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SEC roundtable: Toughest coaching job

This week, ESPN counts down the most attractive coaching jobs in college footballInsider. There will inevitably be a number of SEC schools near the top, but that doesn’t mean every job in the conference is easy. As we kick off our three-day roundtable series, we ask the question: Which SEC job is the toughest?

Edward Aschoff: Mississippi State

I know Vanderbilt and Kentucky are the easy picks here, but how about Mississippi State? It can’t be stressed enough how impressive a job Dan Mullen has done in Starkville since he arrived in 2009. Mississippi State doesn't have the name or tradition of bigger schools, and recruiting to Starkville isn't exactly easy. Before the Bulldogs’ impressive run in 2014, Mississippi State hadn’t won 10 games in a season since 1999. Mullen has now won nine games in a season twice, something Vanderbilt did in back-to-back seasons under James Franklin. Staying relevant at Mississippi State is a tall order; just look at the history of the school. SEC titles are few and far between, and with the West so strong, the Bulldogs will always have an uphill battle. That’s just the reality in Starkville. It’s already tough to consistently recruit top talent to Mississippi schools, and it doesn't help battling Ole Miss, which has cleaned up in recruiting recently.

Chris Low: Vanderbilt

There’s no such thing as an easy head-coaching job in the SEC, but some are a heck of a lot harder than others -- one in particular. There’s a reason Vanderbilt has had just five winning seasons in the past 40 years. Yes, two of those came under Franklin in 2012 and 2013, which is a credit to Franklin and his staff, but the challenge of winning consistently at Vanderbilt is the most daunting challenge in all of college football. Vanderbilt’s stringent academic standards mean that the Commodores, for the most part, are recruiting in a different pool than everybody else in the SEC, so stockpiling the kind of quality depth that most everybody else in the league enjoys is a losing battle. The facilities have improved in recent years, but they still pale in comparison to the rest of the SEC. Franklin proved it was possible to get to nine wins at Vanderbilt. He did it in each of his last two seasons before bolting to Penn State. But even when Franklin was there, the Commodores’ 40,000-seat stadium was rarely full, and he was just 4-14 against FBS teams that finished the season with a winning record.

Greg Ostendorf: Missouri

Is Missouri a more difficult job than the one at Vanderbilt? No. I think we can all agree on that. But make no mistake about it -- it’s not easy to win at Missouri. Credit Gary Pinkel for winning two division titles in three years since joining the SEC. Nobody predicted that, and at this point, nobody will be surprised if he pulls it off again next season. But despite the recent success, Missouri is new to the league. It doesn’t have the tradition. It doesn’t have a 90,000-plus-seat stadium or the latest and greatest facilities, although renovations are on the way. And recruiting will never be easy considering its location. In fact, this year's recruiting class (ranked No. 18 nationally) was the first one ranked in the top 30 since the Tigers joined the SEC, and the top two signees came from their own backyard. I don’t expect Missouri to fall off as long as Pinkel is in charge, but what happens when he’s gone? How will the next coach fare? If you think it will be easy to keep the Tigers on top, think again.

Sam Khan: Kentucky

When you have a reputation as a basketball school in a conference that is so well-known for its football dominance, it's never easy. But that's reality for Kentucky. The Wildcats are similar to Vanderbilt in terms of historical win total (Vanderbilt actually has more all-time wins, while Kentucky has more SEC wins than Vandy), so expectations aren't always high. In recruiting, Kentucky has to battle not only other SEC teams but also Big Ten teams given Lexington's proximity to Ohio, which is Big Ten country. That said, Mark Stoops and his staff are to be commended for the success they've had recruiting Ohio since his arrival. Fortunately for Cats fans, Stoops currently has the program moving in the right direction, and the school has shown financial commitment not only to Stoops but also to improving facilities with renovations to Commonwealth Stadium and plans for a new practice and training facility.

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