In the game of musical chairs that is college coaching, basketball knowledge alone isn’t enough to ensure job security. Recruiting, glad-handing alumni and fans, coddling players – all those responsibilities and more are heaped upon a head coach.

So what’s a guy to do if he doesn’t want to baby-sit a bunch of teenagers or play golf with alumni? Usually, he gets fired, later to resurface as an assistant coach, where all he has to do to earn his keep is offer technical expertise to his new boss.

More and more programs are coming to realize that the hiring of these assistants in a purely strategic capacity can be a godsend. Notable examples of this trend abound in the Southeastern Conference, where three perennial contenders for the league championship have put former head coaches to good use.

The so-called “X-and-O” assistant, despite any forgettable forays into head coaching, is a valued and trusted aide with a sound grasp of basketball philosophy. This kind of coach, with expertise in a certain segment of the game, can offer strategic advice in the heat of the moment. And if he’s fortunate enough to land in a power conference, he can take home a six figure paycheck while leaving the recruiting and babysitting to the rest of the staff.

In the SEC, Kentucky coach Tubby Smith began the trend when he hired former Alabama coach David Hobbs four years ago. Hobbs was only moderately successful as a head man, but was a tremendous asset to former Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson as an assistant before taking over the program himself Hobbs’s forte was defense, and stifling man-to-man became Alabama’s calling card during his tenure.

Alabama produced winning records during his time in charge, but couldn’t advance to the NCAA Tournament as often as fans wanted. Forced to resign, Hobbs stayed away from the game for a year before being snapped up by Smith. The two had worked years earlier on the staff at Virginia Commonwealth and remained good friends.

Now that he’s in Kentucky, Hobbs seems to do his best work behind the scenes. His defensive philosophy was readily incorporated at Kentucky upon his arrival, and though it took a while for the players to adapt, defense has now become a staple in Lexington.

Proof that the Wildcats’ defensive emphasis works is in the numbers: Kentucky leads the SEC in field-goal defense (39%) and has become nearly unbeatable in conference play, racking up a 42-3 record (including the tournament) during the last three seasons.

Alabama coach Mark Gottfried made an astute hire of his own before last season, when he added former Pepperdine and Kansas State coach Tom Asbury to his staff. Asbury’s primary contribution has also been evident on the defensive end – the Crimson Tide is fourth in the SEC in field goal defense.

Alabama, a team that had been easy pickings in the NCAA Tournament before Asbury’s arrival, became a brute in the 2004 tournament, advancing all the way to the Elite Eight. The Tide’s defense enabled it to keep its NCAA games close enough to be able to win in the all-important final five minutes.

Following the trend set by Kentucky and Alabama, Florida coach Billy Donovan, who had never hired an assistant from outside his inner circle of confidants, found his own X-and-O man before this season began. Former Wyoming and Clemson coach Larry Shyatt, a protege of Texas coach Rick Barnes, came to the Florida staff with a reputation as a defensive coach.

If there’s one thing the Gators – known as a freewheeling, high-scoring bunch under Donovan – needed, it was a dose of defensive discipline. Again, the stats prove that Shyatt’s presence has been felt.

A year ago, Florida was 11th in the 12-team SEC in scoring defense. This season, they’ve climbed to sixth. At 13-5 overall and 5-2 in the SEC, Florida has gone a long way toward securing another NCAA bid, and Shyatt has gotten to do what he does best, leaving the rest to Donovan.

The burdens that come with head coaching aren’t for everybody, and for some, they can spoil what should be a successful career. But as the SEC has proven this year, a coach with marketable strategic prowess but little interest in public relations can usually be transformed from a liability into a tremendous asset.

Mr. Dortch is the editor of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Forecast.