We all know that the SEC is the strongest and most competitive conference in the country and one of the reasons for that is the coaches that lead the teams each year. From old mainstays, such as, Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier to newcomers like Derrick Mason and Mark Stoops, these men are considered some of the best in the Country. But who is the best? Here are the top coaches in the South Eastern Conference from from worst to best.

14. Derek Mason

When Derek Mason started at Vanderbilt last fall he had the tough task of continuing the success James Franklin had started in Nashville. Known as a defensive guru at Stanford, a lot of people didn't expect the Commodores to fall that much last season, but they were wrong. What happened in Nashville was nothing short of a nightmare, and if the second-year head coach doesn't start moving this team in the right direction then he might be looking for a new job come December.

13. Mark Stoops

Last year was a move in the right direction for the Wildcats and third-year head coach Mark Stoops. Well at least for a little while. After starting the season strong with a huge win over the South Carolina Gamecocks, and competitive triple overtime loss at Florida, the wheels fell off the bus down the stretch. I expect Stoops to have a much better season this year, and with that move up the rankings.

12. Jim McElwain

First-year head coach for the Florida Gators, Jim McElwain, is no stranger to the SEC, as a previous Offensive Coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide. But running an offense and running an entire team in the SEC are two different things. Will Muschamp left the Gators with a pretty stout defense, but offense was never his forte, and McElwain definitely has his work cut out for him.

11. Dan Mullen

This ranking is not by any means in relations to how I see Mullen as a coach, but in a league this stacked with top-coaching talent someone has to be the worst of the best. Mullen and his Mississippi State Bulldogs finally had the season fans have been waiting for since they hired him. Mullen and quarterback Dak Prescott took the country by storm. With the Senior QB returning, expect another competitive Bulldog team down in Starkville.

10. Butch Jones

Rocky Top is buzzing with the hype Butch Jones is about to bring to Neyland Statium this fall. I'm on record saying the Vols are going to win the east, and it is going to be because of this man. After another stressful year of close losses that should have been wins, Butch Jones has recruited well enough to give second-year QB Joshua Dobbs the tools to wreck havoc on the SEC this year.

9. Kevin Sumlin

This is really where the list gets a bit unfair because Kevin Sumlin is a great coach and arguably the best offensive mind in the game. That being said life without Johnny Football was a lot harder than the Aggies had expected. After starting the year on fire with Kenny "Trill" Hill, the Aggies came back to earth in Tuscaloosa after a 59-0 drumming by the Crimson Tide and things got a bit rocky for a while. But Sumlin saved the ship by starting freshman QB Kyle Allen and finished the year out strong. Sumlin Hired former LSU Defensive coordinator John Chavis to fix the Aggies defensive woes once and for all. If this works, watch out, they are going to come back strong.

8. Brett Bielema

What Brett Bielema has done at Arkansas is not nearly as important as what he is about to do. Bielema has built this Razorback team to resemble an old school Alabama team. This means they are going to run the ball a lot and play a really well defense, which might seem crazy considering the current football landscape of high flying fast paced offense, but it might be crazy enough to work. If he picks up where he left off in 2014, the SEC is going to have to respect the Hogs for what they are, really good.

7. Mark Richt

Not many coaches can say they experienced the type of success Bulldog head coach Mark Richt has had. That being said, the message is beginning to get old between the hedges. After a few seasons where the bulldogs let games late in the season get away from them and miss out on the chance to finally lock up the East division for good, fans are beginning to wonder if Richt is ever going to get over that hump and take them to that long-awaited National Championship. This season is a make or break year for Richt, and it will be an interesting one to say the least.

6. Hugh Freeze

Last year the rebels of Ole Miss experienced one of the best seasons in recent memory, and it is mostly to do with what Hugh Freeze has built in Oxford. The Oxford native came in and recruited some of the best recruiting classes in the program's history and it has paid off. The Rebs won arguably the biggest game in the program's history against Alabama. Freeze and that Landshark defense looked like it would surely go to the College Football Playoffs, but the team ran out of steam against TCU in the Peach Bowl. But if Freeze has taught us anything in his tenure at Ole miss, it is that Freeze and his team are a real competition, and they aren't going anywhere.

5. Gary Pinkel

I think it is about time people stop overlooking how good of a coach Gary Pinkel is. What he has done at Mizzou, a program that wasn't any good in the Big 12, but somehow wins the SEC East every year, is simply remarkable. And lets not forget that Pinkel isn't the greatest recruiter, and Mizzou isn't the greatest program historically. It is testament to Pinkels ability to get the talent he has to play at the highest level that gets him into the top five.

4. Steve Spurrier

The head ball coach is still one of the best minds in all of football, even though he is getting up there in age. Last year was a disappointing year for the Gamecocks, and Spurrier is going to be looking to bounce back this year in a big way. There are not many coaches in the business who have accomplished as much as Spurrier has. What he has done at South Carolina is just simply what the man does, and that is change the game. Also he and Bielema are still the top coaches you would want to grab a beer with so that has to count for something...Right?

3. Les Miles

The Mad Hatter is still one of the most talented, if not the most interesting coaches in the country, and is one of the best at coaching hard-nose physical football. LSU is still a top program, but they have been less-feared since the infamous whooping Nick Saban and the Tide gave them in New Orleans in 2011, but that is about to change this year. Like always, Miles has recruited some of the best talent in the country, and behind Leonard Fournette he's about to remind the nation that the Bayou Bengals are for real and should be feared once again.

2. Gus Mahlzahn

Auburn head coach Gus Mahlzahn may look like the school's band leader, but he is arguably the best offensive mind in all of football. Last season the Tigers were one of the best teams in the country, and the offense was running full steam ahead, but that defense...Yikes. To fix that big issue he brought in Will Muschamp from Florida to come in and work his magic, and if he does my goodness that team is going to be scary to face.

1. Nick Saban

Surprise!!! But really, who else won three out of the last seven National Championships? Who is fresh out of a SEC Championship and an appearance in the Inaugural College Football Playoff? You are pretty good at your job, Nick. Every year he brings in the Nation's top talent and he molds them through "The Process" to become Champions. There isn't another coach better suited to handle the insane pressure that comes with being named the coach of the Crimson Tide. If he keeps on the career arch he is currently on, there isn't a doubt in my mind that when it is all said and done, he will be the best coach of all time.