Will Muschamp Hired As Florida Head Coach: What Gators Hire Means for the SEC

When the guys at saturdaydownsouth.com broke the news that Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp had been hired as the head coach at Florida, the initial reaction was one of disbelief. The Longhorns coach-in-waiting had not been mentioned as a possibility even once since Urban Meyer stepped down Wednesday. 

Hours later the news is still somewhat surprising given Florida's position as one of the top head coaching jobs in America. 

That's not to say Muschamp is a bad hire by any means, but it is curious that Florida would hire a guy that has never been a head coach considering the names previously mentioned in connection with that opening were Bob Stoops, Bobby Petrino, Chip Kelly and Chris Petersen.

Nevertheless, the hire has been made and Florida has its coach. 

Will Muschamp is an SEC guy. Having been an assistant under Nick Saban at LSU and Tommy Tuberville at Auburn, Muschamp knows a thing or two about the high stakes world of SEC football. In addition to Muschamp's SEC prowess, being the top assistant for nearly three years at a place like Texas is nothing to frown at either. 

Muschamp also brings a pedigree of having played in the SEC as well. A walk-on at Georgia, Muschamp became the starting safety for coach Ray Goff in the early 90s.

As one of the nation's top recruiters for the Texas Longhorns, it appears the new Florida head coach will pick up where now-former head coach, Urban Meyer, left off—at the top of the recruiting rankings. 

One major key to Muschamp's immediate success, or lack thereof, will be his choice for offensive coordinator. After Florida struggled mightily on that side of the ball in 2010, it is easily the most important hire that Muschamp will make. 

But what does this hire mean for the rest of the SEC? 

It certainly is an interesting hire for Florida. If this were baseball, it would be a solid double off the wall for athletic director Jeremy Foley. Muschamp has been at the top of more than one athletic director's list. The coach who was next in line for the Texas head gig never considered leaving Austin until the Gators came calling.

By hiring a rising star assistant coach who has never been a head coach, however, Florida certainly left room for doubt. This success of this hire depends largely on the subsequent hiring of assistants. 

Florida already has a loaded roster full of underclassmen who helped the Gators attain the No. 1 class in the nation last February. The program is in great shape to have another top-10 class this season as well. 

With all that talent, the Gators cannot afford another 7-5 season in Muschamp's first season. No one wants the pressure that Muschamp will experience in year one on a new job if that happens. 

The truth is, we simply do not know what this hire means for the rest of the SEC. As former defensive coordinators who became a head coach goes, Muschamp could be the next Gene Chizik or the next Ron Zook. 

Either way, fans of the other 11 SEC teams shouldn't cheer or fret just yet.