I don't think it can be said that the SEC has a who's who of coaches. And I'm not convinced
it's particularly strong in WBB, tho some people seem to think so.
To wit: Alabama finished 4th in the conference this year, with a 10-6 record. That is the first decent
season Kristy Curry has had in her 11 years in Tuscaloosa. Why she is still the coach---why she
even got hired in the first place---is a mystery. Check this out: She had a meager 40% conference
win percentage in seven years at Texas Tech. And yet bama hired her. And what is her win percentage at bama?
The same--40 percent. Look at her record in her first six years at bama: how did she keep her job? She's clearly
not a good coach--and she came in 4th this season.
Texas A&M has a newish coach, Joni Taylor, who just finished her 2nd year after being hired away from Georgia. (What they didn't peek
at Divi. II coaches?) In 7 seasons at Georgia she was a fairly modest/decent 63--48 in the SEC, a 57% win percentage.
Not a record that screams star in the making--but A&M hired her.
She was 2-14 in the SEC in her first year, 6-10 this past season.
Some improvement. In a good state for recruiting. Future forecast: uncertain.
Auburn's coach--longtime assistant to Schaefer--just finished her 2nd year. Bad first year, 500 in the conference this
year and made the NCAA, somehow. They played a pretty weak OOC schedule. Future forecast: uncertain.
Georgia's coach also is newish and also just finished her second year, after being hired away from Central Florida, where
she'd been hired by White. Not a good season--3-13 in the SEC and next to last. Future forecast: Cloudy, chance of heavy rain.
Miss. State: Like the others above, Sam Purcell just completed HIS second season. Hired after working as Walz's
top assistant for several years. Was 9-7 in his first year and made the SEC tourney--good job. Was 8-8 this past season.
Supposed to be a good recruiter: we'll see. His Miss. State bio asserts that that the SEC is the nation's best conference.
Really? This year: One great team, two good teams, two solid teams--and that's about it. Future forecast: partly sunny, maybe.
Got to give credit to Shea Ralph for a 9-7 SEC record in this, her 3rd season. Her first two seasons were bad, but
much improvement this year--and Vandy is the certainly toughest coaching job in the SEC. Getting
over .500 in any sport at Vandy in the SEC is an achievement. She was a Geno player and then a Geno assistant
for 13 years. Not sure how much NIL/bribery support she'll get at Vandy. A program and coach I want to follow.
Future forecast: uncertain.
The rest of the teams in the SEC were pretty bad this season.
Here's Curry's Alabama record. Stay by the phone, Harper. You might get a call from Tuscaloosa!