Typically, expectations need to be tempered for first-time SEC coaches. It’s the most competitive league in college football, and the constant challenge week-in and week-out can provide quite the learning curve.
But [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is not your typical first-time SEC coach. He arrives with more than three decades of head coaching experience, and he spent the last 12 at one of the premier jobs in college football in Notre Dame.
As the third-winningest active coach in the FBS ranks, he’s more accomplished than arguably any coach in the league, save for the three who have won national titles. But where exactly does he stand entering his first year in Baton Rouge?
USA TODAY Sports SEC columnist Blake Toppmeyer tried to provide the answer in his recent rankings of the conference’s head ball coaches. Here’s how his list shakes out, including his reasoning for each selection.