Published December 13, 2010 - 5:00am
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1. Coaching Stock: Will Muschamp was not just a Defensive Coordinator for one of the top programs in the Country; He was the heir to the thrown of Mack Brown. Texas and Ohio State are the only two programs in the country that I would rank ahead of the Florida Job in terms of recruiting grounds, money, and overall ability to compete for Championships on yearly basis. If Texas was willing to give him the keys to the program, that should say a ton about his ability and potential as a Head Coach.
2. Roots in the South: Muschamp has deep roots in the South. He spent parts of his childhood in Gainesville, FL and played his college football in the early 90s at the University of Georgia. He understands the passion of the fans and will not be shocked at the utter obsession displayed by SEC fans.
3. Coaching Pedigree: Muschamp spent significant time under some of the absolute best minds in College Football. He began his coaching career at LSU under Coach Saban followed by a brief stent under Tommy Tuberville at Auburn. He polished his abilities as a leader and program head under Mack Brown. Brown has turned the Texas Football program into an absolutely money maker and learned how to dominate on the field.
4. Recruiting Ability: He is going to bring something to the table that the Florida Gators have never experienced in their history. Muschamp has developed strong recruiting ties in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia over the last decade. He will have the ability to walk into programs in Texas that consistently yield some of the most talented players in the country. Combined with the built in advantage of the State of Florida recruiting base, this advantage will allow him to compete for some of the best talent in the SEC.
5. Youth: Muschamp is only 39 years old. He will have the energy and stamina to recruit, coach, and attend all the events required by a Head Coach at the University of Florida. I would much rather bring in coach that has never won the Ultimate Prize on his own. He will be motivated from day one to prove himself to his mentors and peers.
6. Expectations: Most people would have argued that replacing Urban Meyer in 2010 coming off a 13-1 season would have been impossible for any man to achieve as a coach. However the 2010 campaign of 7-5 has opened the door to a new staff at Florida. Fans are not expecting a coach to come in to 2011 and win 12-13 games. Muschamp can lose 2-4 games in 2012 and still be considered a success by most of the fan base, similar to Urban’s first campaign in 2005. Urban retirement in 2010 was not really a shock to the fans.
7. Current Roster: The gators lost a ton of talent to the 2010 NFL draft. The media would like people to believe that Tebow was the only reason for drop off in 2010. Maurkice Pouncey, Brandon Spikes, Joe Haden, Carlos Dunlap, Riley Cooper, Major Wright, David Nelson, Aaron Hernandez, and Cunningham are all making significant contributions in the league. The 2011 NFL Draft will not take away nearly as much talent from the Gators.
8. 2010 Recruiting Class: Urban was still able to lock up one of the most impressive classes in the history of recruiting and many of those guys were on the defensive side of the ball. Muschamp is walking into job that will allow him to mold many of these players in his image over the next few months.
9. Defensive Background: I realize that Urban Meyer is a great offensive mind but Charlie Strong on defense truly brought our program to another level. The 2006 Championship was a product of his command on the defensive side of the ball and allowed our offense to take more chances. The defensive also played a critical role in the 2008 National Championship game against the Sooners.
10. Fire: Check the tape, Will Muschamp coaching with passion on the sidelines. The 2010 Gators were lacking an emotional leader and need someone that can come into the program to light a fire under this underperforming roster. I truly believe that this might be the best hire in Foley’s history at Florida under the circumstances.
that would be “throne” not “thrown”
Couldn’t agree with you more!
Very good hire for Florida… very scary hire for the rest of us. I had been hoping that UGA would get him some how. Big question though is who will be the OC? Maybe he will call Bobo… they are buddies… Bobo grew up on the ga/fla line. We will fly him down to you?
Sorry for any spelling errors in this one guys.