SEC Football: Ranking the Coaches SEC Media Days Appearances

SEC coaches have an incredibly hard job. They have to win consistently, answer the media when they don't win consistently, worry about their players making grades and staying out of trouble, and they have to be able to use their personalities and leadership capabilities when recruiting those players to play for them.

Right off the bat, one would think that every successful coach has to have a steady balance of that "Type-A and Type B" personality.

Not only personality types, but vision and passion are huge parts of a college football coach's psyche.

Obviously, one can't always tell how successful/unsuccessful a coach is based solely on how they perform in front of the media. But if some coaches perform in a recruit's home the way they did in Hoover, Alabama last week, one has to wonder how in the world they can get the quality of recruits that they seem to reel in every year.

With that in mind, here are the coaches who performed, best-to-worst, at SEC Media Days.

1. Joker Phillips, Kentucky

Yeah, surprised me too.

Maybe it's because Joker is one of the newest SEC coaches. He still hasn't coached his first down in a game for the Wildcats. So, maybe he hasn't had a chance to get jaded yet.

Or maybe he's just a great personality with a great vision for a program that has experienced some success recently, but is nowhere close to the top teams in the conference.

Either way, Joker Phillips was extremely impressive on the first day of SEC Media Days. He talked of his "Operation Win" plan with the fervor and passion of a pastor beckoning his parishioners to spread the good news.

Not that it means Kentucky will become a perennial top 15 power under his leadership, but the 14 recruits already committed, compared to two at this time last year, is a very nice start.

2. Mark Richt, Georgia

Coach Mark Richt is known for a lot of things.

He's the most successful Georgia coach since the great Vince Dooley. He's won two SEC Championships and developed a No. 1 overall draft pick. He was the genius offensive coordinator on many of the 1990's Florida State teams.

He's also a man of character. He's a man of class and principle. He always handles himself with the utmost professionalism.

Day Two of SEC Media Days proved just that.

Amidst a scandal involving rogue agents, the Georgia coach was very respectful when asked about the situation that he was not allowed to talk about.

He was friendly and explained each of his answers in detail.

Mark Richt is a class act.

3. Houston Nutt, Ole Miss

Moments before Houston Nutt joined the Internet/Radio Media Room at the Wynfrey Hotel, the media assembled in that room had the distinct pleasure of speaking to one of his players.

Star defensive end, Kentrell Lockett told the media, "Why cry? Why mope? You feel better if you laugh."

He continued, "That's a complete reflection of Coach Nutt. He's never sad. Nothing ever bothers him. That rubs off on the whole team.

"When he first stepped foot in the door, he said how do you define win? He said fun. I said, 'that's my guy right there.'"

Moments later, we found out exactly what Lockett was talking about.

Coach Nutt was very friendly and cordial. He answered every question in detail and actually seemed happy, despite being in the room with the same people who selected his Ole Miss team dead last in the SEC West.

Nutt's reply to the vote was, "I understand somebody told us y'all picked us last. Thank you. That's all right. It's good. It really doesn't matter."

He said all of that while smiling and really engaging his audience.

His energetic personality seems like it would do well in recruits' homes.

4. Derek Dooley, Tennessee

Dooley is another new addition to the SEC Coaching fraternity.

His hire was so long ago, however, that it seems like he's been around forever. Or maybe that's just his down home hospitable personality that makes it seem that way.

Dooley is very matter of fact. He's going to answer every question to the best of his ability while tip-toeing around the potential land mines.

As Dooley was speaking, one word came to mind, politician.

There were no babies to kiss or voters to impress, but Dooley handled himself with dignity and class, throughout day three.

5. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State

Speaking of that matter-of-fact personality, Dan Mullen has it.

Mullen was engaging throughout his time at the podium and left little doubt that he knows exactly what he's doing as an SEC head coach.

There were a few friendly jabs at the top SEC coach, during his time, as well.

When asked about Nick Saban's comments concerning the spread formation and its lack of preparing kids for the NFL, Mullen said, "I've coached the spread offense and I have a lot of more first-round quarterbacks drafted than he has in his career as a head coach."

It wasn't classless, as we became accustomed to with Lane Kiffin at last year's event, but Mullen's honesty was a bright spot on day one.

6. Robbie Caldwell, Vanderbilt

The former turkey farmer killed on day two. The non-stop quips and stories were hilarious from the newest of SEC head coaches.

From hearing about frog gigging, to turkey insemination, and being offered a tip for opening the door at a restaurant the night before, Robbie Caldwell had total command of the room.

Even the jaded, seen/heard everything media gave the man a round of applause when he finished speaking.

Caldwell was a hit.

There's no doubt that the man is good people.

Is he a good football coach? That's another question for another day.

7. Gene Chizik, Auburn

The second year Auburn head coach has had a very successful offseason. Putting together a top five recruiting class is not easy to do in your second offseason, unless your name is Nick Saban.

Chizik was friendly. But there was never anything from the coach that stood out. He wasn't exceptionally eloquent, nor was he rude.

Chizik was just ordinary.

8. Nick Saban, Alabama

Nick Saban is in the top eight for one reason alone. Honesty.

Saban didn't leave any doubt where he stood on the "Agent-Gate" situation.

Saban remarked, "I don't think it's anything but greed that is creating it right now on behalf of the agents. Agents that do this, I hate to say this, but how are they any better than a pimp?"

Continued Saban, "I have no respect for people who do that to young people, none. I mean, none. How would you feel if they did it to your child?"

Saban's personality is somewhere between wet blanket and disinterested bystander, but his honesty alone is worthy of kudos.

9. Bobby Petrino, Arkansas

You know that guy that's always looking at his watch, seemingly wishing he was somewhere else?

That guy learned his technique from the Arkansas head coach.

Petrino seemed generally disinterested for much of his time at SEC Media Days. That was quite the shocker for a guy who a lot of media think has a chance to upend Alabama to win the SEC West.

On the other hand, maybe fans in Louisville and Atlanta now have an explanation for Petrino's abrupt exit from both places. He just didn't want to be there.

10. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

The Ole Ball Coach is usually a highlight of this event. His one-liners and genius quips have been a staple in this league for nearly two decades.

Someone should have informed Spurrier to just be himself.

The guy that showed up was not the Spurrier that so many of us in the media have come to know and love.

For the man that once said, "You can't spell Citrus without UT" to be completely upstaged by a former turkey farmer and current Vanderbilt coach, should speak volumes to those who have followed and covered him for years.

If Spurrier is as lethargic and disinterested as seemed on day two of SEC Media Days during the season, Gamecocks fans should expect the 2010 season to be his last.

11. Urban Meyer, Florida

Urban Meyer is not known for being a rah-rah guy. He's not Pete Carroll.

Meyer is a quiet, methodic, genius of a man. He's just not very friendly. He doesn't have to be, either. He seemed about as close to Nick Saban as humanly possible during his session on day one.

Meyer definitely commands respect. There's no doubt about that.

But the coach seemed somewhere between aggravated and completely ticked-off during his 2010 SEC Media Days appearance.

12. Les Miles, LSU

Les is more, right?

Not at 2010 SEC Football Media Days, it wasn't.

Miles showed up to his first appearance 20 minutes late, which threw off the scheduling for the final day.

When he did speak, he was so soft-spoken that many digital mini-recorders couldn't pick him up.

The Mad Hatter, as he has become affectionately known in some circles, was honest and did answer the many questions that were lofted his way.

It was just his persona and method of handling himself that caused a few of us to shake our heads.

Miles is supposedly on the hot seat for his past lack of time management and overall handling of games. And if the way he handled himself on the final day of SEC Media Days is any indication of his game-day persona, I am not in the least bit shocked at all the hot seat talk.