Some questions for the SEC’s head coaches that the media are too afraid to ask

07-14-10

Some things are notoriously predictable. The Southeastern Conference’s annual kick-off event “Media Days” is a repeat offender. Every year the league’s twelve coaches shuffle down “radio row”, giving the same boring answers to the same inane questions, only after spending a large portion of the previous hour giving the print media the opportunity to lure them into saying something non-generic about their football team.

Actually, the entire thing almost seems contrived, with nothing asked – by anybody - that would raise an eyebrow.

In light of that – and considering the usual suspects – it’s time to list a few of the “real” questions we would all like to hear these coaches attempt to answer:

#1 Coach Richt (Georgia), you are held in high regard by other coaches and your clean reputation is impressive. So how do you explain all those players being arrested in the past two or three years? And, do you think the apparent lack of team discipline has been detrimental to your team’s win/loss record?

#2 Coach Miles (LSU), over the past several years you’ve made some (on the field) calls that left us all scratching our heads in disbelief. Were those moments really that desperate or do you just shoot from the hip with reckless abandon when it’s time to make an important call with the game on the line?

#3 Coach Spurrier (South Carolina), How long did it take you to figure out that Columbia wasn’t ever going to be Gainesville Part II? At Florida you were considered legendary in your ability to develop young quarterbacks. Yet, you’ve never been able to find a franchise signal-caller to lead your Gamecocks to the mountaintop. Why?

#4 Coach Petrino (Arkansas), you’ve been labeled as a man who will jump ship quickly if you think a better job lies ahead. Do you plan on staying at Arkansas for a while, or would you have an interest in the LSU or Georgia jobs if they need a head coach in the next few years?

#5 Coach Chizik (Auburn), you were hired by Auburn AD Jay Jacobs with a 5-19 overall record. If you were Auburn – a major SEC power – why would you fire a man who recently led your football program to an undefeated season for a coach with a losing record, especially if you want to compete for championships?

#6 Coach Dooley (Tennessee), do you feel like Lane Kiffin left the inmates in charge of the prison when he bolted for Southern California? How long do you think it will take to clean up the mess he left? Do you feel you got this job (you were the fifth choice) because none of the bigger names seemed to want it?

#7 Coach Nutt (Mississippi), can you find the consistency required to win a divisional or SEC title at Ole Miss, because – quite frankly - your time spent at Arkansas was a roller coaster ride? By the way, those off-the-field distractions are now a thing of the past, aren’t they?

#8 Coach Johnson (Vanderbilt), how do you really feel about coaching football in a powerhouse league - where you are constantly battling to keep you team competitive – for a school that has no interest in giving you enough tools to stand a fighting chance?

#9 Coach Meyer (Florida), prior to the arrival of Nick Saban, you were the unchallenged “King” of the SEC. In three short years, he has matched – if not surpassed – your achievements on the field. In your opinion, who’s the better field general? Recruiter?

#10 Coach Saban (Alabama), you are known as a detail-oriented perfectionist. Your main competition in the league, Florida’s Urban Meyer, has a similar reputation. In what ways are you two most alike, and where do you totally part ways from a philosophical standpoint?

Those are just some of the questions that I think might make this year’s SEC media days a bit more interesting. The suggested inquiries aren’t outrageous or bizarre. However, the questions would probably provoke thought from the coaches and possibly provide some intriguing answers in the process

Shane Sez......Always Days Away from Kick-Off!