Former UF coach Doug Dickey has a few things in common with Muschamp
Monday, August 22, 2011 | Football, Scott Carter
Former Florida football coach Doug Dickey has some similarities to first-year Gators coach Will Muschamp.
Both grew up in Gainesville and became UF fans -- Dickey's family moved from South Dakota and Muschamp's from Georgia. Dickey went to high school in Gainesville and later played at Florida, while Muschamp's family moved back to Georgia during his high school years.
Muschamp had visions of playing at Florida but ended up walking on at Georgia, one of the Gators' most fierce rivals, and serving as an assistant at LSU and Auburn, two more Florida rivals.
Meanwhile, after his playing days at UF were over, Dickey became head coach at Tennessee, another of Florida's top SEC rivals. Dickey returned to Florida to coach the Gators from 1970-78, compiling a 58-43-2 record in nine seasons.
Once his coaching career was over, Dickey went back to Tennessee as the school's athletic director and is now retired and living in Jacksonville. Dickey, who played at UF in the early 1950s, was on campus Saturday to hear Muschamp speak to a large group of former UF letterwinners.
“This is the first time I've met him,'' Dickey said. “He's been really busy.''
Dickey and Muschamp have something else in common: a starting quarterback named John Brantley. John Brantley III was Florida's starting quarterback in Dickey's final season and his son, John Brantley IV, is starting in Muschamp's first season.
Dickey liked Muschamp's energy after meeting him in person.
“Jeremy Foley does a good job of hiring coaches,'' Dickey said. “And Coach Muschamp was ready to be a head coach somewhere. He's got a lot of enthusiasm and a very upbeat personality.''
Dickey, 79, said he tries to get to a couple of UF functions each year to catch up with his former teammates and players.
“I was part of two eras here,'' he said. “The 1952 team I played on was the first football team with a winning record that I was a part of. That's a very special memory for me.''
Considering their unique paths to taking over Florida's program, what advice would he give to Muschamp about being head coach at Florida?
“No, I don't have any,'' Dickey said with a laugh. “He'll do well here. This is a very dynamic program in America, it's well-funded. He's now head coach at the University of Florida and will do his own thing.''
