Next SEC Coach Fired? Odds Say It’s Muschamp or Mason; Saban at 100/1

• South Carolina’s Will Muschamp is favored to be the first SEC coach fired in 2020
• Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason and Tennessee’s Jeremy Pruitt are both listed at +300 or better
• See odds on every coach in the conference within the story below

Odds have been released on which SEC coach will be the first to be fired in 2020. Will Muschamp of South Carolina is being given the best odds, while Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason and Tennessee’s Jeremy Pruitt aren’t far behind.

With the SEC playing a reduced schedule of 10 conference-only games due to COVID-19, is there any value placing a wager on one of these coaches being shown the door?

Odds on First SEC Football Coach to Be Fired

Odds taken September 24th

Gamecocks’ Muschamp Favorite to Get Canned

South Carolina coach Will Muschamp is on the hot seat after the Gamecocks disappointed with a 4-8 season in 2019, missing out on a bowl game for the first time in five years.

When the team struggled mightily in the second half of the season, many thought Muschamp’s job could be in jeopardy. Instead of firing Muschamp, the team replaced their offensive coordinator and fired both their strength & conditioning and QB coaches.

It’s hard to argue with Muschamp being at the top of this list when you look at the gruelling scheduling that awaits the Gamecocks. South Carolina has to face powerhouses Florida, Auburn and LSU in three of their first five games of the season.

The team dropped five of their final six games in 2019, so if things don’t change quickly, Muschamp could be on his way out.

Mason, Pruitt Also on Short Leash

While Muschamp is rightfully favored to be the first coach fired, Derek Mason of Vanderbilt and Jeremy Pruitt of Tennessee aren’t far behind in the odds.

Mason could certainly get shown the door at some point when you look at his lacklustre 27–47 record through six seasons and the fact there’s been public outcry for his removal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3alOIzlJ3EA&ab_channel=VanderbiltAthletics

While Mason is certainly on the hot seat, it’s unclear what it would take for Vanderbilt to show him the door. He’s yet to turn in a winning season with the Commodores and is coming off an ugly 3-9 campaign.

If Vanderbilt wants to keep him despite fans trying to push him out, they could use the weirdness of the 2020 season as a reason to bring him back in 2021 no matter what happens this year.

While Mason’s odds are accurate, Pruitt being listed at +300 is a bit of a mystery. Tennessee is coming off an impressive 8-5 season in which they took down Indiana in the Gator Bowl. The Vols closed out the season with a six-game winning streak and should get the 2020 campaign started on the right note with early games against South Carolina and Missouri. It would take a true disaster for Pruitt to get shown the door.

Longshot With Value? 

Nick Saban being listed with +10000 odds to be fired is about as realistic as it gets when you look at his incredible 152-23 record with the program and the fact the Tide are once again favored in the SEC Title odds.

Kirby Smart at Georgia, on the other hand, is the only true longshot near the bottom of the odds even worth considering.

IT'S GAME WEEK‼️ 📲#ATD #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/WreHLmldc0

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) September 21, 2020

Smart has come under fire after former Georgia DB Otis Reese said he was ‘manipulated’ by Smart and experienced racism on the UGA campus. Any potential off-field controversy is eroded by Smart’s 44–12 record and three straight SEC East titles. If Georgia can’t take that next step soon, there could be value betting Smart to get canned in the coming years. But not in 2020.

Muschamp and Mason are two strong bets, but Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M could offer value. The Aggies are expected to have a big year in 2020 after posting a mediocre 17-9 record over the last two seasons. Considering Fisher is signed to a massive $75 million contract and facing immense pressure to deliver in Kellon Mond’s final year at QB, he could be on the hot seat if the Aggies underwhelm.