SEC Familiar faces

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First time since 1988 that there are no new coaches in the SEC??? WOW...had no idea...

Familiar faces will roam SEC sidelines

Associated Press

DESTIN, Fla. -- Southeastern Conference football coaches spent part of last year's spring meetings getting to know one another.

With three new coaches and another returning to the league after a three-year hiatus, there were introductions, handshakes and pleasantries galore.

No need for any of that this time around.

Every football coach in the league kept his job after last season, something that hasn't happened since 1988. Has the SEC finally found stability after 36 coaching changes in the last 17 years and numerous high-profile debacles that included the tenures of Mike DuBose, Hal Mumme, Mike Price and Ron Zook?

"It's just a down year for firing," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier quipped.

Maybe so. In fact, every conference coach agreed that the lack of turnover in 2006 has nothing to do with increased job security, especially in a profession that has developed little patience for rebuilding and even less tolerance for losing.

"Job security? There ain't none," Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said. "There's pressure, but we knew it getting in this business, especially our conference. It's very competitive. You can have a real good team and lose two or three games. That's our business. We thrive on it, just like athletes thrive on competition. It's no different any year. You try to play your best and coach your best and take the consequences -- good or bad."

Nine of the league's 12 schools have replaced their football coach since the 2000 season, with Alabama making three hires in that span (Dennis Franchione, Price and Mike Shula).

The conference had its biggest turnover last year, with Urban Meyer (Florida), Les Miles (LSU), Ed Oregeron (Ole Miss) and Spurrier taking over programs.

"Obviously it is a very tough league, and turnover has been a major part of it," Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said. "It's become more and more that way. Ten years from now, it will be even more so that way. The pressure to win has increased at all levels and certainly in this league because it is such a competitive league. You've got to win pretty consistently."

Indeed.

Ole Miss fired David Cutcliffe after a 4-7 season in 2004, even though he was just one year removed from being named SEC coach of the year.

Florida parted ways with Zook before he finished his third year in 2004, cutting him loose despite a 23-14 record that included four victories against rivals Georgia, Tennessee and Florida State.

"You may not like it, but you better understand it and accept it," said Brooks, whose job could be in jeopardy without some improvement in 2006. "If not, you're going to have a lot of sleepless nights."

Tuberville had a few of those.

Auburn was poised to fire him after the Tigers failed to meet lofty expectations in 2003. But school officials bungled the search for a possible successor, generating enough sympathy for Tuberville to save his job.

The following year, the Tigers won the school's first SEC championship since 1989 and finished undefeated. Although Auburn had to watch Southern California and Oklahoma play for the national championship, Tuberville secured a long-term contract.

But Tuberville knows that having several years remaining on a lucrative deal would mean little if he's not winning.

"It gets harder every year," he said. "And we've even made it harder with the championship game and now 12 games."

With the 12-game schedule beginning this fall, conference teams have mostly shied away from adding marquee matchups.

LSU and Tulane signed a 10-year contract. Georgia and Colorado have a series set. North Carolina and South Carolina agreed to renew their rivalry in 2007 and in 2010. Florida and Miami will do the same in 2008 and 2013.

But the schools are pretty much unwilling to trade a lucrative home game for a home-and-away series every year. They also don't want to fill what would have been an open week with a tough opponent.

And who could blame them, especially in a league with so little job security?

"Every team we play, I know we can get beat," said Georgia coach Mark Richt, a former assistant at Florida State. "There have been times back in the old ACC where I probably thought, 'We're probably going to win this thing.' But I don't ever go into a game in this league saying, 'We've got this one."'