In anticipation of Saturday’s SEC showdowns between Alabama-Florida and LSU-Mississippi State, Saturday Down South takes a closer look at the coaching matchup featured in each game. This week’s matchups include Alabama’s Nick Saban vs. Florida’s Will Muschamp, and LSU’s Les Miles vs. Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen.

Nick Saban

  • Record as FBS head coach: 168-57-1 (77-15 at Alabama; 48-16 at LSU; 34-24-1 at Michigan State; 9-2 at Toledo).
  • Previous coaching stops: Miami Dolphins (head coach), LSU (head coach), Michigan State (head coach, defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach), Cleveland Browns (defensive coordinator), University of Toledo (head coach), Houston Oilers (defensive backs coach), Navy (defensive assistant), Ohio State (defensive backs coach), West Virginia University (defensive assistant), Syracuse University (defensive assistant), Kent State (defensive assistant, graduate assistant).
  • Achievements as coach: Four national championships (2003, 2009, 2011, 2012), four SEC championships (2001, 2003, 2009, 2012), seven SEC West titles, one MAC championship (1990), two-time Associated Press National Coach of the Year, two-time Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, three-time SEC Coach of the Year, 2003 Paul “Bear” Bryant Award winner.

Breakdown: Saban has established himself as one of the great college coaches of all time, and he has the championships and personal accolades to back up that claim. After five seasons at LSU and now in his eighth season at Alabama, Saban has won four national championships, four SEC championships and seven SEC West division titles. He even won a MAC championship in his one and only season as the head coach at Toledo in 1990. Saban has been recognized as the Coach of the Year in the SEC and on a national level, and has produced many dozens of NFL talents over the years. He has experience coaching in the NFL, in the FBS’s power conferences and at mid-major programs alike. Saban comes from the Bill Belichick coaching tree, and now has an extensive coaching tree of his own, including current head coaches Will Muschamp (Florida), Jimbo Fisher (Florida State) and Mark Dantonio (Michigan State).

Will Muschamp

  • Record as FBS head coach: 24-16 (all at Florida)
  • Previous coaching stops: University of Texas (defensive coordinator, linebackers coach), Auburn University (defensive coordinator, graduate assistant), Miami Dolphins (associate head coach, defensive coordinator), LSU (defensive coordinator, linebackers coach), Valdosta State (defensive coordinator), Eastern Kentucky University (defensive backs coach), University of West Georgia (defensive backs coach).
  • Achievements as coach: One co-SEC East title (2012)

Breakdown: Muschamp was formerly the coach-in-waiting at the University of Texas while Mack Brown headed the Longhorns, and has worked as an assistant under a number of legendary coaches including Brown and Saban (when Saban was at LSU and with the Dolphins). Muschamp has championship experience as the defensive coordinator of LSU’s 2003 national title team, and has coached in the FBS, the FCS and in the NFL. Muschamp comes from a defensive-minded coaching background, and his Gators’ teams have ranked second in the SEC in total defense each of the last two seasons. However, his defense allowed 30 points to Kentucky in the Swamp last week (20 of which came in regulation), and will face another difficult test this week in facing Lane Kiffin’s Alabama offense.

Who has the edge:  Saban has the obvious edge in this matchup, but, to be fair, there may not be a coach in America who would hold an edge over Saban at this point in time. The Tide’s head coach has won at least 10 games for six straight years, and under Saban Alabama has feasted on unranked opponents, especially in Tuscaloosa. Florida, which is unranked, will be seeking Muschamp’s biggest win as a head coach, and it does help that Muschamp was Saban’s former defensive coordinator at LSU and in the NFL. The Gators’ head coach may have some insight into how Saban has prepared his team for this game, and that insight could help Muschamp develop the perfect gameplan to stun Alabama. However, Saban is just as familiar with Muschamp, if not more familiar considering Saban helped groom Muschamp into the coach he is today. Ultimately, Saban has proven he is a superior coach to Muschamp, and until Muschamp can restore Florida to its former glory he will never earn the nod over his former mentor.  But, again, there might not be a coach out there who could assume an edge over Saban, so this is not as big a knock on Muschamp as it seems. Alabama has the more talented team, but that’s not the only reason many expect the Crimson Tide to take care of the Gators on Saturday.

Les Miles

  • Record as FBS head coach: 126-45 (98-24 at LSU; 28-21 at Oklahoma State)
  • Previous coaching stops: Oklahoma State (head coach, offensive coordinator), Dallas Cowboys (tight ends coach), University of Michigan (offensive line coach, graduate assistant), University of Colorado (offensive line coach).
  • Achievements as coach: One national championship (2007), two SEC championships (2007, 2011), three SEC West titles, Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year, AFCA FBS Coach of the Year, Walter Camp Coach of the Year (all 2011).

Breakdown: Miles is in his 10th season as the head coach at LSU after taking over for Nick Saban in 2005, and has had a tremendous amount of success as coach of the Tigers. His teams have won at least eight games in every year he’s coached at LSU, winning at least 10 games in seven of his first nine seasons in Baton Rouge. Miles led the Tigers to the 2007 National Championship and is a two-time SEC champion with LSU, winning the conference in 2007 and 2011. He has earned a reputation for taking bold risks during close games, but many of his gutsy decisions have helped LSU establish itself as one of the finest football programs in the nation. His decision to run a fake punt in the second half against then-No. 14 Wisconsin in Week 1 could have buried the Tigers, but instead it sparked a memorable comeback that now has LSU ranked in the top 10 with a perfect 3-0 record.

Dan Mullen

  • Record as FBS head coach: 39-28 (all at Mississippi State)
  • Previous coaching stops: University of Florida (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach), University of Utah (quarterbacks coach), Bowling Green State (quarterbacks coach), Notre Dame (graduate assistant), Syracuse University (graduate assistant), Columbia University (wide receivers coach), Wagner University (wide receivers coach).
  • Achievements as coach: N/A

Breakdown: Mullen is in his sixth year as the head coach at Mississippi State, and he led the Bulldogs to bowl games in four of his first five seasons (he’s 3-1 in those games). He has had limited success against ranked opponents, losing his last 14 regular season games to ranked teams while posting an overall record of 2-21 against teams from the top 25, including bowl games. However, he has beaten in-state rival Ole Miss in four of the last five Egg Bowls, which has pleased Bulldogs’ fans despite their lack of success against the SEC West’s elite teams. Mullen’s teams have posted just one losing record in five years, but they’ve only won more than seven games twice in that same time. Prior to arriving at Mississippi State, Mullen’s coaching claim to fame was serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Florida, where he won two national titles and coached Tim Tebow to the 2007 Heisman Trophy.

Who has the edge: Mullen has never beaten Miles head-to-head as Mississippi State’s head coach, losing five times to LSU by an average of more than 18 points per game. In games played in Baton Rouge, the average margin of defeat is even worse. Mullen’s team has plenty to prove Saturday, but Miles should have the edge in this coaching matchup. While Mullen has kept MSU afloat, Miles has taken risks and remained aggressive in growing LSU into a national power. The Bulldogs may be more talented than they’ve ever been since Mullen’s arrival, but Miles has a knack for pushing the right buttons at the right times to pull out tough SEC victories. Mississippi State has a great chance at an upset Saturday in Death Valley, but Miles certainly has the coaching edge heading into the showdown between the Bulldogs and Tigers.