Yeah. That surprised the heck out of me as well. Will Muschamp? I thought Jeremy Foley stated he was looking for an offensive mind with head coaching experience to replace Urban Meyer? The last time Foley hired a defensive mind with no head coaching experience was in 2002. Perhaps you remember Ron Zook?
Okay, Gator fans. Settle down. What does the Gator Nation need to know about the new head ball coach? What is that we should know that will allay our fears on taking a defensive coach with no head coaching experience? Living out here in Longhorn Country, I can tell you that Texas fans will consider us Florida fans to be very lucky. One of the most successful coaches in modern NCAA football, Mack Brown, trusted Muschamp to inherit his role as head coach. Muschamp has found a way to endear himself to the entire University of Texas fanbase. Their loss is our gain, and we should be very happy to get Muschamp. He is a motivator, a leader, and a fierce competitor. He gives us back some of that fire that we loved in Urban Meyer. Furthermore, Muschamp grew up in Gainesville, Florida during a portion of his formative years before moving back to his birthplace in Georgia. He is friends with SOW coach Jeff Fisher, so this adds a new wrinkle to the Florida-School Out West rivalry. Let's not hold that against him...at least, not too much. Muschamp used to work under the Great Satan Nick Saban at LSU on his 2003 national championship team where his defense was one of the top defenses in the nation and went 2-2 against us. He was also the DC at Auburn for two years, where his defense went 2-0 against the Gators. Since 2008, Muschamp has done a stellar job at keeping the Texas Longhorns defense in the top 10 (7th in total defense in 2010, 3rd in 2009). Let's face it. Muschamp's teams are 4-2 against us, so he knows how to beat good teams...and Ron Zook coached teams.
The Gator Nation should be pleased to have Will Muschamp. There are lingering questions as to how long he would want to stay in Gainesville, considering his status as head-coach-in-waiting at the University of Texas. He already has a five-year contract ready to drop if Mack Brown retires in 2016. Will he only stay at UF until 2016? Or will he have a new home here in Gainesville? The Gator Nation should give the man a chance to find a home here in Titletown, USA. Maybe if the Gator Nation is a little more patient with him, he will want to stay. Welcome to the Gator Nation, coach. You will find that it's great to be a Florida Gator.
