WILL FORMER GATORS COACH COME TO COLUMBIA? OR HEAD WEST …
By FITSNEWS || It’s been more than two months since this website popped the cork on the Will Muschamp speculation, publishing an article quoting sources close to the University of South Carolina football program who told us the 43-year-old Georgia native was “being eyed for a job as the Gamecocks’ next defensive coordinator.”
Fast forward to this week … when the entire country is “smelling what we’re stepping in,” as the expression goes.
Muschamp – who is currently vacationing in the Caribbean after coaching his final game at Florida last weekend – has reportedly been offered the University of South Carolina job by head coach Steve Spurrier (with support from Gamecock athletics’ director Ray Tanner). Of course Muschamp is also weighing interest from Auburn and Texas A&M.
Wherever he lands, he’s going to command a hefty salary.
“As a defensive coach, he’s on a short list of the most respected minds in the game,” ESPN’s Chris Low reported this week, adding that Muschamp would likely command a salary at or above what Alabama’s Kirby Smart ($1.35 million) and LSU’s John Chavis ($1.3 million) make each year.
Auburn has the advantage of already declaring its vacancy – having fired former South Carolina defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson earlier this week after two seasons. Texas A&M has also fired its defensive coordinator, Mark Snyder.
Ironically, if Muschamp turns Spurrier down there’s growing speculation that Johnson might return to Columbia, where he was assistant head coach from 2008-11 under Spurrier. Let’s hope that’s not “Plan B” for the Head Ball Coach … as Johnson’s rehiring doesn’t strike us as the sort of bold move needed to right the Gamecocks’ fortunes.
Auburn ranked No. 57 out of 125 NCAA Division I teams in total defense this year – giving up 388.7 yards per game. The Tigers ranked No. 60 in scoring defense – surrendering 26.1 points per game. Those numbers are certainly much better than the numbers current USC defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward‘s unit put up in 2014 – but Auburn never evolved into an elite defense under Johnson (and was trending in the wrong direction).
Muschamp? He’s built elite defenses at LSU, Auburn and Texas – and has proven to be one of the nation’s most adept, relentless recruiters. In fact his nickname in recruiting circles is “Flipper” given the number of blue chip prospects he’s successfully convinced to abandon their initial commitments and “flip” to his school.
That’s something else South Carolina desperately needs given the extent to which the school has been out-recruited in recent years by in-state rival Clemson (which finally showed up on the scoreboard this year).
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31 comments
This is old news. I think 24/7 or SDS has had it for a while…just like they broke the Chad Morris to SMU story…that scares you Taters to death….
Only you would credit another site for picking up something we broke more than TWO MONTHS AGO. But such is delusion. Heard you moved out of the trailer, though. Trolling on FITS is becoming a full-time job for you!
Nice to see you finally bitch slap the punk. My hand was getting sore.
Actually it would be punk slapping the bitch.
I don’t think that’s the real GT. He used punctuation that is mostly correct, and didn’t reference Obama once.
No, that is not the real one. The real one is still hiding out since last Sat.
LMAO…when FITS gets lucky…he comes out from under his rock. Like a lech…But you notice he ignores it when I call him out on all of the fails…
Anyway: What separates me, from you, (one of VERY many things) is that I’m honest first. And I do admit you speculated about this a couple months ago. SCPSD even did a piece discrediting the prediction, not because we did not think it was possible, but because of the idiot (FITS) co-opting the idea and projecting the possibility…
That said: you did bring it up…even though others were thinking it…if it happens, it will be a rare occasion that you scored…Congrats…
If Ellis comes back…and moves back in charge of Lo’—I’ll be more right than you… Auburn and A&M want Muschamp, too. so if SC wants him, it won’t be cheap…Johnson may come at a better price, and he may be the better hire…
what is SCPSD, please?
EJ will not come back. He wanted out and took the first decent job that came along.
Can you blame him? Who the eff wants to live in Columbia?
Where is this redneck utopia you live in? Give it a rest.
On the beach, bitch.
It sure hell ain’t Cayce, that’s for damn sure. I feel sorry for some of that have been there so long…you really don’t even see how bad it is any longer.
If only she’d spend that time working on her blog, she might actually get someone to read it.
Don’t you have a site to run? Your mom is “eagerly” awaiting your next “thought-provoking” article.
Best of luck to Muschamp. He was a good coach who for whatever reason inexplicably rode Jeff Driskel all the way down to the crash and burn. I don’t know what he saw in that kid. I’d heard that Jeff would have perfect practices all week only to choke when the snaps were real.
All I want is great football.
Become a Missouri fan.
Never! Never! Never!
Why would he come here knowing Spurrier is likely in his last year? My money is on him going to Auburn.
Spurrier is not going anywhere. Would you quit a $3.5 million job knowing that your employer would not fire you if you crapped on his desk?
Okay, while that’s true, why would Muschamp want to go to a program that’s going to be constantly mid-pack in the SEC weak division? If he goes to Auburn, at least he’ll be bowling in places other than Birmingham and Shreveport.
“SEC weak division.”
Yes, they have certainly been weaker, of late. But, ebbs and flows, my friend. It was not too long ago that Ole Miss, Miss St, etc. were the laughing stock and Tennessee, Florida, etc. were kings.
That is certainly not the case right now…but don’t fall victim to “short-term memory only.”
Perhaps because those other schools will not have a head coaching vacancy any time soon and Spurrier is at the end of the line. He would set himself up to be head coach in waiting. “Constantly mid-pack” is not accurate, but what is spot on is that Spurrier and Muschamp will have plenty of time to laugh out loud together at the fact that anyone outside of Clemson thought Barney the Dinosaur had any chance to follow in their footsteps at Florida.
Cause when HBC goes….he’s next for the head coaching job
Hold on a second…doesn’t there have to be a job open before he can be offered it? And if he was offered it..he can’t accept it from the Caribbean? They do have phones down there.
As for Johnson…coaches only work somewhere once…they rarely go back to do teh same job they had at the same place. Whats changed, besides Johnson’s employment status? Why would he come back?
You people are delusional.
“[D]oesn’t there have to be a job open before he can be offered it?”
What rule is that? Citation please. Last time I checked, employers will often be several steps ahead of what the general public is privy to.
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“[H]e can’t accept it from the Caribbean?”
Again, why must he accept it now? Are you not familiar with the concept that most respectable job offers–non-sports related, as well–generally carry some type of timeline?
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“[C]oaches only work somewhere once…they rarely go back to do teh (sic) same job they had at the same place.”
So which one is it? By the way, ever heard of Rex Enright, Bill Snyder, Mike Toop, Johny Vaught, Barry Alvarez, Mark Whipple, etc., etc.?
“What rule is that? Citation please. Last time I checked, employers will often be several steps ahead of what the general public is privy to.”
So what’s he going to do? As of yesterday, Steve Spurrier and Lorenzo Ward were still employed by USC.
Besides, as of right now, A&M and Auburn have been reported as offering him a position.
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“Again, why must he accept it now? Are you not familiar with the concept that most respectable job offers–non-sports related, as well–generally carry some type of timeline?”
lulz..okay. Keep hope alive!
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“So which one is it? By the way, ever heard of Rex Enright, Bill Snyder, Mike Toop, Johny Vaught, Barry Alvarez, Mark Whipple, etc., etc.?”
The main difference in all of those people you noted and Johnson is that they were all head coaches, and left/retired as winners, and returned to their previous HC position because of alumni/fan support.
You counter as if you must defeat some fictitious position that I do not hold. (See “lulz..okay. Keep hope alive!”–this makes the wrong assumption that I am “keeping hope alive” that Will Muschamp will secretly accept a job while in the Caribbean)
I simply pointed out the blatant flaws in your logic. As of right now, no part of your response addressed anything that I highlighted.
(1) I pointed out that you incorrectly created a condition precedent that a vacancy must exist before an employer can offer a future job to someone else. You ignored me when and failed to explain your reasoning. In fact, you further entrenched your silliness by reiterating that Spurrier and Ward have their current jobs–even today.
(2) I then challenged your notion that Will Muschamp clearly will not accept this job because if he were to accept it, then he must accept it now. I pointed out that most jobs are offered with particular acceptance/rejection timelines. Again, you ignored this and simply referred to a fictitious position that you assumed I held.
(3) Finally, you contradicted yourself–in sequential sentences, nonetheless–and stated that coaches never coach at the same place twice. Then, immediately you said that they rarely do. I simply pointed out the bastardized logic to which you felt the need to point out the obvious–I listed head coaches, whereas we are discussing a defensive coordinator position.
“1) I pointed out that you incorrectly created a condition precedent that a vacancy must exist before an employer can offer a future job to someone else. You ignored me when and failed to explain your reasoning. In fact, you further entrenched your silliness by reiterating that Spurrier and Ward have their current jobs–even today.”
Well…they do. What is it that Muschamp is going to do fo USC? Teach class? You already have a DC. Think he’ll do something less just because USC wants him?
“(2) I then challenged your notion that Will Muschamp clearly will not accept this job because if he were to accept it, then he must accept it now. I pointed out that most jobs are offered with particular acceptance/rejection timelines. Again, you ignored this and simply referred to a fictitious position that you assumed I held.”
Ok..great, he hasn’t accepted and doesn’t have to in any time limit. From what the media is reporting, He’s only been offered employment by A&M and Auburn. What job is there to accpet at USC (back to point 1)? How do YOU know anything has been offered to him?
“(3) Finally, you contradicted yourself–in sequential sentences, nonetheless–and stated that coaches never coach at the same place twice. Then, immediately you said that they rarely do. I simply pointed out the bastardized logic to which you felt the need to point out the obvious–I listed head coaches, whereas we are discussing a defensive coordinator position.”
I never contradicted anything I said–I always said that rarely do coaches go back to where they had coached before. I stated that in teh first post I made. You rattled off a few HEAD coaches that have done so, which is a completely different situation as to a coordinator or asst. coach. And really, how often is this done? Of the 5 or 6 you named, only 1 is still coaching today. Most of them were dead. Its simply not a common thing (ie rare), even for head coaches.
Interesting theory. I don’t know if Muschamp can coach with Spurrier not there to filter out all the noise from the dickheads in the legislature. He was always under that kind of pressure and got tighter and tighter before he got canned. Interesting, tho.
We heard rumors that Muschamp was looking for a home on Lake Murray.
Please USC don’t have Ellis Johnson. He’s a rotten Defensive Coach and his protege Lorenzo Ward is even worse. Why would you hire a person with the exact same defensive approach used by Ward??? Just plain stupid.