Greg Sankey is by name and title the SEC commissioner, but Jimmy Sexton runs the league.
Thus far in the coaching cycle, six SEC jobs have opened -- Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas A&M -- and Sexton clients have filled five of them. Let's break it down:
- Ole Miss: Sexton client Hugh Freeze was let go in July, and Sexton client Matt Luke replaced him on an interim basis. Luke later got the full-time job.
- Florida: Sexton client Jim McElwain was fired in October, and replaced by Sexton client Dan Mullen.
- Mississippi State: Sexton didn't get this one. Mississippi State hired Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead.
- Texas A&M: Sexton colonized College Station, replacing Kevin Sumlin with one of his star clients in Jimbo Fisher. (By the way, Sexton client Willie Taggart filled the opening Sexton created at Florida State.)
- Tennessee: Sexton client Butch Jones was fired in November, and now Sexton client Jeremy Pruitt is set to replace him.
- Arkansas: Faytteville also fell to Sexton this year. Neil Cornrich client Bret Bielema was replaced by Sexton client Chad Morris.
Darren Rovell broke down Sexton's SEC roster here:
When they play the game of thrones in the SEC, Jimmy Sexton remains the kingmaker.