SEC football is essential, and the 16 coaches in charge of the conference's programs spent a majority of their time trying to win in the deepest, most talented conference in college football.
Their time and effort are richly rewarded with some of the highest salaries in the sport, led by Georgia's Kirby Smart, who leads all of college football coaches with a salary that pays him more than $13 million annually.
On Wednesday, USA TODAY Sports released its annual list of coach salaries. Here is where everyone, from Smart to Hugh Freeze to Clark Lea, ranks.