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Lane Kiffin left the SEC a few years ago, but he still goes head-to-head with some of the SEC schools for recruits ... and coaches.

His latest acquisition was prying Tee Martin away from Kentucky to be the Trojans' receivers coach.

It's a big loss for Kentucky, where Martin had been promoted to passing game coordinator prior to the 2011 season. Martin was one of the Wildcats' most dynamic recruiters, and his success on the recruiting trail was one of the main reasons Kiffin came calling.

Martin, who quarterbacked Tennessee to the 1998 national championship, has made a rapid ascent through the coaching ranks. Prior to his two seasons at Kentucky, Martin had spent just one season coaching at an FBS program when he was the quarterbacks coach at New Mexico in 2009.

Interestingly enough, Martin was never a serious candidate for any of his alma mater's six assistant coaching positions this year. Tennessee coach Derek Dooley made six coaching hires since the end of the 2011 season, and Martin said he didn't receive a call or an offer from Tennessee at any point.

One of the new hires Dooley did bring in was former Tennessee star running back Jay Graham, who will coach the Vols' running backs.

Linking our way around the SEC on a Tuesday:

• LSU receives its fourth commitment for the 2013 class -- defensive back Jeremy Cutrer of Kentwood, La. All four of the Tigers' 2013 commitments are from the state of Louisiana.
• The Tennessee football team's GPA falls below a 2.45 for the fall semester.
• It's been 10 years since Gene Chizik first arrived at Auburn.
• Vanderbilt doubles its football recruiting budget this year.
• First-year Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze says junior college newcomer Bo Wallace will liven things up in the Rebels' quarterback competition.
• Kentucky has its own recruiting style.
• Let the sweepstakes begin for defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, who's rated by most as the No. 1 prospect in the 2013 class. Nkemdiche, who's from Loganville, Ga., already has Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU and USC in hot pursuit.
• The marijuana possession charge against former Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick has been dropped.

The links are back on the blog. I know, we missed you all, too. Check out what's going on around the league.

• Brad Locke of The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal writes that there could be some added tension to this year's SEC Media Days.
• Kentucky wide receivers coach Tee Martin still has fond memories of his "special" time as Tennessee's quarterback.
• Charles Goldberg of The Birmingham News writes that Auburn's calendar is beginning to fill up.
• Kristi Dosh over at The Business of College Sports has everything you ever wanted to know about Florida's finances.
• Former Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins is looking to rebuild his image at North Alabama.
• Georgia sophomore defensive end Derrick Lott is expected to miss four-to-six weeks after suffering a deep cut on his lower right leg in a scooter accident Tuesday.
• Brent Benedict says a dispute with Georgia strength and conditioning coordinator Joe Tereshinski played a part in his decision to leave Georgia and transfer to Virginia Tech.
• Former Georgia running back Caleb King is projected to be a late-round pick in the NFL's supplemental draft.
• South Carolina reserve wide receiver Bryce Sherman said on Twitter that he will not return to the Gamecocks' football team.

We turn our attention today to Kentucky.

Coach: Tee Martin

Position: Passing game coordinator and receivers

Experience: He's entering his second season on the Kentucky staff. Martin, 32, was in charge of the Wildcats' receivers last season, but was promoted to passing game coordinator in January and signed a contract extension. Martin came to Kentucky from New Mexico, where he was the Lobos' quarterbacks coach in 2009. He coached high school football in 2007 and 2008, serving stints as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at two different Atlanta-area high schools. Martin got his start in coaching in 2006 as the passing game coordinator at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

Of note: In Martin's first season as Kentucky's receivers coach, Randall Cobb and Chris Matthews combined for 16 touchdown catches. Cobb earned first-team All-America honors, and Matthews tied for the SEC lead with nine touchdown catches. ... Martin was one of the coaches Alabama's Nick Saban considered for the Crimson Tide's receivers job this offseason, which led to Kentucky sweetening Martin's deal to $205,000 by the end of this year and promoting him to passing game coordinator. ... Martin worked as an analyst for a college football television show in Atlanta while coaching high school ball in 2007 and 2008, and he also did some radio work. ... Martin was the starting quarterback on Tennessee's 1998 national championship team. He's still tied for the NCAA record for consecutive completions in one game with 23 in a row against South Carolina on Oct. 31, 1998. ... Martin and Kentucky offensive coordinator Randy Sanders go back to Martin's freshman season at Tennessee in 1996 when Sanders was the Vols' receivers coach. Sanders was promoted to Tennessee's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and was Martin's position coach during his senior season in 1999.

His challenge: Losing a talent like Cobb was one thing, but the Wildcats also lost Matthews. On top of it all, Kentucky will turn to junior Morgan Newton at quarterback, and this will be the first time he's gone into the season as the full-time starter. It wasn't a great spring for the Kentucky receivers, either. They dropped at least eight passes in the spring game, according to various reports. Junior La'Rod King will be counted on to step his game up, and Martin has made it clear to King that he needs him to be a leader this coming season. Sophomore Brian Adams, who doubled as a baseball player, was Kentucky's most consistent receiver this spring, but Martin and Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips want to see more consistency across the board in the way the Wildcats' receivers catch the ball. Martin will work hard to get some of the younger receivers ready, and the Wildcats are also keeping their fingers crossed that junior Gene McCaskill can come back and be a big factor in the passing game after missing all of last season with a torn ACL. The passing game as a whole was a priority this spring. Phillips was pleased with Newton's progress. Now it's on the receivers to make that same kind of progress come fall.

Our Monday linkage party returns:

• High school coaches team up to revive Memphis-area recruiting, writes Ron Higgins of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
• Defensive back Marcus Roberson of Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., backs out of his commitment to Texas Tech and says he will sign with Auburn. Roberson is an ESPNU 150 member and ranked as the No. 9 safety prospect in the country by ESPN.
• Florida picks up its second commitment of the Will Muschamp era. Linebacker Graham Stewart of Middleton, Conn., says he plans to sign with the Gators.
• Kentucky promotes Tee Martin from receivers coach to passing game coordinator, and Martin will receive an extension and raise. Martin was also being mentioned as a candidate on the Alabama staff.
• Arkansas landed a pair of commitments over the weekend -- defensive end Trey Flowers of Huntsville, Ala., and tight end Brett Weir of Ontario, Canada. Flowers had previously committed to Georgia Tech.
• Arkansas receiver Lance Ray was arrested Saturday night and charged with possession of a controlled substance after a marijuana cigarette was found in his dorm room.
• Burton Burns, Alabama's associate head coach and running backs coach, has been named one of the top recruiters in college sports by ESPN and ESPN The Magazine.
• Credit Mark Richt for bringing in a top recruiting class at what's a critical time for the Georgia program, writes Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• National signing day could get complicated for LSU, writes Scott Rabalais of The Baton Rouge Advocate.

Strolling around the SEC to see what all is out there:

• Despite all that's swirling out there, Cam Newton's teammates say he's been the same and kept his smile.
• Alabama is finalizing its plan to slow down Newton.
• There will be no looking past Clemson for South Carolina to the SEC championship game.
• Mississippi State's Dan Mullen: "We plan on partying like it's 1940."
• Tee Martin hopes to cruise down Tee Martin Drive to a Kentucky victory.
• LSU's Kelvin Sheppard sparked the Tigers' offense last week by volunteering for special-teams duty.
• Vanderbilt quarterback Larry Smith, banged-up with knee and elbow injuries, may not be able to play Saturday.
• Arkansas sophomore running back Knile Davis joins elite company.
• Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that Georgia coach Mark Richt will be back next season ... and deserves to be.
• Florida offensive tackle Matt Patchan underwent surgery on his wrist this week and will miss the rest of the season.

The regular-season finales are upon us. Can you believe it?

It’s safe to say there are a few compelling games around the league. Here’s a look at what to watch in the SEC in Week 13:

1. Going streaking: Everywhere you look this week there are streaks on the line. Auburn has won 11 in a row this season. Alabama has won 20 in a row at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Florida has won six in a row against Florida State. Florida coach Urban Meyer has won 17 of 18 games against the Gators’ traditional rivals (Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Tennessee). Tennessee has won 25 in a row against Kentucky. Georgia needs to beat Georgia Tech to keep its bowl streak alive. The Bulldogs have been to bowl games each of the last 13 years. Arkansas’ Knile Davis has rushed for 100 yards in four of his last five games.

2. Dominance at home: It’s one thing to win 20 consecutive games at home, which Alabama has done under Nick Saban. But to do it with the dominance the Crimson Tide have done is quite another. They’ve allowed just one rushing touchdown during the 20-game winning streak while scoring 43 of their own. During the streak, Alabama is 11-0 against SEC competition and 5-0 against nationally ranked teams. In 19 of the 20 wins, Alabama has held the opposition to 15 points or less. And in 13 of the wins, the Crimson Tide have held their opponents to single digits.

3. Farewell to underclassmen: A bevy of juniors could be playing their final regular-season games in the SEC. In fact, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper has eight juniors on his Big Board this week of the top 25 prospects in the 2011 NFL draft. Several others have shown up in the first round of mock drafts for next year. The bottom line: Make sure you say your goodbyes to the top juniors in this league this week. In particular, Alabama’s Julio Jones, Mark Ingram and Marcell Dareus; Auburn’s Cam Newton and Nick Fairley, Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett, LSU’s Patrick Peterson, Georgia’s A.J. Green and Justin Houston, Florida’s Janoris Jenkins and Kentucky’s Randall Cobb could all be playing their final regular-season games.

4. Newton’s brilliance: It’s worth taking a second look at what kind of season Auburn quarterback Cam Newton has put together. He’s three rushing touchdowns away from becoming only the second player in NCAA history to pass for 20 touchdowns and run for 20 touchdowns in the same season. He’s already broken the SEC record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a season, and he has a chance to pass for 2,500 yards and rush for 1,500 yards, which no NCAA quarterback has ever done. Newton is leading the SEC in rushing with 1,297 yards and has accounted for 39 touchdowns in 11 games.

5. Balanced Hogs: More than ever, it’s been difficult to defend the Hogs this season. We all know about their passing game and how capable they are of stretching the field and striking quickly. But this season, they’re the only team in the country with a quarterback (Ryan Mallett) who’s passed for 3,000 yards, a running back (Knile Davis) who’s rushed for 1,000 yards and three receivers (Jarius Wright, Joe Adams and D.J. Williams) who have at least 500 receiving yards. That’s the epitome of balance and a big reason Arkansas enters Saturday’s game with LSU riding a five-game winning streak.

6. Jefferson responds for Tigers: Les Miles’ patience with junior quarterback Jordan Jefferson has been rewarded. The Tigers have 903 yards of total offense in their last two SEC games, and a big part of their success has been the success they’ve had on first down. Jefferson feels like the Tigers have attacked more on first down the last two games against SEC defenses. He was 9-of-10 on first-down throws last week against Ole Miss. And in his last six quarters against SEC defenses, he’s 17-of-25 for 351 yards. Yes, this is the same quarterback who had a miserable seven-game stretch leading into the Alabama game where he threw six interceptions and no touchdown passes.

7. Big Blue homecoming: Not only is it a homecoming for Kentucky’s Randall Cobb, who grew up about 15 minutes from Neyland Stadium in nearby Alcoa, Tenn., but his position coach just happens to be Tee Martin, who quarterbacked the Vols to the 1998 national championship. Cobb was a part of four straight state championship teams at Alcoa High and played quarterback in high school. Tennessee didn’t offer him until late. By that time, he’d made up his mind that he was going to Kentucky. Martin talked to current Tennessee coach Derek Dooley and his predecessor, Lane Kiffin, about positions on the Vols’ staff in the last two years, but got his chance to come back closer to home from New Mexico when Kentucky’s Joker Phillips offered him a job.

8. Brantley’s show?: If Florida is going to win for a seventh straight time against Florida State, the Gators will have to be able to throw the ball some to soften up the Seminoles’ defense. That’s supposed to be John Brantley’s job, but Jordan Reed has thrown touchdown passes in each of the last three games. Reed is better equipped to avoid the rush back there, which will be key. The Gators have struggled at times to protect Brantley and have given up 21 sacks on the season. The Seminoles, meanwhile, lead the country with 41 sacks.

9. Boiling Egg: Houston Nutt hasn’t fired back publicly, but he’s bristled privately at Dan Mullen’s assertion that there’s one program on the rise in the state of Mississippi. As longtime Jackson Clarion-Ledger columnist Rick Cleveland noted in his piece on the Egg Bowl earlier this week, these are indeed two coaches who don’t care for one another. It’s not a trumped up dislike, either. Both would take great delight in rubbing the other’s nose in it Saturday in Oxford. Mullen has repeatedly referred to Ole Miss as the “school up north.” Nutt has passed the whole thing off as childish gamesmanship. One thing’s for sure: Nobody has to worry about spicing up this game any.

10. Specter of a championship: Judging by the way South Carolina played last week, the Gamecocks will absolutely be ready for their game at Clemson. As rivalries go, this is an underrated one nationally and has gotten nasty at times. Still, it’s an awkward position to be in for South Carolina, knowing the SEC championship game is a week away. For what it’s worth, Steve Spurrier faced this same scenario five times when he was at Florida with Florida State and was 1-3-1 against the rival Seminoles the week before playing in the SEC championship game.

You asked for it. Well, you get it.

As ESPN.com continues with its countdown of the 50 most-painful outcomes in college football history, I've come up with the most agonizing loss for each SEC team. Some of these games have already been featured in the House of Pain countdown, and some may still be yet to come.

This is going to be painful for some of you, but here goes:

ALABAMA

Notre Dame 24, Alabama 23 (Sugar Bowl); Dec. 31, 1973: It was perhaps the most hyped game in Alabama's storied history with two coaching giants -- Bear Bryant and Ara Parseghian -- going head-to-head in a classic duel. But the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide lost a heartbreaker, ending their perfect season. They had already won the UPI national championship, but the Irish vaulted to No. 1 in the AP poll.

ARKANSAS

Texas 15, Arkansas 14; Dec. 6, 1969: It was dubbed the 'Game of the Century." Texas was No. 1 and Arkansas No. 2. President Richard Nixon was in the stands that night at Razorback Stadium, and the Hogs built a 14-0 lead. But the Longhorns rallied with quarterback James Street completing an improbable 44-yard pass to tight end Randy Peschel on a fourth-and-3 play to set up the winning touchdown. Street, a wishbone quarterback, had only thrown 80 passes all season.

AUBURN

Alabama 25, Auburn 23; Nov. 30, 1985: In Bo Jackson's final SEC game, Alabama's Van Tiffin kicked a 52-yard field goal with six seconds left to send the No. 7-ranked Tigers reeling in the 50th Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide streaked downfield with no timeouts remaining and less than a minute on the clock to get in field goal range. There were four lead changes in the fourth quarter alone.

FLORIDA

Georgia 27, Florida 10; Nov. 5, 1966: The Gators, led by senior quarterback Steve Spurrier, were ranked No. 7 nationally and unbeaten, but were no match for arch-rival Georgia that day in Jacksonville. The Gators' SEC championship hopes were derailed, and they had to wait until 1991 to win their first SEC title, Spurrier's second year as coach at his alma mater. Spurrier still hasn't forgiven the Bulldogs.

GEORGIA

Penn State 27, Georgia 23 (Sugar Bowl); Jan. 1, 1983: The No. 1-ranked Bulldogs were on the doorstep of a second national championship and unblemished season in three years, but fell behind 20-3 to the Nittany Lions and could never catch up. Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker played his final game for the Bulldogs and didn't have a run that was longer than 12 yards. In the 36 games that Walker played for Georgia, the Bulldogs lost only three times.

KENTUCKY

Tennessee 7, Kentucky 0; Nov. 25, 1950: Bear Bryant's No. 3-ranked Wildcats lost a chance at an undefeated season and outright national championship in the regular-season finale, dropping a heartbreaking 7-0 decision to the Vols after a winter storm hit Knoxville and dumped 10 inches of snow on the ground the morning of the game. The loss stung even more after Kentucky went on to defeat No. 1-ranked Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl and snap the Sooners' 31-game winning streak.

LSU

Tennessee 14, LSU 13; Nov. 7, 1959: One week after Billy Cannon's historic punt return for a touchdown to beat Ole Miss on Halloween night, No. 1-ranked LSU was upset at Tennessee when Cannon was stopped at the goal line on a two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter. Cannon claims to this day that he got in. The loss ended the Tigers' 19-game winning streak and their hopes of a second consecutive national championship.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Tennessee 24, Mississippi State 14; Dec. 5, 1998: It's the closest the Bulldogs have come to winning an SEC championship in the modern era. They led No. 1-ranked Tennessee 14-10 late in the fourth quarter in what remains Mississippi State's only trip to the SEC championship game. But the Vols got a pair of touchdown passes from Tee Martin 28 seconds apart to escape and go on to win the national championship that season.

OLE MISS

LSU 7, Ole Miss 3; Oct. 31, 1959: Billy Cannon's Halloween magic on an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown spoiled what could have been one of the greatest seasons in Ole Miss history. It's the only game the Rebels lost all season, and they only gave up 21 points in 11 games. They wound up beating LSU in a Sugar Bowl rematch, but lost out on a chance to win the outright national championship when they couldn't get Cannon on the ground two months earlier.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Navy 38, South Carolina 21; Nov. 17, 1984: If ever there was proof that the "Chicken Curse" really exists, it's that dreary November day in Annapolis, Md., 26 years ago. The No. 2-ranked Gamecocks were unbeaten and on their way to playing for a national championship, but were inexplicably upset by a Navy team that finished 4-6-1 that season. The Gamecocks had a chance earlier in the week to lock in a Sugar Bowl berth (win or lose) if they would commit, but they were holding out for the Orange Bowl. They wound up tumbling to the Gator Bowl and were beaten by Oklahoma State.

TENNESSEE

LSU 31, Tennessee 20; Dec. 8, 2001: Tennessee's program hasn't been the same since. The Vols were coming off an epic win over Florida in a game that was moved to the end of the season because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and were all set to face Miami in the Rose Bowl and play for their second national championship in four years. But they couldn't get past LSU in the SEC championship game. The Tigers rallied from 10 points down and won despite losing their starting quarterback and starting running back to injuries during the game.

VANDERBILT

Tennessee 20, Vanderbilt 17; Dec. 1, 1973: Leading No. 19-ranked Tennessee 17-13 with less than two minutes left in rain-soaked Neyland Stadium, Vanderbilt punter Barry Burton, an eventual All-American at tight end, dropped the snap. The Vols recovered inside the 40 and scored the winning touchdown in the waning seconds. The Commodores, under first-year coach Steve Sloan, missed out on their chance to become bowl eligible for the first time in 18 years and finished 5-6.

This is annoying: The SEC and Pac-10 only play one game in 2010 and, on paper, it doesn't look like much of a game.

Oregon, which figures to be ranked in or near the preseason top 10, visits a Tennessee team on Sept. 11 that is on its third coach in three years and is clearly rebuilding.

(Volunteers fans: Release your Lane Kiffin curses ... now!)

And yet.

While Ducks fans over on the Pac-10 blog seem to believe this is going to be a butt kicking, I'm not so sure. Maybe it's because I was covering Auburn during the Phillip Fulmer glory days and can't imagine the Vols ever being anyone's patsy (in fact, I was covering preps and recruiting for the Mobile Register when a guy from Williamson High School by the name of Tamaurice Martin -- some called him "Tee" -- picked the Volunteers over Auburn).

Or maybe it's because the last time a highly ranked Pac-10 team thought it was going to deliver a whipping in Neyland Stadium, California face planted in 2006.

My hunch is this will be a competitive game. So, with that said, here are three keys for Tennessee to score the upset over the Ducks.

1. Tauren Poole & Luke Stocker: The Volunteers are completely -- completely as in all five 2009 starters are gone -- rebuilding their offensive line. Oh, and their QB, whoever that ends up being between junior college transfer Matt Simms and true freshman Tyler Bray, will be seeing his first college action the previous weekend vs. UT-Martin. That's not good. But Poole at running back and Stocker at tight end are good. Perhaps even very good. The Ducks' defense is a veteran unit and extremely fast. They also run a lot of stunts, which can confuse a young O-line. But they aren't very big. So keep it simple on offense and get the ball to your money guys. Word on the street is Poole can make plays even when the blocking isn't perfect. And when the Ducks start obsessing about Poole, that would be the perfect time to dump it to the 6-foot-6, 253-pound Stocker and see what he can do in the secondary. A big target like Stocker could help a young QB gain some confidence, at which point he can start looking for his wideouts.
2. Boise State & Ohio State: QB Jeremiah Masoli running coach Chip Kelly's spread-option offense was often a thing of beauty. But, you may have heard, Masoli won't be a problem in Knoxville. Further, it seems like defenses that have more than just one week to prepare have more success against the Ducks' spread-option -- see a pair of early-season losses to Boise State and the Rose Bowl defeat to Ohio State. The Vols will have the entire summer to familiarize themselves with Oregon's misdirection, as well as to get accustomed to the Ducks' extraordinary pace (their no-huddle is as fast-paced an offense as you will see). Ohio State often won one-on-one matchups up front. The Vols have some solid talent, experience and depth with their front seven, though it won't match the Buckeyes. Boise State often out-flanked the Ducks with an outstanding game plan. Wait a second! Where did that new, hotshot defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox come from? Boise State! Wilcox has faced the Ducks each of the past two seasons. He knows their scheme and their personnel. That's a huge advantage.
3. Atmosphere: Before Cal's 2006 visit, the Bears downplayed the experience of playing in front of 100,000-plus fans. Southern humidity? Who cares! And then the Bears wilted, mentally and physically. One Cal player told me later that Neyland was such a "freak show" -- his term -- that it was a significant distraction. My guess is Vols fans thought their trip to Berkeley, where student protesters were living in trees, was a bit of a "freak show," too. But the Ducks won't be used to the atmosphere -- both the stadium size as well as the weather (summers in Eugene often demand a sweater at night). Aggravating matters, they will be sending out a mostly green QB to handle the pressure on the road. Senior Nate Costa has started only one game: at UCLA in 2009. Sophomore Darron Thomas came off the bench as a true freshman vs. Boise State in 2008 and led a stunning comeback, but he redshirted last year. In other words, instead of a two-year starter leading the Ducks' complicated offense in a hostile environment, they will be relying on an unproven guy. A couple of early mistakes, and that atmosphere could prove a significant factor.

Our Friday check of what's happening around the SEC:

• Mississippi State has sold more than 25,000 season tickets, which is 19 percent ahead of this time last year, reports Kyle Veazey of The Jackson Clarion-Ledger.
• Football and gardening are linked for former Georgia coach Vince Dooley.
• Columnist Kevin Scarbinsky of The Birmingham News wonders if former Alabama quarterback Star Jackson will have to jump through hoops to transfer like former Alabama basketball player Justin Knox.
• Back in the SEC as an assistant coach at Kentucky, former Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin likes the fresh approach of first-year Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips.
• Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun ranks the SEC's top quarterbacks. He has Arkansas' Ryan Mallett No. 1 and Florida's John Brantley No. 2.
• Tennessee coach Derek Dooley says there haven't been any recent talks with former running back Bryce Brown, and although the door hasn't been shut, Dooley's not optimistic about Brown returning to the team.

There’s a reason Kentucky spent so much time on the passing game this spring.

“For us to get where we want to go, we have to throw the ball much better next season,” Kentucky coach Joker Phillips said.

Senior quarterback Mike Hartline exited the spring as the likely starter in the fall, and it’s no secret around the SEC what Randall Cobb can do once he gets his hands on the ball.

But Cobb is going to need more help in 2010, which makes this summer a big one for senior receiver Chris Matthews.

The 6-5, 222-pound Matthews looks more like a tight end, but has outstanding speed for a guy his size. After coming over from junior college last year, Matthews had a solid first season for the Big Blue, catching 32 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns.

This spring he looked primed to make an even bigger impact. First-year Kentucky receivers coach Tee Martin said Matthews has the same ability some of his top receiving threats at Tennessee did in 1998, when Martin was quarterbacking the Vols to a national title.

Having been through a season now in the SEC, Matthews should be better at getting open and demanding the ball.

Hartline has already seen that side of him this year.

“He comes to me and Morgan (Newton) after film study and says, ‘You need to throw me the football more,’” Hartline said. “He’ll say, ‘I know your reads may take you elsewhere, but I want to be like Randall, a guy you’re going to know where I’m going to be on the field at all times.’

“Chris has been making those plays. He’s a big, strong receiver and knows what kind of impact he can have for us on offense next season.”

With LSU opening spring practice Monday, I thought it might be wise to go over all the coaching changes in the SEC this year.

As usual, it was a revolving door this past offseason. In fact, Auburn was the only school in the league that didn’t have any staff turnover. The final number of head coaches or assistants departing for various reasons was 31.

Some were fired. Others got better gigs, while there were a few that were swayed elsewhere (within the conference) for more money.

Here’s an Eastern Division breakdown of who’s out and who’s in for the 2010 season. We'll do the Western Division a little bit later:

FLORIDA

Who’s out: Associate head coach/defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, defensive coordinator George Edwards, recruiting coordinator/receivers coach Billy Gonzales, cornerbacks coach Vance Bedford and running backs coach Kenny Carter.

Who’s in: Teryl Austin, who spent the last seven seasons as the Arizona Cardinals’ defensive backs coach, is Florida’s new defensive coordinator. He replaces George Edwards, who held the job for less than a month before going back to the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. Edwards replaced Charlie Strong, who left following the season to take the Louisville head job. Stan Drayton returns to coach running backs. He was at Florida earlier this decade before moving on to Tennessee and most recently Syracuse. D.J. Durkin will coach defensive ends and special teams after spending the last three seasons at Stanford. Zach Azzanni will coach receivers. He was previously the assistant head coach/receivers coach at Central Michigan.

GEORGIA

Who’s out: Defensive coordinator/secondary coach Willie Martinez, co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach John Jancek and defensive ends coach Jon Fabris.

Who’s in: Former Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Todd Grantham takes over as Georgia’s defensive coordinator. He was the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive line coach the last two seasons. Scott Lakatos will coach the defensive backs after spending the last six seasons on the Connecticut staff, and Warren Belin will coach linebackers after spending the last eight seasons on the Vanderbilt staff.

KENTUCKY

Who’s out: Head coach Rich Brooks, offensive line coach Jimmy Heggins and defensive line coach Rick Petri.

Who’s in: Joker Phillips, who was already the Wildcats’ coach in waiting, takes over the head coaching reins. Mike Summers will coach the offensive line after serving as assistant head coach/offensive line coach at Arkansas the last two seasons. Former Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin will coach the receivers. Martin was the quarterbacks coach at New Mexico last season. David Turner, who has coached at four different SEC schools, will coach the defensive line. Turner was at Mississippi State the last three seasons.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Who’s out: Offensive line coach/running game coordinator Eric Wolford.

Who’s in: Shawn Elliott replaces Wolford, who left to take the head coaching job at Youngstown State. Elliott has spent his entire coaching career at Appalachian State, including the last nine seasons as offensive line coach.

TENNESSEE

Who’s out: Head coach Lane Kiffin, defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, recruiting coordinator/defensive line coach Ed Orgeron, quarterbacks coach David Reaves, receivers coach Frank Wilson, offensive line coach James Cregg, running backs coach/special teams coordinator Eddie Gran and defensive backs coach Willie Mack Garza.

Who’s in: Derek Dooley was hired as the Vols’ head coach after Lane Kiffin left to take the Southern California head job. Justin Wilcox comes over from Boise State to be the defensive coordinator. Charlie Baggett will serve as assistant head coach and coach the receivers. He has 11 years of NFL experience and was on the St. Louis Rams’ staff last season. Harry Hiestand will coach the offensive line. He was the offensive line coach for the Chicago Bears the past five seasons. Darin Hinshaw will coach quarterbacks. He was the receivers coach at Memphis the past three seasons. Terry Joseph will coach the secondary and special tams. He was with Dooley at Louisiana Tech. Eric Russell will coach tight ends and coordinate special teams. He was also at Louisiana Tech with Dooley. Former Tennessee All-SEC performer Chuck Smith will coach the defensive line. He worked as an assistant defensive line coach with the New York Jets last season and has also tutored several defensive linemen over the years. He played professionally for the Atlanta Falcons.

VANDERBILT

Who’s out: Linebackers coach/special teams coordinator Warren Belin.

Who’s in: Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson is still working to replace Belin, who left to join the Georgia staff. Johnson promoted Jimmy Kiser to offensive coordinator, and Kiser will call all of the Commodores’ plays this season. Ted Cain remains on staff as the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator.

A familiar face to most SEC fans is back in the league.

Former Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin has been hired as Kentucky's receivers coach and will reunite with his old quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator with the Vols -- Randy Sanders.

Martin comes to Kentucky from New Mexico, where he was the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.

Obviously, Martin's background is at quarterback. But here's betting he will be a terrific recruiter. For one, Martin has never met a stranger. He also has strong ties in the Mobile, Ala., area as well as the Atlanta area and is well connected with a lot of the movers and shakers in and around the SEC.

The quarterback on Tennessee's 1998 national championship team, Martin, 31, is still enough of a name in SEC circles that parents and recruits will remember him.

Now, we'll find out if he can coach receivers. The Wildcats aren't real deep at that position. But in Randall Cobb, they have one of the most versatile players in the country.

Coming up with different ways to get Cobb the ball next season will be critical for the Wildcats.