Will Muschamp might not have worked out as Florida's head coach, but there's no denying what he can do as a defensive coordinator. Muschamp received the 2007 Broyles Award, which goes to the best assistant coach in the college game, and his defenses were consistently among the nation's most dominant.
Texas A&M is also looking for a new DC and actively pursuing Muschamp, but it's looking more and more like Auburn is his most likely destination. Here's why the SEC (and anyone else playing the Tigers) should be worried about Muschamp joining the Tigers:
1. He knows the territory
Muschamp's first job out of school was as a graduate assistant at Auburn. He's coached at nine colleges and for one NFL team, and every single one is located in the Southeast. Muschamp has coached against every SEC school multiple times, and he's either played for or coached at Georgia, Auburn, Florida, and LSU.
2. Auburn's defense is already loaded with talent
The 2014 class included eight four-star defensive prospects and one five-star. Sophomore DT Montravius Adams (a five-star prospect himself) has been an absolute beast up front for the Tigers this year, and that 2013 class also included three four-star prospects. Ellis Johnson wasn't able to get the most out of Auburn's defense, but the sky is the limit for this young core of players.
3. Muschamp has never been anything less than excellent as a defensive coordinator.
Muschamp helped build Nick Saban's National Championship-winning defense at LSU in 2003, and they defense led the nation in pretty much every single statistical category that year. After a short stint with the Miami Dolphins, Muschamp then went to Auburn and instantly turned the defense into a top 10 unit nationally. After moving to Texas to take the same position (Muschamp was also named as Mack Brown's successor midway through his first season in Austin), he built a unit that dominated the Big 12. As a defensive coordinator, Muschamp has never failed to deliver.
~~~
Despite how things ended in Gainesville, Muschamp is an absolute dream hire for an SEC school looking for a defensive coordinator. He knows the lay of the land, he has some world-class talent to work with, and his track record as a DC is spotless. For Gus Malzahn's Tigers, this would be an absolute home run.
MORE:
The 3 Most Likely Bowl Destinations For The Auburn Tigers
Auburn's 3 Most Likely Bowl Opponents
Back to the Auburn Tigers Newsfeed