Weighing in on Will Muschamp
The success for Florida coaches over the past 2 decades is well documented, save for the less than prosperous Ron Zook era. With the unfortunate news for Gator fans that Urban Meyer is stepping down (the second time in two years such an announcement has been made), a new age of Gator football is set to begin. After evaluating potential candidates to take over one of the most sought after gigs in the country, the University of Florida decided to hire Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, already named as Mac Browns eventual successor would he have waited out the clock in Austin.What’s Good About This Hire?Having played football at the University of Georgia in the early 90′s, then served successful stints as defensive coordinator at LSU and Auburn, Muschamp is very familiar with the SEC brand of football. He knows what it takes to play and coach in the toughest conference in the country. Not to mention, it also says a lot about the state of the Florida program that Muschamp, firmly entrenched as a high paid assistant and coach-in-waiting at Texas would be willing to leave another of the nation’s top football schools in its own right. With that said, Mack Brown is expected to be in charge in Texas for some time (though perhaps less if he endures more years like this one), so whether Muschamp truly feels Florida is a better opportunity or was merely subject to wearing patience is open to interpretation. After all, it wasn’t long ago Muschamp called the Texas Longhorn head coaching job “THE elite job in the country,” a statement that either excites Florida fans about their ability to lure him away or paints Muschamp in the likeness of Bobby Petrino, Benedict Arnold, Judas, and other self-driven scumbags in history.Question Marks?Unlike Meyer, a BCS tested head coach upon his arrival in the swamp, Muschamp, for all his success as a D coordinator, has zero head coaching experience. There will likely be at least some learning curve, making it difficult for the new ball coach to operate at full capacity early on. Furthermore, Muschamp might not be on top of his game at the moment, considering his Texas team has been sitting at home on their hands since late November, failing to even qualify for a bowl after losing 5 of their last 6 games, giving up 28, 30, 39, and 33 points to Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas State and Oklahoma State, respectively. Granted, it was a rebuilding year coming off a National Championship appearance, with athletes like the Longhorns recruits, there’s no excuse for not going bowling at all over the Holidays.