coaches believe Texas is high as it is for one thing: the almighty dollar.

“Money. I know it’s not a basketball school, but they still have the money to go get dudes. Chris Beard had that thing rolling, and Rick Barnes did it for a couple decades,” one anonymous coach said.

First-year coach Sean Miller is viewed as a potential savior, but even with strong resources before NIL he never guided Arizona to a Final Four.

Who Really Deserves No. 2?

There's certainly a case for Arkansas to be ranked ahead of archrival Texas. The Razorbacks are fully funded by a group of its biggest donors looking to forge a path to championships under veteran coach John Calipari.

With his swagger back, it seems like the Naismith Hall of Fame coach is building on what former Razorbacks' coach Eric Musselman proved could be done with back-to-back Elite Eight appearances.

Arkansas advanced to the Sweet 16 in Calipari’s first season and appeared headed for another Elite Eight before Texas Tech erased a double-digit deficit and eliminated the Razorbacks.

The Hogs' basketball program has one thing Texas fans couldn't dream of, even if basketball isn't prioritized: a national championship in the trophy case.

Like Calipari, Tennessee coach Rick Barnes revitalized his career after things soured a bit in Austin. Now in his 11th season on Rocky Top, he has brought stability to a Volunteers program that has yet to reach its ceiling.

Back-to-back Elite Eight appearances speaks for itself, but the Vols have come up short on plenty with very talented rosters. The emergence of 5-star true freshman forward Nate Ament could help carry Tennessee on a championship run.

Likely the most displaced team in the ranking was Florida sitting at No. 5 by league coaches. The Gators are fresh off a national championship, its third title since the turn of the century and first of Todd Golden's career.

Florida reportedly has one of the top NIL budgets in the SEC this season, one that rivals Kentucky and Arkansas after a 36-4 season. Despite a slight step back in the win column at 16-6 overall, the Gators sit at No. 2 in the conference standings behind Texas A&M and first-year coach Bucky McMillan.

SEC Basketball Re-Rank

Because NIL budgets remain speculative, on-court performance should carry more weight. Which teams are performing at a higher pace compared to NIL budgets?

Where did SEC coaches get it wrong? While Kentucky might deserve the No. 1 spot because of its historical performance, tradition, budget, and watchability it's more about what you have done for your fanbase lately. Of course, it's about how good the job is for the coach, so it's also about what fans have done for the coach and his team other than being a major pain.

So, with that in mind, here are the rankings as they should have been. There's no way Kentucky should be No. 1 when its fans have driven Hall of Fame coach John Calipari and a solid coach in Mark Pope into the ground mentally and spiritually.

However, Florida provides money, national championships and much less pressure from its fans to win this exact second than at Arkansas and Kentucky, so it gets the edge.

1. Florida
2. Arkansas
3. Kentucky
4. Tennessee
5. Alabama
6. Auburn
7. Texas A&M
8. Texas
9. Missouri
10. Vanderbilt
11. Ole Miss
12. Mississippi State
13. Georgia
14. South Carolina
15. Oklahoma
16. LSU