Will Muschamp named South Carolina head coach after 1 season at Auburn
Tom Green | AU Sports Writer Opelika-Auburn News
Auburn, AL
Will Muschamp’s “long haul” at Auburn lasted just less than a year.
Muschamp, Auburn’s defensive coordinator this season, has been named the head coach at South Carolina and will be introduced during a press conference at 10 a.m. Monday.
“I really appreciate Coach Muschamp’s hard work and dedication for our program at Auburn this past year and wish him nothing but the best with his new job,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said in a statement Sunday afternoon. “I will begin a search immediately for our next defensive coordinator.”
Muschamp will replace longtime Gamecocks coach (and former Florida coaching legend) Steve Spurrier, who resigned in October in the midst of his 11th season in Columbia, S.C. The move marks Muschamp’s second foray into head coaching; he spent four years at Florida from 2011-14, where he compiled a 28-21 record — including an 11-2 campaign in 2012, when the Gators won the Southeastern Conference Eastern division and earned a trip to the Sugar Bowl.
During his tenure at Florida, Muschamp’s defenses consistently ranked among the best in the nation, but the Gators’ offense struggled to find consistency while going through three offensive coordinators in four seasons. The struggles on offense eventually led to Muschamp’s ouster last November.
Muschamp is expected to bring other coaches from Auburn’s staff with him to South Carolina.
AuburnUndercover.com reported that defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson — an Auburn graduate who followed Muschamp from Florida — will be named the Gamecocks’ defensive coordinator, while Auburn linebackers coach Lance Thompson has an offer to join the South Carolina staff.
It was also reported Sunday by 247Sports that Auburn offensive analyst Bobby Bentley — a legendary former high school coach at Byrnes High in South Carolina — will join Muschamp’s staff. Bentley is the father of Opelika starting quarterback Jake Bentley, who is ranked as the No. 9 quarterback in the class of 2017 according toRivals.com.
Nearly one year ago — on Dec. 12, 2014 — Muschamp then agreed to sign on at Auburn, taking over as defensive coordinator after Ellis Johnson was fired. Muschamp agreed to a three-year deal worth $1.6 million annually — making him the highest-paid assistant in college football this past season. His contract allowed for an escape clause after one season, permitting him to leave for another job effective the end of Auburn’s 2015 regular season without having to pay the university a $1 million buyout.
Immediate results and a quick turnaround were expected by many with Muschamp at the helm of Auburn’s defense, but the payoff was not instantaneous.
The Tigers struggled defensively out of the gate, especially after Buck linebacker Carl Lawson went down in the first half of the season opener against Louisville with a hip injury that sidelined him for half of the season.
“I’ve never been in this situation,” Muschamp said Sept. 23 of the defensive struggles. “But again, I’m very excited about the group we have and I’m in this for the long haul.”
Auburn’s defense spent much of the season at or near the bottom of the SEC in several key statistical categories before showing steady improvement over the final month of the schedule — including impressive back-to-back outings on the road against Texas A&M and at home against Georgia last month.
Despite the improvements down the stretch, Auburn’s defense still finished 11th in the SEC scoring defense (27.3 points per game) and rushing defense (189.67 yards per game), 12th in passing defense (232.2 yards per game) and 13th in total defense (421.8 yards per game). Auburn also finished tied for last in the league in sacks with just 17 (1.42 per game), last in tackles for loss with 49 (4.08 per game) and 13th in opponent third-down conversions (45.25 percent).
Now, Auburn is left searching for its fifth defensive coordinator since the start of the 2011 season — a situation Muschamp said he believes takes a toll on players.
“They've been through a lot, through a lot of terminology, a lot of different ways of approaching things,” Muschamp said Nov. 3. “There's no question that I think it takes a toll on a player. There's no doubt. After going through this situation, there's no question.”