ESPN College Football

Some SEC linkage for your Wednesday enjoyment:

• Former Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick is arrested and charged with possession of marijuana.
• Lance Thompson, Nick Saban's prodigal coaching son, returns to Alabama, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of The Birmingham News.
• Saban hits the recruiting trail in the Atlanta area.
• LSU coach Les Miles shoots down the rumors that select players were benched for wanting to go with Jarrett Lee in the BCS National Championship Game.
• New Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease cut his SEC teeth at Kentucky.
• The lack of underclassmen leaving Tennessee's program is telling, writes John Adams of The Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Joel Erickson of The Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer breaks down Auburn's prospective 2012 roster by scholarship players.
• Georgia's Jay Rome waits his turn in one sport while playing another.

One thing's for sure about Alabama coach Nick Saban when it comes to hiring assistant coaches: He's flexible.

Look at his last two hires.

New offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier comes to Alabama after spending the last three seasons as Washington's offensive coordinator. Nussmeier has never previously worked under Saban, although Nussmeier has worked with people Saban has worked with, including former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, the man Nussmeier is replacing.

Nussmeier and McElwain also previously worked as offensive coordinators at Fresno State under former Fresno State coach Pat Hill, who told The Birmingham News that Nussmeier had a lot of the same qualities as McElwain. Hill and Saban worked together as assistants with the Cleveland Browns in the early 1990s.

Then there's new outside linebackers coach Lance Thompson, who's embarking on his third different stint under Saban. Not only that, but Thompson left Alabama following the 2008 season for a job on Tennessee's staff when Lane Kiffin assembled the highest-paid collection of assistant coaches in the country.

Thompson worked for Saban at LSU in 2002 and 2003 before rejoining him at Alabama in 2007. Thompson spent the last three seasons on the Vols' staff, but wasn't considered by Derek Dooley for the defensive coordinator's job and was looking to get out. It just so happened that Alabama had an opening after Sal Sunseri was hired as the Vols' new defensive coordinator.

So, in essence, the Crimson Tide and Vols swapped.

There's also a back story here that will no doubt be downplayed at Alabama now that Thompson is back with the Crimson Tide.

But remember Kiffin's loudmouthed tour around the state of Tennessee following national signing day in 2009?

It's when he made his infamous comments about Urban Meyer allegedly cheating in an attempt to get Nu'Keese Richardson. Of course, Kiffin was dead wrong in his understanding of the NCAA rules (imagine that) and wound up being reprimanded by the SEC.

During that same "signing day celebration" tour, Thompson also reportedly popped off about Saban and referred to Saban as the "other guy."

And according to the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Thompson boasted to a crowd in Knoxville of Saban: "He ain't getting any more of my (recruits)."

Kiffin added: "Nick Saban should have started his (signing day) press conference by saying, 'Our great class that we signed ... I'd really like to thank Lance (Thompson) because Lance signed eight of those guys.' "

It's merely a guess, but something says Saban and Thompson won't be doing any signing day tours around the state of Alabama this February.

But Thompson's return to the Capstone is proof that Saban can forgive and forget, and it's also worth noting that Thompson's reasons for leaving Alabama the first time weren't all football-related.

Either way, he's back and has a clean slate, and if he recruits the way he did the last time he was at Alabama, nobody in that state will even remember his time in orange.

According to a source, Tennessee defensive line coach Lance Thompson has accepted a position on Alabama's coaching staff shortly after former Alabama coach Sal Sunseri was named Tennessee's defensive coordinator on Friday.

Thompson coached the Vols' defensive linemen last season after coaching the Vols' linebackers since he was hired by former Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin in January 2009. He was lauded as being a key recruiter by Kiffin and stayed with Tennessee though the transition to current head coach Derek Dooley.

According to the same source, Thompson was never considered for Tennessee’s previously vacant defensive coordinator position which may have led to his departure.

In recruiting, Thompson has strong ties in the Southeast, particularly in Alabama and Georgia.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier announced Friday that Joe Robinson will be the Gamecocks' new special teams coordinator and tight ends coach.

Robinson, who was the 2010 FootballScoop Special Teams Coordinator of the Year, joins South Carolina's staff after one season as North Carolina's defensive line coach.

He replaces John Butler, who left South Carolina this week to join Penn State's staff.

“We are pleased to announce Joe Robinson as our special teams coach,” Spurrier said. “He has many years of experience and his special teams had the No. 1 overall ranking in the SEC in 2009. Our special teams will be in good hands under coach Robinson, and we look forward to having him and his family become Gamecocks.”

Before arriving at North Carolina, Robinson spent three seasons as the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator at LSU. In 2010, the Tigers finished in the top 13 nationally in net punting, kickoff return average and punt return average. In 2009, LSU's special teams combined to rank No. 1 overall in the SEC, as the Tigers led the league in both kickoff coverage (44.5 net average) and punt returns (18.9). LSU was the only team in the league to rank among the top three in the conference in four special teams categories.

“I’m excited to be here and thankful to become part of Coach Spurrier’s staff,” Robinson said. “He’s done a great job with this program and my family is excited about this opportunity.”

Robinson's hire still leaves two vacancies on Spurrier's staff. He still has to find a replacement for running backs coach Jay Graham, who left for Tennessee, and must find someone to coach linebackers, now that defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson is the head coach at Southern Miss. Lorenzo Ward was promoted to defensive coordinator and will coach cornerbacks.

A few names to keep an eye on to coach South Carolina's linebackers are former Arkansas assistant Kirk Botkin and current Tennessee defensive line coach Lance Thompson, who coached linebackers in the past.

Air Force running backs coach Desmont Kitchings could also be looked at for the running backs job. He served as Vanderbilt's running backs coach from 2008-10, and offensive coordinator in 2010.

Thanks to Ryan McGee, we took a look at the best recruiting head coaches in the SEC on Monday.

But what about the assistants?

They’re the ones who lay the groundwork, and in most cases, establish the relationships with prospects and their families so the head coach can get in the door and close the deal.

Having conferred with several in and around the league, not to mention talking with players who've gone through the the process, here are the 25 best recruiters in the SEC among assistant coaches. They’re listed alphabetically:

• Charlie Baggett, Tennessee's assistant head coach/wide receivers coach
• Shane Beamer, South Carolina’s special teams coordinator/recruiting coordinator
• Mike Bobo, Georgia’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
• Burton Burns, Alabama’s associate head coach/running backs coach
• Steve Caldwell, Arkansas’ defensive ends coach
• Rodney Garner, Georgia’s assistant head coach/recruiting coordinator/defensive line coach
• Billy Gonzales, LSU’s passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach
• Aubrey Hill, Florida’s wide receivers coach
• Tim Horton, Arkansas' recruiting coordinator/running backs coach
• Tony Hughes, Mississippi State’s recruiting coordinator/safeties coach
• Ellis Johnson, South Carolina’s assistant head coach for the defense
• John Lilly, Georgia's tight ends coach
• Gus Malzahn, Auburn's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
• Tee Martin, Kentucky’s passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach
• Garrick McGee, Arkansas’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
• Wesley McGriff, Vanderbilt’s defensive recruiting coordinator/defensive backs coach
• Curtis Luper, Auburn’s recruiting coordinator/running backs coach
• Chris Rumph, Alabama's defensive line coach
• Kirby Smart, Alabama’s defensive coordinator
• Trooper Taylor, Auburn’s assistant head coach/wide receivers coach
• Lance Thompson, Tennessee’s linebackers coach
• Sal Sunseri, Alabama’s assistant head coach/linebackers coach
• Chris Vaughn, Ole Miss’ recruiting coordinator/cornerbacks coach
• Brian White, Florida's tight ends coach
• Frank Wilson, LSU’s recruiting coordinator/running backs coach

Everybody knows that the only people who gossip more than reporters are assistant football coaches.

That said, it’s that time of year again when assistants’ names are being bandied about in connection with different job openings at the same rate that credit cards are being swiped at shopping malls.

Come to think of it, I haven’t seen mine in a while. Could be bad news when the next statement arrives.

Anyway, in keeping with the spirit, here are some things to watch for in the SEC, guys who may be on the move this year and guys who will be on the move at some point because of the quality of their work:

• Georgia coach Mark Richt faces a critical hire at defensive coordinator. It appears that he’s not going to do anything until after the bowl game. The Bulldogs will make a big play for Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, who won the Broyles Award as college football’s top assistant this season and is a Georgia graduate. But getting Smart away from Alabama may prove difficult. He's already making $360,000 and has a pretty sweet thing going right now at the Capstone.
• Speaking of Alabama, assistant head coach and linebackers coach Sal Sunseri is one of the leading candidates to join Jimbo Fisher’s staff at Florida State as defensive coordinator.
• It looks like Urban Meyer’s top choice to replace Charlie Strong as defensive coordinator is Ole Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix, who’s already met with Meyer about the job. Nix has done an excellent job with the Rebels’ defense the past two seasons and could also be in the mix at Georgia.
• Strong has said he doesn’t plan to take anybody with him to Louisville from the Florida staff at this point, but that could change. And if it does, look for cornerbacks coach Vance Bedford to be at the head of the list.
• Tennessee has already lost two assistants. Eddie Gran went to Florida State and Frank Wilson to LSU. Linebackers coach Lance Thompson is also a guy to keep an eye on, especially if he can get a coordinator job. There’s a chance offensive coordinator Jim Chaney may end up back in the NFL.
• Georgia assistant head coach and defensive tackles coach Rodney Garner interviewed for a position on Lane Kiffin’s staff a year ago at Tennessee. Garner is one of the best recruiters in the SEC, and if he’s not going to be a candidate for the defensive coordinator’s job after spending nine years on Richt’s staff, he may look to go elsewhere after the bowl game.
• Vanderbilt defensive coordinator and secondary coach Jamie Bryant will be on a lot of short lists. He had other offers last year, but chose to stay at Vanderbilt. The Commodores’ secondary has been outstanding each of the past two seasons. They were ninth nationally in passing defense this season.
• Another SEC assistant who’s going to start receiving increasing interest is South Carolina recruiting coordinator/special teams and safeties coach Shane Beamer. He’s had recent talks with Murray State about the Racers’ head coaching job. One of the top recruiters in the league, Beamer has experience coaching running backs, cornerbacks, safeties and special teams.
• With Dan Mullen, Larry Porter, Dave Clawson and Strong all landing head coaching jobs the past two years, who will be the next SEC assistant to get a head gig? Ellis Johnson, South Carolina’s assistant head coach for the defense, may get a look. When you look at what he’s done with the Gamecocks’ defense, he deserves a shot. Watch out for Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, too. The improvement the Tigers made offensively this season speaks for itself. Does somebody give Tennessee’s Ed Orgeron another chance? Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino was in the running for the Western Kentucky head job earlier this season. Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain and Kentucky defensive coordinator Steve Brown are also names to keep in mind. But the guy at the top of the list is Smart. He’s the SEC’s hottest commodity right now when it comes to assistant coaches and has that Nick Saban pedigree that will be very attractive to athletic directors.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

A few SEC links for your Monday munching enjoyment:

• A concussion suffered in the Alabama game will likely keep South Carolina receiver Moe Brown out of the Vanderbilt game.
• Despite being No. 1, Florida coach Urban Meyer puts his focus on his team's deficiencies.
• Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy hasn't been in tune the last two games.
• LSU's defense has played well to this point, but the Tigers' players say they can play better in the second half of the season.
• Tennessee linebackers coach Lance Thompson won't be Mr. Popularity when he returns to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday.
• Georgia is coming off its best rushing performance of the season, but still doesn't have a clear-cut No. 1 tailback.
• Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen knows there won't be anything easy about facing his old boss this weekend.
• Kentucky coach Rich Brooks see progress after the win over Auburn, but not perfection.
• Auburn coach Gene Chizik comes to Chris Todd's defense and says the team in general needs to regroup, not just Todd.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Now that we've taken a look at Nos. 11-25 on our list of top 25 recruiters in the SEC, it's time to unveil the top 10.

All these guys are ace recruiters and have pulled in some big-time talent, and in just about all of their cases, they've done it at multiple schools.

For example, the No. 1 guy on our list, Georgia's Rodney Garner, has been the point guy on many of the heralded prospects who've signed with the Bulldogs this decade. But he also signed the likes of Jamal Lewis, Cosey Coleman and Deon Grant at Tennessee, three players that formed the nucleus of the Vols' 1998 national championship team.

The guy right behind Garner, Ed Orgeron, has done it at several different schools -- both as a head coach and assistant coach. He's now heading up Tennessee's recruiting under Lane Kiffin.

Here's a look at our list of the 10 best recruiters in the SEC:

• 10. Burton Burns, Alabama associate head coach and running backs coach

• 9. Josh Henson, LSU recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach

• 8. Joker Phillips, Kentucky head coach in waiting, offensive coordinator and receivers coach

• 7. Trooper Taylor, Auburn assistant head coach and receivers coach

• 6. Charlie Strong, Florida associate head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach

• 5. Lance Thompson, Tennessee linebackers coach

• 4. Steve Addazio, Florida offensive coordinator and offensive line coach

• 3. Larry Porter, LSU assistant head coach and running backs coach

• 2. Ed Orgeron, Tennessee assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach

• 1. Rodney Garner, Georgia assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach 

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Tennessee has thrown open its checkbook to assemble what athletic director Mike Hamilton referred to Thursday as the best staff in America.

It's also going to be the highest-paid staff in America in terms of the nine on-the-field assistants.

The Vols will pay their nine position coaches a total of $3.625 million in 2009, which includes a $300,000 retention bonus that defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin will receive on Dec. 31 of this year.

That's about $1.7 million more than Tennessee paid its nine assistants last season, although head coach Lane Kiffin ($2 million) is making $550,000 less than former head coach Phillip Fulmer ($2.55 million) would have made in 2009 under his old contract.

Alabama's nine assistants were the highest-paid group in the SEC a year ago at $2.4 million, but Tennessee's new salary structure blows that figure away.

According to a study done by The Oklahoman last July, Texas' nine assistants were slated to make $2,383,134 this past season. But that didn't reflect the $475,000 raise defensive coordinator Will Muschamp received in November when he was promoted to coach in waiting.

"While our coaches' salary model is unique, we feel it is a great model for Tennessee," Hamilton said. "Coach Kiffin understands the power of putting together a great team, and he used the budget we provided to assemble what many will consider to be the best staff in America."

All assistant coach contracts have liquidated damage clauses that would require the coach to pay the university approximately six months of their total 2009 compensation should they leave for a position equal to or less than their current position.

Here's a rundown of what each Tennessee assistant is making:

• Monte Kiffin, defensive coordinator, $1,200,000*

• Ed Orgeron, recruiting coordinator/defensive line, $650,000

• Jim Chaney, offensive coordinator/offensive line, $380,000

• Lance Thompson, linebackers, $350,000

• Eddie Gran, running backs/special teams, $185,000

• James Cregg, tight Ends/tackles, $150,000

• David Reaves, quarterbacks, $150,000

• Frank Wilson, receivers, $150,000

• Willie Garza, secondary, $110,000

* Monte Kiffin will also receive a bonus of $300,000 on Dec. 31, 2009.

Chaney, Orgeron, Thompson and Monte Kiffin will all receive three-year contracts. The other assistant coaches will receive two-year deals.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Once you get in this family, there's no getting out.

I keep thinking about that famous line from "The Sopranos" as I watch the assistants in the SEC change addresses within the conference at a dizzying pace.

That's not to mention the former SEC assistants, head coaches and players who have flocked back to the league this year and found their way onto different staffs.

I can't ever remember a year quite like this where jumping from one SEC port to another was this prevalent. In some cases, coaches were just looking for work. In others, coaches simply got better deals, while some jumped at the chance to reunite with guys they'd worked with in the past.

Consider:

• Lance Thompson, after two years at Alabama under Nick Saban, joins Lane Kiffin's staff at Tennessee.
• Former Auburn coach and linebacker James Willis leaves his alma mater for bitter rival Alabama to replace Thompson.
• John Chavis ends up at LSU after 14 seasons as Tennessee's defensive coordinator.
• Former Alabama defensive back Lorenzo Ward, after one year at Arkansas, leaves for South Carolina to reunite with Ellis Johnson, who left Arkansas a year earlier after spending 28 days on the Hogs' staff.
• Trooper Taylor is back in the SEC at Auburn after spending last season at Oklahoma State and the previous four at Tennessee.
• David Reaves leaves South Carolina for Tennessee to work under Kiffin, who is Reaves' brother-in-law.
• Tracy Rocker leaves Ole Miss for Auburn, where he became the first SEC player in history to win the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award in 1988.
• Former Auburn defensive ends coach Terry Price replaces Rocker at Ole Miss.
• Ron Cooper, after five years at South Carolina, leaves for LSU.
• Former Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron is the recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach at Tennessee after spending last year with the New Orleans Saints.
• Former Tennessee running back Jay Graham, who also worked as a graduate assistant for the Vols, is now the running backs coach at South Carolina.
• Former Ole Miss assistant Frank Wilson has a cup of coffee at Mississippi State earlier this month before bolting for Tennessee.
• Tony Hughes, after a year at Southern Miss, replaces Wilson at Mississippi State. Hughes worked under Orgeron all three years at Ole Miss.
• Former Auburn assistant Eddie Gran lands at Tennessee.
• Former Arkansas offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is back in the SEC at Auburn after spending the last two years at Tulsa.
• Carl Torbush, who last worked in the SEC as Alabama's defensive coordinator in 2002, is back in the league as Mississippi State's defensive coordinator.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

For a guy who's supposedly not too fond of the media, Alabama coach Nick Saban sure churns out his share of interesting quotes.

In talking to reporters at the Senior Bowl on Monday, Saban made it clear that he wasn't fretting about losing assistants Kevin Steele and Lance Thompson.

In other words, the Alabama recruiting machine hasn't slowed down one bit.

"[Recruits] are really buying into the whole program," Saban said. "So the guy that sells you the car is maybe not as important as the car itself. We want to have a Mercedes at our place, and that's the way it is."

Pretty catchy, Nick.

No wonder the guy can recruit.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Lane Kiffin has built a coaching staff the Tennessee fans are giddy about -- and with good reason.

In particular, he was able to raid a few SEC rival staffs of their best recruiters.

Doing that is one thing. But gloating about it after you do it tends to have a lasting effect, especially in this league.

Listen to what Kiffin had to say after luring Lance Thompson away from the Alabama staff and Frank Wilson from the Mississippi State staff. Kiffin also hired former Auburn coach Eddie Gran and former South Carolina recruiting coordinator David Reaves, who's Kiffin's brother-in-law.

"To be able to take South Carolina's recruiting coordinator, Mississippi State's recruiting coordinator, Alabama's best recruiter and Auburn's best recruiter over the past 10 years was a great accomplishment for us," Kiffin said after completing his staff. "Once again, I would like to thank (athletic director) Mike Hamilton, the athletic department and our donors for making this possible."

The salaries for Tennessee's new coaching staff are expected to exceed $3 million, which doesn't count Kiffin's $2 million salary.

Who says these are tough economic times? Obviously, they're not at Tennessee.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Scouring the SEC to see what else is out there:

• Former Michigan State and Louisville coach John L. Smith is expected to join Bobby Petrino's staff at Arkansas, beat writer Tom Murphy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.

• Alabama beat writer Gentry Estes of The Mobile Press-Register weighs in on Lance Thompson's move from Alabama to Tennessee.

• Rebels pick up a huge recruit thanks to Greg Hardy's return.

• Gators get two of the Big Three to stay in school, as Percy Harvin opts for the NFL draft.

• Georgia coach Mark Richt discusses the Bulldogs' losses to the NFL draft and more.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin has dipped into Nick Saban's staff at Alabama for his latest hire.

Lance Thompson, who coached the outside linebackers at Alabama and is considered one of the better recruiters in the SEC, has agreed to join the Vols' staff. Thompson was with Alabama the last two years, but has spent most of his coaching career on the Georgia Tech staff. In his 11 years on the Yellow Jackets' staff, he coached defensive line, defensive ends and tight ends.

As Kiffin continues to assemble his staff, it's obvious he's going after guys who've been successful recruiters. Former Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron is the Vols' recruiting coordinator, and Thompson was named last February as the Rivals.com National Recruiter of the Year for his efforts in helping the Tide put together what most analysts felt was the No. 1 class in the country. Earlier this month, Kiffin went after Rodney Garner, who elected to stay at Georgia.

Kiffin, who still has a few spots to fill, is also talking to former Auburn running backs coach and special teams coordinator Eddie Gran.

Thompson is the second member of Saban's defensive staff to leave for another job since the end of the season. Kevin Steele, who was the Tide's head defensive coach, took a job at Clemson as the Tigers' defensive coordinator.

Losing Thompson is a blow to Saban. Thompson was the Tide's best recruiter and was in on a bunch of key recruits, including top running back prospect Trent Richardson of Pensacola, Fla. Thompson recruited the entire Mobile area for Alabama and was the point man last year in the recruitment of Julio Jones.