Steve Sarkisian is making a bold defensive pivot in Austin - and it’s a move that echoes one of the most successful coaching decisions in recent memory.
Before the 2024 season, Ohio State’s Ryan Day brought in former Oregon and UCLA head coach Chip Kelly to run his offense. That hire helped the Buckeyes capture a national title. Now, Sarkisian is hoping a similar shakeup - this time on defense - can push Texas over the top.
On Thursday, Texas officially parted ways with defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and defensive passing game coordinator Duane Akina. In their place steps a familiar name in college football circles: Will Muschamp.
The former head coach at Florida and South Carolina, Muschamp also served as Texas’ defensive coordinator under Mack Brown from 2008 to 2010 - a stretch that included a trip to the national championship game. Most recently, he was an analyst at Georgia, a program that’s become synonymous with elite defense.
Sarkisian didn’t mince words when explaining the decision.
“We appreciate all that Pete Kwiatkowski has done for the program in his five years of coordinating our defense and are grateful for Duane Akina's efforts in returning to the program this past year,” Sarkisian said in a statement. “But at this time we just felt it was best for our program to move in a different direction, and having the opportunity to hire Will Muschamp provides us the leadership to take our defense to another level.”
Why make a change now?
On the surface, this move might raise some eyebrows. Texas’ defense wasn’t exactly a liability in 2025.
The Longhorns ranked sixth in the SEC in points allowed at 19.8 per game - a solid mark in a conference loaded with firepower. And under Kwiatkowski’s watch, the program developed legitimate NFL talent.
Cornerback Jahdae Barron is now with the Denver Broncos, and linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. - a projected Day 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft - is next in line.
But the issue wasn’t consistency. It was the big moments.
In the 2023 College Football Playoff semifinal, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. lit up the Longhorns for 430 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 37-31 loss that exposed the secondary. A year later, in another CFP semifinal matchup - this time against Ohio State - Texas gave up a back-breaking 75-yard touchdown to TreVeyon Henderson just before halftime. That play shifted the momentum, and the Longhorns never recovered in a 28-14 defeat.
Those kinds of breakdowns have a way of lingering. And for a program with championship aspirations, they’re the difference between being a playoff team and being a title team.
Enter Muschamp
Texas isn’t just bringing in experience - it’s bringing in championship DNA. Muschamp helped Nick Saban win his first national title at LSU as defensive coordinator from 2002 to 2004. He’s known for his fiery sideline demeanor, but more importantly, he’s known for building physical, disciplined defenses that thrive in high-pressure situations.
This hire isn’t about fixing a broken unit. It’s about sharpening the edge of a team that’s already close.
Muschamp brings a different voice, a different mindset, and a track record of elevating defenses to elite status. And with Texas entering a critical season after a 9-3 campaign in 2025 that left them on the outside looking in come playoff time, the timing couldn’t be more urgent.
Circle the date: Sept. 12, 2026
Texas won’t have to wait long to see what this new-look defense is made of. In Week 2 of the 2026 season, the Longhorns will host Ohio State - the very team that inspired this coaching chess move. It’s a heavyweight matchup that could set the tone for the season and reestablish Texas as a serious national title contender.
If the Longhorns defense shows up in that game - if they can slow down a Buckeyes offense that torched them a year ago - Sarkisian’s gamble will start to look like a masterstroke.
And if it works, don’t be surprised if Sarkisian tips his cap to Ryan Day. After all, sometimes the best play is the one you borrow.