It was a big news day on Wednesday for SEC baseball, as Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello accepted the position as the new manager of the San Francisco Giants, and Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan announced that he is taking a leave of absence to deal with personal issues.
On the Plains, it was the 10th anniversary of Auburn hiring Butch Thompson after the disastrous tenure of Sunny Golloway. Thompson has led Auburn to two College World Series, two Super Regionals and two Regionals during his time in charge of the Tigers.
That got us thinking: how would you rank the coaches in the SEC from 1-16? Let's take a shot.
1. Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt)
Record (at current school): 964-461-1
Achievements (at current school): 2 national championships, 5 College World Series appearances, 10 NCAA Super Regionals, 20 NCAA Regionals, 4 SEC regular-season titles, 4 SEC Tournament titles
No one has done more for a school than Corbin, who is Vanderbilt baseball. He will enter his 26th year in Nashville this season.
2. Paul Mainieri (South Carolina)
Record: 28-29
Achievements: N/A
Before taking over in Columbia before last season, Mainieri was known for his LSU teams that were constantly in Omaha, making five trips with the Bayou Bengals, including winning it all in 2009 and finishing as runner-up in 2017.
3. Jay Johnson (LSU)
Record: 190-77
Achievements: 2 national championships, 4 NCAA Regionals
Four seasons in Baton Rouge with two national titles.
4. Dave Van Horn (Arkansas)
Record: 933-472
Achievements: 8 College World Series, 10 NCAA Super Regionals, 21 NCAA Regionals, 3 SEC regular-season titles, 1 SEC Tournament title
The only thing missing from Van Horn's resume is the coveted national title. The Razorbacks came close in 2018, finishing as runner-up to Oregon State.
5. Kevin O'Sullivan (Florida)*
Record: 756-371
Achievements: 1 national title, 9 College World Series, 10 Super Regionals, 6 SEC regular-season titles, 2 SEC Tournament titles
The Gators have made the NCAA Tournament in all 17 seasons it's been played since O'Sullivan took over, including winning it all in 2017.
* This is assuming he will return for the 2026 season.
6. Brian O'Connor (Mississippi State)
Record: 0-0
Achievements: N/A
The biggest hire of the offseason, O'Connor arrives in Starkville after 22 years in charge of the Virginia Cavaliers. All he did during his time in Charlottesville was win a College World Series, reach Omaha six other times and play in nine Super Regionals.
7. Mike Bianco (Ole Miss)
Record: 949-565-1
Achievements: 1 national title, 8 NCAA Super Regionals, 19 NCAA Regionals, 1 SEC regular-season title, 2 SEC Tournament titles
Maybe the biggest turnaround in recent college baseball history, Bianco went from almost being fired during the 2022 season to getting Ole Miss into the last spot in the NCAA Tournament to winning the entire thing.
8. Butch Thompson (Auburn)
Record: 324-232-1
Achievements: 2 College World Series, 4 NCAA Super Regionals, 6 NCAA Regionals
Thompson has resurrected the Auburn baseball program after a decade-long slump, leading the Tigers to Omaha twice in the past six full seasons.
9. Jim Schlossnagle (Texas)
Record: 44-14
Achievements: 1 NCAA Regional, 1 SEC regular-season title
One of the most despised men in College Station, Schlossnagle left Texas A&M after three seasons to take the job in Austin. During his time with the Aggies, he led them to two College World Series appearances, including a runner-up finish in 2024.
10. Skip Johnson (Oklahoma)
Record: 267-175
Achievements: 1 College World Series, 1 NCAA Super Regional, 5 NCAA Regionals
Still members of the Big 12, Johnson took the Sooners to the brink of the national title in 2022, losing to Ole Miss in the finals.
11. Wes Johnson (Georgia)
Record: 86-34
Achievements: 1 NCAA Super Regional, 2 NCAA Regionals
The Bulldogs have become a force under Johnson in his two seasons, winning 43 games in both.
12. Nick Mingione (Kentucky)
Record: 295-192
Achievements: 1 College World Series, 3 NCAA Super Regionals, 4 NCAA Regionals, 1 SEC regular-season title
After a dormant period for a long time, Mingione has lit a fire under the Wildcats, leading to three straight postseason appearances, including the trip to Omaha in 2024.
13. Rob Vaughn (Alabama)
Record: 74-42
Achievements: 2 NCAA Regionals
After leading Maryland to three straight NCAA Regionals, the Crimson Tide came calling for Vaughn in 2023.
14. Michael Earley (Texas A&M)
Record: 30-26
Achievements: N/A
It was a rough first season for Earley in College Station, as the Aggies missed out on postseason play for the first time since 2021.
15. Kerrick Jackson (Missouri)
Record: 39-71
Achievements: N/A
The worst team in the SEC by far in 2025, the Tigers finished 16-39 overall, including 3-27 in SEC play. Those three wins? All against Texas A&M in a three-game weekend sweep.
16. Frank Anderson (Tennessee)
Record: 0-0
Achievements: N/A
Filling the shoes of Tony Vitello in Knoxville is going to be tough, as he turned the Volunteers into a world-beater that everyone dreaded playing.