As far as South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner is concerned, Will Muschamp is just as good as Tide head coach Nick Saban and former Gamecock–and original South Carolina head coaching favorite–Mark Dantonio.

According to seccountry.com, Tanner chose Muschamp because of his coaching experience.

“We hired a coach who was very special, and he’s even more special now than he was at the point based on his experienced that he has gone through,” Tanner said. “He won 28 games at Florida. Nick Saban won 28 games in his first four years as a head coach. Mark Dantonio, he won 25 games in his first four years.”

Many people knock on Muschamp’s tainted time at Florida, but Tanner doesn’t see it as an issue, according to the state.com.

“Five years ago, Will Muschamp was the head coach in waiting at the University of Texas, so any school that would have hired Will Muschamp at the time,” Tanner said. “That’s the guy we got, except more experienced.”

Tanner is more than satisfied with his decision to hire Muschamp, but we’ll have to wait and see how that decision will pay off in the long run.