SiriusXM radio host Danny Kanell has always been outspoken when it comes to his views of the SEC.
For years, Kanell gained a reputation as somewhat of a "troll" in the eyes of the conference's diehard fans for downplaying the league's success.
On Saturday, the former FSU quarterback shared a hot take via Twitter questioning SEC fans for "running coaches off," as several teams face coaching searches this offseason.
Does he have a point?
So far, Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas are in the market for new coaches, while Texas A&M is expected to follow suit. Even Auburn — who currently ranks No 6 in the College Football Playoff poll — may face a coaching search should rumors of Gus Malzahn wanting to return to his home state of Arkansas to coach the Razorbacks prove true.
But are high expectations really a bad thing? Are SEC fans wrong for demanding more than mediocrity?
Tennessee and Florida fans clamored for their coaches to get fired throughout the season because they were tired of complacency. Despite Butch Jones and Jim McElwain having winning records for the Vols and Gators, respectively, it became obvious early that both programs were on a downslide in 2017, especially when they played each other.
Texas A&M has been competitive throughout Kevin Sumlin's tenure, but has never managed to improve its record from the previous season. Sumlin has finished with an 8-5 record during each of the last three seasons and only recorded double-digit wins during his first season. Its claim to fame under Sumlin was beating Nick Saban's Alabama with Johnny Manziel at quarterback.
Arkansas has been stuck in "rebuilding mode" throughout former coach Bret Bielema's tenure and the Razorbacks never managed to get over the proverbial hump — very similar to the Vols, Gators and Aggies. Much like Florida and Tennessee, the Hogs went from mediocre to abysmal in 2017, which was the final straw for the charismatic coach.
There's no denying that all four coaches have been given enough time to prove themselves and plateaued in 2017, which led to a demand for a change.
If Kanell can't see that then I don't know what to tell him. But SEC fans should demand more from their coaches.
That's why the SEC is still perceived as the dominant conference in college football. The "it just means more" tagline isn't just some cute marketing ploy. College football in the southeast is celebrated as a rich tradition and mediocrity is unacceptable.
