Will Muschamp is back in burnt orange.
On Thursday, Texas officially hired the former Georgia assistant as its new defensive coordinator, bringing the 54-year-old coach back to Austin in a move that could reshape the Longhorns' defensive identity - and maybe, just maybe, help close the gap with the SEC’s elite.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke Friday about the decision to bring Muschamp aboard, and while the hire wasn’t made solely with Georgia in mind, Sark didn’t shy away from acknowledging the added benefit of having someone who knows the Bulldogs inside and out.
"One of the unintended consequences of this is we do get a little intel into the Georgia theme," Sarkisian said. "Now, I think we're going to probably play some of those themes, of which they play defensive football, too.
And so it's not only about, how do you beat Georgia? But the reality is we're going to get to go against that a lot more in practice in all of our good-on-good sessions."
That’s a key point. It’s not just about game day - it’s about the daily grind.
Iron sharpening iron. Sarkisian knows that his high-powered offense will benefit from going up against a defense molded in the image of one of the sport’s most dominant units.
And if Texas finds itself lining up across from Georgia again, they’ll be better prepared for it.
And that’s no small thing. Since joining the SEC in 2024, Texas is 0-3 against the Bulldogs.
Georgia handed them a 30-15 loss in Austin, outlasted the Longhorns 22-19 in an overtime thriller in the SEC title game, and then dominated them 35-10 in Athens this season. The gap has been clear - but this move is a step toward closing it.
Still, Sarkisian emphasized that Muschamp wasn’t brought in just for one opponent. This is about building a championship-caliber defense, period.
Sarkisian has long admired Muschamp’s fire and football IQ, dating back to their time under Nick Saban’s umbrella at Alabama. He described Muschamp as “the head coach of the defense,” someone who can take full ownership of that side of the ball and allow Sarkisian to lean even more into his offensive expertise.
This isn’t Muschamp’s first rodeo in Austin, of course. His return brings back memories of a dominant run from 2008 to 2010, when he served as defensive coordinator under Mack Brown.
That era included a trip to the national title game in 2009, and Muschamp’s defenses were relentless. During his three-year stint, Texas led the nation with 119 sacks and ranked among the top 10 in several key categories: third in yards per carry allowed (2.9), fourth in rushing yards allowed per game (96.7), and seventh in total yards allowed per game (297.4).
Those are elite numbers - the kind you build championship hopes on.
Back then, Muschamp was even named head coach-in-waiting behind Mack Brown. But when Florida came calling, he took the Gators’ top job in 2011.
He went 28-21 over four seasons in Gainesville before taking the reins at South Carolina, where he posted a 28-30 record from 2016 to 2020. All told, Muschamp carries a 56-51 mark as a head coach - but his reputation as a defensive mind has never wavered.
Since 2021, Muschamp has been a key figure in Georgia’s defensive machine. He started as a defensive analyst, then stepped in as special teams coordinator during the Bulldogs’ 2021 national title run.
In 2022 and 2023, he served as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, playing a pivotal role in recruiting and developing Georgia’s defensive backs. That’s no small contribution, given the Bulldogs’ recent dominance on that side of the ball.
In 2024, Muschamp moved back into an analyst role, a shift that allowed Georgia to bring in Travaris Williams while also giving Muschamp the chance to follow his son, Whit, who plays quarterback at Vanderbilt. But by 2025, Muschamp was no longer listed as part of Georgia’s staff - and now, he’s back in a familiar place with a fresh opportunity.
The hire signals a clear intent from Sarkisian and Texas: they’re not just trying to compete in the SEC - they’re trying to win it. And with Muschamp anchoring the defense, the Longhorns just added a proven architect to help build that foundation.