When the Southeastern Conference took its football media days event to Atlanta for the first time in 2018, Alabama coach Nick Saban had guided the Crimson Tide to five national championships, Georgia’s Kirby Smart was coming off the 2017 league title, Kentucky’s Mark Stoops was continuing to build a respected program, and Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher was entering his rookie season with the Aggies.
Those are the only four coaches still at their respective locales as the SEC returns to Atlanta this week for a second occasion, with the likes of Auburn’s Gus Malzahn, Florida’s Dan Mullen and LSU’s Ed Orgeron having been unable to maintain their jobs since the last go-around.
Florida’s Billy Napier, the former Murray County quarterback, and LSU’s Brian Kelly are the two new coaches at media days this year, with Auburn’s Bryan Harsin, Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea, South Carolina’s Shane Beamer and Tennessee’s Josh Heupel having served as the newcomers last July.
Media days starts Monday with an address by league commissioner Greg Sankey followed by appearances from Kelly, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss, with Tuesday’s schedule containing Saban, Lea, Beamer and Mississippi State’s Mike Leach. Saban is scheduled to meet with the media Tuesday morning at 9:05.
Wednesday’s lineup contains Smart, Stoops, Napier and Sam Pittman of Arkansas, while Fisher, Harsin and Heupel will wrap up the four-day extravaganza Thursday. Both Smart and Heupel are set to speak at 10:30 on their respective mornings.