Will Muschamp Handed Keys To The Swamp as Florida Gators Head Coach
That didn't take long. Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley told the world that it wouldn't take more than two weeks to find a new head coach, and he kept his word with a week to spare.
Will Muschamp was the head coach in waiting at Texas behind Mack Brown, but with no timetable in place for Brown's retirement, it seems Muschamp decided that waiting was no longer an option.
Let's face it: Florida is a top-five coaching job in the ranks of college football. Yes, Texas is an incredible opportunity for any head coach, but Florida is equal in stature. Clearly, Coach Muschamp agrees.
Muschamp inherits a program that is still relevant, but currently struggling offensively. Muschamp is a defensive guru and has coached-up many athletes to become competitive in the NFL. Florida's defensive crop, present and future, will allow him to continue sending players to the next level.
The first order of business will be finding his coaching staff especially an offensive coordinator. It is unlikely that the spread offense will continue on at Florida since he comes from the tutelage of coaches that ran pro-style offenses.
Within one week, Florida jumped back to the top within the state head coaching ranks, and soon he has the capability to become one of the top coaching in the SEC and the nation. He has the talent to get Florida back to the top; the question is if and when he'll get the team there.
It will take a few seasons for Muschamp to mold the team in his manner before actually competing for championships. That being said, the Gator Nation had better be patient and give Muschamp time.
Unfortunately, fans have a way of having unrealistic expectations, but after Florida's 7-5 season in 2010, anything that improves on that record should keep the faithful happy.
Welcome to The Swamp, Coach Muschamp. You are known as an emotional coach that will fire every one up from the moment you walk in the door. Your hands-on approach and fiery personality is what is needed to get the Gators back on track.
Coach 'em up, Will.
James Walker is a National and Syndicated Writer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on:
Twitter - http://twitter.com/BRJamesWalker
