From Nick Saban to Lane Kiffin, here's what each football coach will say at SEC Media Days | Adams
Nothing that happens at this week’s SEC Media Days in Atlanta is apt to surpass last year’s gathering in Hoover, Alabama.
Last year’s announcement that Oklahoma and Texas would leave the Big 12 for the SEC no later than 2025 caught almost everyone off guard. Regrettably, I was among those blindsided by the news. With that in mind, I’ve been preparing for potentially surprising developments this week.
Here are some possibilities:
Monday
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey dons a cowboy hat and rides to the podium on a Shetland pony. He then lassos the microphone and fakes a Texas twang in announcing that the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Baylor Bears will join the SEC in 2025.
First-year LSU coach Brian Kelly makes his opening comments in a Cajun dialect that not even longtime Lake Charles columnist Scooter Hobbs can translate.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin says he will limit his tweets to postgame comments, except when another SEC coach opens himself up to ridicule that is too easy to pass up. He throws golf balls at Tennessee media members on the way out the door.
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz announces that in the interest of clearing up confusion about his first name – Is it Eli or Eliah? – he’s in the process of changing his first name to Elvis. Media respond with a standing ovation.
Tuesday
Mississippi State coach Mike Leach vows to establish a running game.
Alabama coach Nick Saban expresses gratitude to the commissioner for not allowing Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher to buy Saban’s media time.
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South Carolina coach Shane Beamer says he will not recruit four- or five-star high school quarterbacks but is committed to signing Oklahoma's backup quarterback every year as a transfer.
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea says the team has voted to make Elon Musk an honorary team captain and hopes an aggressive NIL plan can make the Commodores a championship contender in the future.
Wednesday
First-year Florida coach Billy Napier, who has set an unofficial conference record for hiring peripheral staff members, offers jobs to the first three media-types who ask him a question. All three accept.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart holds the 2021 national championship trophy above his head and says, “We’re not done.” Although Smart refuses to answer questions, he invites the media to come by and touch the trophy.
Coach Mark Stoops says, beginning in 2023, Kentucky will no longer play Louisville. Instead, the Wildcats will opt for an all-MAC nonconference schedule.
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman says he has named himself an associate offensive and defensive coordinator to bolster a résumé that has been lacking in coordinator experience.
Thursday
Fisher announces NIL deals for the Aggies band, cheerleaders and public address announcer.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel says the Vols will run plays at such a high speed opponents won’t have time to fall down between snaps.
Auburn fires second-year coach Bryan Harsin on his way to the podium.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What Nick Saban, Lane Kiffin, other coaches will say at SEC Media Days
