Mark Stoops is down one spot in the annual SEC Football Coach Rankings that are put out annually by CBS Sports.
Stoops was No. 5 last season, but has slipped to No. 6 for 2023. It appears that Stoops has overtaken Jimbo Fisher this season, but has fallen behind Josh Heupel and Lane Kiffin.
According to CBS Sports the top 6 (in order) are Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Brian Kelly, Kiffin, Heupel and Stoops.
Here is an excerpt:
5 Tennessee
Josh Heupel (16 overall): Heupel led the Volunteers back into the national conversation in 2022 — so much so that they were ranked No. 1 in the first set of College Football Playoff Rankings. He polished off an 11-2 record with a win in the Orange Bowl, pushing his overall record to 18-8 in two seasons in Knoxville. That followed his success at UCF from 2018-20 when he led the Knights to a 28-8 mark. Last year: 10 in the SEC
6 Kentucky
Mark Stoops (18 overall): Stoops has brought something to Lexington that not many coaches have accomplished: Consistency. He’s led the once-downtrodden program to seven straight bowl berths with double-digit win seasons in 2018 and 2021. The Wildcats have finished in the final AP Top 25 twice since Stoops took over in 2013 and become one of the most physical teams in the country on an annual basis. Last year: 5 in the SEC
7 Texas A&M
Jimbo Fisher (20 overall): Fisher’s tenure with Texas A&M hasn’t led to national titles, but he is 39-21 and produced a one-loss season in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. He has eight or more wins in four of his five seasons in College Station following a successful run at Florida State featuring a BCS National Championship in the 2013 season. Last year: 3 in the SEC
