College football head coaches go through a grind that seemingly never stops nowadays. Between the season, recruiting, NIL and the transfer portal, there is always something keeping them on their toes that requires their attention.
Gone are the days of one signing day in February where all recruits sign on one day as this how now been replaced with two signing days. On top of this, the transfer portal opens after the conclusion of the regular season, and has coaches juggling bowl game preparation and the portal at the same time.
These changes saw two head coaches at power five programs exit stage left at the conclusion of the 2023 season for lesser roles. Former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley left for a defensive coordinator role with the Packers, and former UCLA head coach Chip Kelly left for an offensive coordinator role with Ohio State.
I would not expect these to be the last two head coaches to decide to take a step back due to the rigors of the head coaching gig at the college level.
Here are three SEC head coaches that may step down after the 2024 season
Mark Stoops (Kentucky Wildcats)
Stoops has things made in Lexington. He has been with the program since 2013 and is going into his 12th season with the program. During his time, he has compiled two 10-win seasons, making him the only Wildcats head coach in program history to do so.
With that being said, Stoops is 57 years old and came out and said at SEC Media Days that he was “aggressively pursued” by the Texas A&M Aggies for the head coaching job after the firing of former head coach Jimbo Fisher this past season.
The Wildcats return a lot to the program in 2024 and are poised for a big season. Coming off of back-to-back 7-6 campaigns, if this does happen, this could leave Stoops feeling like he has nothing left to accomplish in Lexington. And with the changing landscape of the game, do not be surprised if he decides to hang it up.
Sam Pittman (Arkansas Razorbacks)
Pittman is squarely on the hot seat following a disappointing 2023 in which the Hogs went 4-8. The 62 year old Pittman has been at the helm in Fayetteville for five seasons now. Pittman arrived before NIL was legal, and it seems the program has taken a turn since it became legal in 2021. After a 9-4 campaign in Pittman’s second season in 2021, the Hogs went 7-6 in 2022 and 4-8 in 2023.
This past off season Pittman hired former Razorbacks head coach Bobby Petrino who could easily be seen as the coach in waiting as he was highly successful the last time he was in Fayetteville at the throne.
We do not know what goes on behind the scenes, but this could be a transition that would make a lot of sense beginning in 2025; regardless of how the Hogs do this season.
Kirby Smart (Georgia Bulldogs)
This one I am sure shocks some folks. Kirby is the youngest of the trio mentioned, and would be a tough pill for Bulldog fans to swallow seeing as his program is at the top of the college football mountain. Smart is currently 48 years old and has been through the rigors of the SEC for while now as a long time defensive coordinator under Nick Saban at Alabama and now as the head coach in Athens since 2016.
It is no secret that the Bulldogs have had their fair share of players with legal issues. Between this and the stress of a 2024 head coaching job in college football, do not be too surprised if Smart decides to hang it up after the 2024 season.
And unlike the other two names who I feel may be done for good, Smart may retired from the college game, but I would not be surprised if he tries his hand in the NFL as it seems to be a bit less of a grind at this point in time.
While some of these are difficult to swallow, it is understandable given the time commitment in 2024. Also in the defense of these coaches, the game today is not at all what they signed up for when they began their coaching careers.
Players played for a scholarship and a love of the game. Now, in addition to the x’s and o’s, coaches are having to politic for NIL money, making them feel like a fundraiser instead of a college football coach.