Ranking the Most Quotable Coaches at SEC Media Days
The circus is headed to Hoover, Alabama, as 2015 SEC media days kick off Monday with four full days of star-studded appearances by some of college football's biggest coaching names.
Alabama's Nick Saban, South Carolina's Steve Spurrier, LSU's Les Miles and the rest of the crew will all visit with the media and appear on ESPN's family of networks in the event, which serves as the unofficial kickoff to the college football season.
Which SEC coaches are the most quotable? The list based on past performances and possibilities this year are in this slideshow.
Just Missed the Cut
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Every coach has something interesting to say, but not all of them can make the top five.
These coaches are good but just missed the cut this year.
Nick Saban, Alabama: He'll come with a plan and stick to it, which is both good and bad. There will be one or two clear points that he wants to make that create a buzz, but he also answers questions that he wants to answer—not the ones that are asked. I asked specifically about Jake Coker last year and what he thought of him since he arrived on campus, and I got a two-minute answer about Blake Sims.
Dan Mullen, Mississippi State: Mullen probably doesn't really want to spend three hours answering the same questions over and over, but you can't tell by his demeanor. Mullen always comes in, puts on his happy face and makes it seem like he's downright thrilled to speak with us. He's typically honest and forthcoming, with a few jokes mixed in.
Butch Jones, Tennessee: Ten minutes with Jones will make you want to run through a wall or eight. His intensity is tangible, and the passion with which he talks about the individuals on his team permeates the room. He does rely a little too much on coach speak, though, when he talks about consistency in performance and building the program brick by brick.
5. Jim McElwain, Florida
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Florida head coach Jim McElwain is the only newcomer to this year's event, so it's only natural to want to hear from him and see how he handles the pressure of something that's nearly impossible to properly prepare for until a coach actually goes through it.
Plus, his program is quite interesting this offseason.
McElwain has worked this offseason to provide options to an offensive line that needed immediate help by accepting transfers Mason Halter (Fordham) and T.J. McCoy (N.C. State)—both of whom are eligible immediately.
How have they transitioned to Gainesville? How will they fit in this year?
On top of that, Florida has one of the most intriguing quarterback battles in the SEC with pro-style redshirt freshman Will Grier leading dual-threat returning sophomore Treon Harris.
How have both of them handled offseason workouts? Will he adjust his offense—which is typically more geared toward traditional pocket passers—to compensate for offensive line inconsistency and take advantage of Harris' ability to make things happen on the ground?
We'll find out next week.
4. Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss
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Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze is typically honest in interviews, doesn't live in the world of coach speak too much and—most importantly—answers the questions that we ask—not ones he wants to answer.
This year, there's the added intrigue of the Laremy Tunsil situation.
Tunsil and his stepfather Lindsey Miller were both arrested after they got into an altercation in which Tunsil was reportedly defending his mother. Miller has since gone "full scorched earth," alleging multiple transgressions against Tunsil and the program, most of which involve impermissible benefits provided by agents.
Ole Miss has confirmed that the NCAA is looking into it, which makes this the worst possible time for Freeze to have the biggest offseason spotlight of the summer on him.
He should handle it like a pro, but it will be interesting to see what specifically is said about the situation and how creative the media get with questions into the matter.
3. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
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South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier is always good for a one-liner or 20 during normal press conferences, and the big stage at Hoover essentially serves as his press-conference national championship game.
Rarely does he disappoint.
Last season, Spurrier was one of the hits of "talkin' season," when he took a playful jab at Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin's new $5 million contract.
"Kevin Sumlin has an excellent record as a coach. He's a good negotiator, we know that also, so he's got a good deal," he said.
He also took a thinly veiled shot at former Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel at the 2013 edition of the event, saying, via USA Today's George Schroeder, Jadeveon Clowney has "done a good job of staying out of the limelight all summer."
Spurrier typically is rather non-committal about his team and does dabble in coach speak from time to time, but the one-liners he mixes in are solid gold.
2. Les Miles, LSU
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LSU head coach Les Miles gets credit for being one of the kings of the microphone, and SEC media days are one of his biggest platforms.
The Mad Hatter was on point last year, when—seemingly out of nowhere—he took a shot at Austin, Texas.
"I took a vacation, I went to Austin, took my three children with me, so we had six, two parents and four children on that campus," he said. "It was miserable. I hated it. But it was great fun. I mean, it was not a beach, it was not sand, but it was my family, and that was the best."
Furthermore, in the radio/internet room (which is where the best quotes come from), Miles randomly went off on a tangent about FIFA, guns, his daughter's softball no-hitter and Derek Jeter before getting to boring stuff such as football.
It typically takes time to get Miles going. Once he does, he takes us on a random journey through whatever is rattling around in his brain at the time while also proving that he has a much better grasp on the English language than anybody else on the planet.
1. Bret Bielema, Arkansas
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While Steve Spurrier and Les Miles are the most anticipated coaches at SEC media days, Arkansas' Bret Bielema is the best and doesn't get the credit he deserves.
I mean, come on. He said this last year. This.
"He's got an incredible, incredible ass," Bielema said of defensive tackle Bijhon Jackson. "Really big, in size. He's going to be an immovable object who we are excited about. He's got hot feet."
Then, of course there was the bizarre and awesome passive-aggressive argument he had with Auburn's Gus Malzahn about tempo offenses while both made the rounds in different rooms at the Wynfrey in 2013.
Bielema has toned it down a bit regarding other coaches within the SEC, but he's always honest and engaging, and he operates as far away from generic coach speak as any coach in America.
While Miles and Spurrier get the pub, Bielema is the best.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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