When South Carolina hired Will Muschamp in early December, it was a polarizing decision.

Some fans were hoping for Houston coach Tom Herman, who parlayed the interest from athletic director Ray Tanner into a big raise. Some were hoping for Justin Fuente, who wound up at Virginia Tech, and until the Georgia job opened up, Kirby Smart was at the top of a lot of fans’ wishlists.

On the other side of the debate were the folks who viewed Muschamp as someone who could immediately help the defense and re-energize the program’s efforts on the recruiting trail.

Six weeks later, there are still skeptics. But even the most jaded Gamecock fans would be hard pressed to find much Muschamp has done wrong since he stepped foot on campus.

RECRUITING

There were 12 players committed to the school when Muschamp was hired, and some of those were unsure about coming to Columbia.

Today, that number has swelled to 23. It’s a class that addresses glaring needs at quarterback, wide receiver and on the defensive line, and it’s probably not finished yet.

Muschamp deserves the lion’s share of the credit here. He hired good coaches and excellent recruiters — Travaris Robinson, Bryan McClendon and Lance Thompson, among others — who have hit the recruiting trail hard.

And let’s not undersell the importance of getting the team’s best defensive player, Skai Moore, to come back to school for his senior season. It may be the biggest win, recruiting-wise, for the new staff this off season.

ENERGY

Muschamp is no shrinking violet, as anyone familiar with his sideline demeanor knows. He’s already provided a stark contrast to the wry, sarcastic style favored by Steve Spurrier.

His speech to fans at a recent South Carolina basketball game had a pep rally feel, especially when he said the school has “the most loyal fans in America.”

They probably didn’t mind hearing that he’s planning to bring a championship home for them, either:

MAKING A CONNECTION

If it’s possible to win over a fan base without coaching a down, Muschamp is well on his way.

He’s active on social media, and it’s resonating with fans. Do a Twitter search for #spursup, and you’ll see what I mean.

Muschamp is also honoring his predecessor at every opportunity, which shows intelligence and maturity. It is far better to have Spurrier as an ally than an enemy.

Assuming the staff closes the current recruiting cycle with the same sort of success they’ve had to date, the honeymoon between Muschamp and the fan base will be in full bloom well into the summer.

Until, that is, the team takes the field against Vanderbilt on Sept. 1 in Nashville.