Josh Pate Names the Best Coach in SEC Entering 2026 College Football Season

With the 2026 college football season weeks away, analyst Josh Pate named the best head coach in the SEC, pointing to back-to-back titles, four conference crowns, and a dynasty no one has cracked.

Nov 8, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart and Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby talk before the game at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

The SEC experienced more turnover than any other conference in college football this offseason. There were a record-breaking six head coaching changes, with five brand-new faces coming in from outside the league.

Lane Kiffin moved from Oxford to Baton Rouge, while Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, and Kentucky all fired their head coaches, wiping out big names like Brian Kelly, Billy Napier, Hugh Freeze, and Mark Stoops. 

In return, the conference got younger and a lot more unpredictable. Jon Sumrall took over for the Gators, Alex Golesh now leads down at Auburn, Will Stein's with the Wildcats, Ryan Silverfield landed in Fayetteville, and Pete Golding took over for Kiffin at Ole Miss. All five names are stepping into the SEC spotlight for the first time as full-time head coaches.

But while everyone is busy introducing themselves, another coach has been building a dynasty that's now stretched over a decade. 

On Sunday, Josh Pate went on "Josh Pate's College Football Show" and cut straight to the point, confidently labeling Kirby Smart the best coach in the SEC. 

"Kirby Smart is the No. 1 head coach in the SEC," Pate said. "Pretty cut and dry here. Back-to-back SEC champs. He was in the game three years ago. There is no current head coach in the SEC that has beaten that guy in Atlanta. There is no current SEC coach that has beaten him for a conference title. (Nick) Saban was the last one to do it. Saban works for ESPN now."

"He's also been the best recruiter in the country over the last four years," Pate added. "So not only is he getting the talent, but he's developing the talent, he's won with the talent. Also, just the edge that program has about it. You either get beat by them, or if you do beat them, you gotta do everything right. So, Kirby Smart has been the model for consistency."

Dec 6, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart looks on after the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the 2025 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Kirby Smart's Resume Speaks for Itself

Now entering his 10th season at Georgia, Smart's record sits at 117-21, good for an .848 winning percentage. He's won back-to-back national championships (2021 and 2022) and nearly won a third in 2017, falling 26-23 to Nick Saban's Crimson Tide.

He's also won four SEC championships (2017, 2022, 2024, and 2025), six SEC Eastern Division titles, and has eight New Year's Six bowl game appearances. 

Since Smart has taken over, Georgia has only missed one SEC Championship game and has reached the College Football Playoff four times. 

The Bulldogs have 21 first-round NFL draft picks under Smart, which is equal to the number of losses he's had over nearly a decade. Over 80 players have been drafted overall, and in 2022 alone, Georgia set an NFL record with 15 players selected in a single draft class, headlined by stars like Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, George Pickens, James Cook, and Nakobe Dean. 

He's also consistently stayed hot in the recruiting game. His classes have never ranked outside 247Sports' top 10, and the Bulldogs have notched four No. 1 recruiting classes since 2017. Even in the 2026 cycle, Georgia signed 32 total commits, including 22 four-star recruits (the most in college football), and holds the No. 6 class in the country.

Looking ahead to 2026, Georgia enters as the clear SEC favorite while six other programs are still finding their footing in the most competitive conference in the sport. The standard remains what Smart has built in Athens.