>If you would have told me last week that the Head Football Coach of the University of Florida would be Will Muschamp I would have laughed in your face. But sometimes reality is wilder than fiction. On Wednesday Urban Meyer abruptly resigned as Head Coach of Florida. Then rumors swirled as names like Dan Mullen, Charlie Strong, Bob Stoops, Bobby Petrino, Chris Petersen, and Jon Gruden were mentioned as contenders to the job. Hell, Bobby Petrino was probably in Florida petitioning for the job. Then out of nowhere Florida announced that their new hire was former University of Georgia Defensive Back and Texas Longhorn Coach In-Waiting Will Muschamp.
It’s a very interesting hire because Florida is one of the best jobs in the country and they could have basically hand pick their coach outside of a handful of guys and they chose an unproven guy who has never been a Head Coach at any level. Don’t get me wrong, Muschamp was a great coordinator and might end up as a fantastic Head Coach I just find it strange that Jeremy Fowler would choose to go with someone who is unproven. Muschamp does know the SEC as he played at Georgia and coached at Auburn and LSU and has also spent time learning under Nick Saban. Despite attending the University of Georgia, Muschamp did grow up in Gainesville Florida so he has roots in the community. Another interesting note is Muschamp’s ties to the fertile recruiting ground that is Texas. It will be interesting to see if he can successfully recruit the best of Florida and pluck a few of the gems from Texas every year.
From a Georgia Bulldogs perspective (as I can’t hide my fandom) this has been a weird couple of years for former Georgia players who the fanbase looks at as potential coaches for the University down the road. Last year Kirby Smart basically used his alma mater to get more money from his current employer. I’m all for getting all the money you can but when you are using your alma mater it’s a bit despicable. Now Will Muschamp has gone and joined the evil empire. You can’t blame the guy for taking one of the best jobs in the Nation but as a Bulldog it hurts a little to see him take the job at a primary rivals school.
The next chapter of this story is what happens to Muschamp when Urban Meyer decides to un-retire after coaching in the bowl game. No, just kidding (or am I). The next step is who Muschamp will rely on as coordinators. The Gator fans will just be relived when Steve Addazio goes bye bye but honestly these are critical hires. For a guy who has never been a Head Coach on any level, the job of a Head Coach at a University like Florida is more than he can imagine. I hope Muschamp finds success and comes in second place in the SEC East every year.
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