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SEC Football

Coach Comparison: Saban, Miles meet in familiar rivalry

Ethan Levine

By Ethan Levine

Published:

In anticipation of Saturday’s showdowns between Alabama and LSU as well as Auburn and Texas A&M, Saturday Down South takes a closer look at the coaching matchup in each game. This week’s matchups include Alabama head coach Nick Saban against LSU’s Les Miles, and Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn against Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin.

NICK SABAN

  • Record as FBS head coach: 172-58-1 (81-16 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, four SEC championships, seven SEC West titles, one MAC championship, two-time Associated Press National Coach of the Year, two-time Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, three-time SEC Coach of the Year, Paul “Bear” Bryant Award winner.

Breakdown: Saban remains one of the best coaches in all of college football, and his Alabama Crimson Tide is once again a contender to win the SEC and national championships this winter. The meat of Alabama’s schedule lies ahead, with games against LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn scheduled in the final four weeks of the season, but no coach in America is more proven against ranked competition than Saban. The rivalry with LSU is even more special to Saban, who once coached at LSU before leaving for the NFL and returning to Alabama, and he’s sure to be as fiery as ever on the sideline Saturday night.

LES MILES

  • Record as FBS head coach: 130-47 (102-26 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’ team played inspired football two Saturdays ago in handing Ole Miss its first loss of the season. The Tigers win was an excellent tribute to Miles’ deceased mother, Martha, who passed away just a day before the game was played. The head coach has appeared to be in high spirits this week following last week’s open date, and he has LSU playing its best football of the year down the stretch. Miles hasn’t beaten Alabama since the epic 9-6 game in 2011, but he’d tell you it means he’s overdue.

Who has the edge: It’s almost impossible to give an edge to one future Hall of Fame coach over the other, but when push comes to shove the edge goes to Saban. He holds a 5-3 edge in this rivalry since he and Miles began squaring off in 2007, including a 21-0 win in the national championship game to conclude the 2011 season. Saban has beaten Miles three straight times and in five of the last seven meetings, and his team has much more to play for than LSU. The Bayou Bengals may have the overwhelming home field advantage, but Saban’s team has a national title on the line, and in those situations it’s wise to stick with Saban and his three rings since 2009.

GUS MALZAHN

  • Record as FBS head coach: 28-6 (19-3 at Auburn; 9-3 at Arkansas State)
  • Previous coaching stops: Arkansas State (head coach), Auburn University (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach), Tulane University (co-offensive coordinator, assistant head coach, quarterbacks coach), University of Arkansas (offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach), Springdale (Ark.) High School (head coach), Shiloh (Ark.) Christian School (head coach), Hughes (Ark.) High School (head coach, defensive coordinator)
  • Achievements as coach: SEC championship, SEC West title, SEC Coach of the Year, Paul “Bear” Bryant Award, AP Coach of the Year, Home Depot Coach of the Year, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year.

Breakdown: Malzahn has done nothing but win since arriving at Auburn prior to last season. He’s won 19 of 22 games as coach of the Tigers, including 18 of 20 in the regular season. Even more impressive, the three teams Malzahn has lost to in his career have all been undefeated on the day of the game, and two of those three teams were ranked No. 1 in the country when Malzahn and company faced them. He’s a virtual lock to beat any unranked opponent, and the SEC is still trying to figure out his spread rushing attack. It’s wild to think he was coaching high school football less than a decade ago, because he’s already proven himself to be one of the best college coaches in America.

KEVIN SUMLIN

  • Record as FBS head coach: 61-26 (26-9 at Texas A&M, 35-17 at Houston)
  • Previous coaching stops: University of Houston (head coach), Oklahoma University (co-offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach, special teams coordinator, tight ends coach), Texas A&M (offensive coordinator, assistant head coach), Purdue University (wide receivers coach), University of Minnesota (wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach), University of Wyoming (wide receivers coach), Washington State (graduate assistant).
  • Achievements as coach: SEC Coach of the Year, two-time Conference USA Coach of the Year.

Breakdown: Sumlin won 20 of 26 games, including two bowl games, in his first two seasons at Texas A&M, but he’s struggled this season for the first time since arriving in College Station. After starting 5-0 his Aggies have lost three of four, and they only beat Louisiana-Monroe by five points at home last week. Sumlin has already made a quarterback change this year, and fans are beginning to wonder how much of his early success at A&M was linked to players like Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans. The Aggies are already bowl eligible, but they are also spiraling this season as Sumlin continues to search for answers.

Who has the edge: Malzahn has the obvious edge in this matchup for all the reasons listed above. He’s never lost to a team with a loss on its record, and certainly never to a team ranked outside the top 25. Texas A&M has lost three straight SEC games, and none of those three games were really that close. Sumlin’s coaching abilities are being tested as he tries to navigate his team through these tough times, but Malzahn has already proven he can handle SEC games of this magnitude. Auburn is playing to defend its conference title and avenge its loss in the national championship game a year ago, and Malzahn is not going to spoil that with a lackluster showing on Saturday. Expect Auburn to come out as prepared as any team in the country this weekend.

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.

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