Coach Comparison: Bielema-Richt, Stoops-Miles to meet in cross-division matchups

In anticipation of Saturday’s cross-division SEC showdowns between Arkansas-Georgia and Kentucky-LSU, Saturday Down South takes a closer look at the coaching matchup in each game. This week’s matchups include Arkansas’ Bret Bielema vs. Georgia’s Mark Richt, and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops vs. LSU’s Les Miles.

BRET BIELEMA

• Record as FBS head coach: 74-36 (68-24 at Wisconsin, 6-12 at Arkansas)
• Previous coaching stops: University of Wisconsin (head coach, defensive coordinator), Kansas State (co-defensive coordinator), University of Iowa (linebackers coach, graduate assistant).
• Achievements as coach: Big 10 Coach of the Year, three Big 10 championships, two Big 10 Leaders division titles.

Breakdown: Bielema has Arkansas trending in the right direction, but he is still looking for his first SEC win with the Razorbacks, and the program is still seeking its first SEC win since 2012. Bielema showed his emotional side in his postgame press conference following last week’s loss to Alabama, and fans should be content in knowing how dedicated and passionate their head coach is as the leader of the program. Bielema has promised better results are coming, and the way his team has looked this year in games against Auburn, Texas A&M and Alabama, he’s probably right. One thing is for certain — Bielema has full control of this program, and he has instilled his culture in Fayetteville. That’s the hardest thing for a new head coach to do. The conference wins shouldn’t be far off for Bielema and the Razorbacks.

MARK RICHT

• Record as FBS head coach: 131-46 (all at Georgia)
• Previous coaching stops: Florida State (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, graduate assistant), East Carolina (quarterbacks coach).
• Achievements as coach: Two SEC championships, six SEC East titles, two-time SEC Coach of the Year.

Breakdown: Richt continues to coach the Bulldogs without star tailback Todd Gurley, and just as he’s done his whole career he’s made adjustments on the fly and kept his team in the running for an SEC title and a national championship. Georgia went on the road last week and smoked Missouri 34-0, and this week Richt will need to inspire his team to a similar performance in a tough road test against Arkansas. His long sustained success at Georgia is a testament to his ability to deal with adversity and handle the national spotlight on a daily basis. Those qualities give Georgia a chance to win each and every week, and this week’s showdown with the Razorbacks is no exception.

Who has the edge: Richt has the edge in this coaching matchup, but only because he has proven he can win big games in the SEC, while Bielema is still working toward that goal in his second year at Arkansas. There are a lot of similarities in how the two coaches run their programs — both teams run the ball exceptionally well and both stop the run exceptionally well. Bielema is still too new to the SEC to determine which coach is better, but Richt is far more accomplished in the conference, earning him a nod in this huge cross-division showdown.

LES MILES

• Record as FBS head coach: 128-47 (100-26 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, two SEC championships, three SEC West titles, Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year, AFCA FBS Coach of the Year, Walter Camp Coach of the Year.

Breakdown: Miles has had to rebuild his LSU program on the fly after losing 18 players to the NFL during the last two years. His team appears as vulnerable as it has ever been since his arrival in Baton Rouge in 2005, but in typical Miles fashion he has still found a way to win close games, including last week’s come-from-behind road win over a reeling Florida team. The Tigers have already proven they won’t contend for the SEC West this year following losses to Mississippi State and Auburn, but they are still capable of beating any team in the conference on any given Saturday. The credit goes to Miles, who is the ultimate risk-taker who somehow always seems to come out on top.

MARK STOOPS

• Record as FBS head coach: 7-11 (all at Kentucky)
• Previous coaching stops: Florida State (defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach), University of Arizona (defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach), University of Miami (defensive backs coach), University of Houston (co-defensive coordinator), University of Wyoming (defensive backs coach), University of South Florida (defensive backs coach), Nordonia High School (defensive backs coach), University of Iowa (graduate assistant).
• Achievements as coach: N/A

Breakdown: What Stoops has done at Kentucky this season, albeit against a relatively weak schedule, has been borderline miraculous. Kentucky finished 2-10 each of the last two years, including Stoops’ first year on the job last season, but the Cats are already 5-1 this season and a win away from bowl eligibility. He’s been a masterful recruiter, and many of his young recruits are already succeeding in the SEC as freshmen and sophomores. He’s revitalized the program, and regardless of how Kentucky closes the season he has proven he is beyond capable as a head coach. Stoops has a bright future ahead of him in the SEC.

Who has the edge: Miles has the edge, because he has a history of winning games like this. The Tigers are in a down year, and Kentucky is having its best season in nearly a decade under Stoops’ leadership, but Miles simply doesn’t lose at home at night to unranked teams. Yes, he did lose to an unranked Mississippi State team at home at night earlier this very season, but MSU has since risen to No. 1 in the country, so it’s not exactly the same as the circumstances surrounding this matchup. Kentucky is good, and it will test LSU all night, but Miles has a knack for making the right decisions late in close SEC games to earn huge conference wins. Stoops has only won two SEC games in his career, one coming against lowly Vanderbilt. He’ll have Kentucky contending in the SEC East for years to come, but this will be a learning experience for the second-year head coach in facing an elite coach in Miles.

Ethan Levine

A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.