After Day 1 of the SEC Football Media Days, I compared the gathering of coaches to the numerous dating sites advertised on TV, and what their profiles could look like. There is so much diversity that there is something for everyone; some glam/glitz, some on the rebound, some more low key and subtle, and some just glad that you are looking at them at all. Day 2 at the SEC Media Days continued to prove us right.
You want someone who is always going to be engaging? Look no further than South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier. We could call his site “SteveIsAHoot.com.” You have to appreciate the Head Ball Coach. Sure, you can talk about the depth chart at any position and what expectations are for the upcoming season, but Spurrier has been doing this long enough to know it is mid-July. Training camp doesn’t start for another month. Incoming Freshmen have yet to put on pads in full speed action. All of that talk is nothing but speculation right now. When you are going to check out what Steve has to say, grab something to drink, get a comfortable seat and settle in because it is never boring.
Adding together his stints as head coach at Florida and South Carolina, Spurrier has now been at SEC Media Days 26 times. He was asked how he managed to stay around so long. “I forgot to get fired and I’m never going to cheat. I have never come to Media Day with a losing record.” Spurrier can afford to be somewhat glib because his confidence never wanes. The Gamecocks are coming off a disappointing 7-6 season in which they finished 3-5 in conference and had a defense that gave up more yards and more points than any team in South Carolina history. Still, Spurrier does not deny the team was overrated when the season began and paid the price throughout the season. “We know there are critics. They criticize everything. That’s why they are called critics and we gave them plenty of chances to criticize us last year.” He said his team finished the same as Arkansas and Tennessee and those schools were happy with that and so should his team be. And lest you think Steve is all fun and games, he did have a couple of serious moments, such as repeating his long standing advocacy for removing the Confederate flag from the state capitol grounds, and his approach to what feels like a growth in domestic violence issues in college football. “Our policy has always been if you ever hit a girl you are finished on my team.” Yes fans, Steve Spurrier knows why he is your talker for all seasons and all topics. “Right now the fans still like me.”
It’s hard to follow that kind of opening act, so Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin opted not to try. “I’m not as funny as Spurrier and I promised my wife I would not be combative this year.” Check and check, Coach. We’re giving you credit for “IAmGrowing.com.” It is a personal theme as well as one for the team. Last year’s 3-5 conference record was well below expectations following the Johnny Manziel era., Sumlin acknowledged that the downside last year was having to play a lot of freshmen, including quarterback Kyle Allen. The upside now is that he had to play a lot of freshmen who are now big game experienced. Even with the eight overall wins last season Sumlin knows growth is everything. “The maturity level of this team will be better. We have to get better.” Let’s not think Coach Sumlin doesn’t have some glitz to pitch. He touted the renovation of Kyle Field as a big selling point for the program. Apparently with all the new bells and whistles, they have upgraded the cell coverage so that 100,000 fans can make phone calls all at the same time. Ok, maybe it’s not as compelling as it sounded to Sumlin.
Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen may seem low key, even referring to himself as, “one of the few Yankees coaching in the SEC,” but he has his showy, glitzy side to present as well. Dressed in a subdued pinstripe suit, Mullen was also wearing the new Adidas YEEZY Boost 350 tennis shoes designed by Kanye West. If you can find the shoes, (the Adidas site says they are sold out), they retail for $1,200. “I like to wear cool shoes when I go somewhere. I try to have some swag on,” Mullen explained. Okay. “GlitzyShoeWearingCoach.com” it is. His Bulldogs are going to have to search high and low for their swag. This time last year they were a potential SEC West surprise pick, then stormed through their first nine games before losing at Alabama in mid-November and losing three of their final four games. Not only did they lose momentum, but they lost most of their lineup. MSU returns only 7 starters off last year’s team, a number that is tied with Kansas for lowest among Power 5 conference programs. Mullen is accepting that most have now resorted to picking his team to be unable to repeat last year’s success. “Being picked last in the SEC West is kind of like a tradition here.” Nothing like underselling yourself.
Tennessee’s Butch Jones looks every bit the part of football coach with his crew cut and no-nonsense style in answering questions. He even gave opening comments just like a coach. “We expect to win, we don’t just hope to win.” “We can’t just be a year older. We have to be a year better.” Clearly Jones deserves the site “CoachSpeak.com.” Last year the Vols had their first winning season since 2009, at 7-6 overall, with one of the youngest starting lineups in the country. Even at 3-5 in conference, Jones says he welcomes the ramped up expectations at Tennessee. “It’s a little bit different in terms of the expectations walking in here this year as opposed to last year, but that’s what you want and our players have worked hard to be in this situation.” Jones can’t be left out of the glamour conversation, though. He said the school’s transformation from Adidas to Nike apparel was a marriage of two great global brands. He even mentioned that there would be a gray and orange uniform this season and noted that the shade of gray was taken directly from the color of the Smokey Mountains. A man who knows his color pallets.
Clearly there is not a coach in the SEC who cannot come up with something stylish, elegant or flashy when it comes to positioning themselves to you, the fans. Tomorrow, on Day 3, we get the coach who comes to these events looking and acting like he is running for public office. Breakfast with Nick Saban, followed by Mark Stoops, Bret Bielema and Gary Pinkel. We no doubt will have a lot of material to work with when it is over.
