Following in the Footsteps of Giants, Muschamp Forges His Own Identity
Friday, September 16, 2011 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – There is no escaping constant reminders of Florida's recent football success for first-year coach Will Muschamp.
When Muschamp turns onto Gale Lemerand Drive on the west side of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to come to work each morning, he drives past the bronze statues of Tim Tebow, Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel that were installed in the spring.
When Muschamp leads the Gators onto the field Saturday against Tennessee – his most high-profile test since taking over the program in January – one of the final images he'll see is a large photo of former head coach Urban Meyer celebrating one of his two national titles on the wall leading from the tunnel.
Taking over a storied program and trying to replace a high-profile coach can be a daunting challenge, especially at elite programs where the fan base often expects results instantly regardless of the circumstances.
College football history is littered with coaches who for various reasons failed to meet those great expectations in the wake of a highly successful predecessor: Ray Perkins at Alabama, Gary Moeller at Michigan, Ray Goff at Georgia, Ron Zook at Florida and Ted Tollner at USC are some of the most notable examples.
Like Zook when he was hired to replace Spurrier in 2002, Muschamp is a first-time head coach. That can turn up the pressure even more.
As he has worked to place his stamp on Florida's program the past nine months, Muschamp has addressed any concerns over his readiness or leadership ability with a straight-forward approach.
“I think more than anything, if it's not broke, don't fix it,'' Muschamp said in the preseason. “We're not on a five-year plan here. Urban did a phenomenal job, he and his staff. They did some great things that we're going to continue to do.''
Much of what Muschamp is talking about relates to recruiting and other behind-the-scenes operations that strengthen a program's foundation and increases the potential for on-field success. In six seasons at Florida, Meyer went 65-15 and won a pair of national titles.
The Florida job, already considered one of the better ones in the country, grew even more appealing because of the Gators' success and the impact it had on a state, regional and national level in the recruiting world.
Spurrier spent 12 years as Florida's head coach from 1990-2001 and raised the profile of the program to new heights during his tenure. In his seventh season at South Carolina, Spurrier's Gamecocks are picked to win the SEC East by most projections.
However, while there was a drop off for the Gators immediately after he left, Spurrier doesn't see any weaknesses in the program Muschamp inherited from Meyer.
“His situation is completely different than what we had here,'' Spurrier said, referring to the program he took over at South Carolina in 2005. “They've been recruiting at Florida. Florida has got a lot of good ballplayers – we all know that – so he's not stepping into a situation where they have to recruit for a couple of years to get ballplayers. I think they will be a very strong team – hopefully not too strong.”
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Muschamp hasn't tried to avoid the large shadow Meyer's success cast over the program.
In fact, it was the opposite early in his tenure when he still needed directions around campus and Meyer had yet accepted a position with ESPN. The two talked frequently, often with Muschamp asking questions and Meyer filling in the blanks.
Meyer still makes occasional visits to The Swamp since his job with ESPN allows him to continue to live in Gainesville.
“My email is full of suggestions from the Gator Nation,'' Muschamp said. “I've chose to listen to Urban a little bit more than anybody else. He's really been good in this transition. I appreciate him.”
When the Gators dipped to 8-5 a year ago in the worst season of Meyer's 10-year coaching career, some fans appeared ready for a change despite the program's success under his direction. They most often pointed to whether Meyer had the same commitment after his brief resignation following the 2009 season.
Amid the enthusiasm that accompanies most coaching changes, Muschamp and his staff have been careful to point out that it's not easy to do what the Gators did in six years with Meyer at the controls.
Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis spent five seasons as Notre Dame's head coach, one of the more high-pressure jobs in the country. As Weis talked with reporters on Tuesday, he faced multiple questions focused on how several Gator offensive players have voiced pleasure about playing in his pro-style offense compared to Meyer's spread-option attack.
Weis interjected what he felt was an important disclaimer before responding.
“First of all, let's not slight all the good things that happened here offensively in the past,'' Weis said. “It wasn't like they had a bunch of garbage they done here. Last time I checked they won a couple of national championships.''
Moments like those provide some perspective in a sport that is often huddled up on a week-to-week roller coaster.
Muschamp's knowledge of the SEC and his background as a defensive coordinator at LSU, Auburn and Texas gave him ample perspective before ever taking the job.
Once Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley contacted him about possibly becoming the 23rd head coach in the program's history, one of the first people Muschamp sought out to speak to was Meyer.
He wanted to know about the people, the resources and the commitment. Once all the details were settled and Muschamp took over, the focus turned to how he could make his mark on the program the way Spurrier, Meyer and others have over the years.
If he feels an abundance of pressure he hasn't shown it.
“You just try to be yourself,'' Muschamp said. “There's not one way to do it. There's a lot of ways to be successful. Understand that each situation is different.''
Muschamp said time management has been the most challenging task in his new role. He now must worry about a lot of things he didn't have to when he was a defensive coordinator or coach-in-waiting at Texas.
There are more hands to shake, more people to call and more functions to attend. The football part of the equation can seem secondary on some days.
Tennessee coach Derek Dooley, a former colleague of Muschamp's at LSU when both were members of Nick Saban's staff, can relate to the transition Muschamp has experienced over the past few months.
Dooley went 6-7 in his first season a year ago after leaving his post at smaller Louisiana Tech to take over an SEC program with similar expectations as Muschamp faces at Florida.
“I could probably write a book on the first year,'' Dooley said. “We all face challenges our first year. It's trying to relay the expectations of everything you do at every stage. That is probably the biggest challenge.
“He is a great football coach. He's been around a lot of great programs. He's ready for the job.”
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Muschamp's honeymoon period remains alive and well entering Saturday's Tennessee game. The Gators easily dispatched of Florida Atlantic and UAB in the season's first two games by a combined score of 80-3.
The players have also adjusted well to Muschamp's arrival and installation of what he calls “The Florida Way,'' a mindset that revolves around trust, respect and communication to build team chemistry and ultimately success on the field.
“I feel we're more of a team,'' senior defensive end William Green said. “We're not just a bunch of individuals out there doing our own thing. There's less selfishness and more unity. We're a close-knit group and he has helped bring us together.''
As for being the face of the program, Muschamp showed that trademark intensity he is known for on the sideline of the first two games. He has also shown the ability to delegate and play to his strengths rather than being a complete dictator.
He hired Weis to run a pro-style offense and works closely with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on running a complex defense they used during their season together in the NFL on Saban's staff with the Miami Dolphins.
He may be the second-youngest coach in the SEC behind Mississippi State's Dan Mullen, but Muschamp seems older and wiser than his 40 years. He is certainly confident in his approach.
“You don't try to be something you're not,” Muschamp said. “I think the worst thing you can do in a leadership position is be something you're not.''
Like most coaches, Muschamp has catchphrases he often uses. The one we've heard most commonly is probably “change is inevitable, growth is optional.''
Since he took over the program, perhaps no one has had to grow more than Muschamp. He inherited one of the most successful programs in the country from one of the most high-profile coaches in recent years.
He then opened a 100-page notebook he arrived with and started doing this his way. His way appears to be working just fine as Meyer's shadow gets smaller and smaller each day.
“The perception can be whatever it is out there,'' Muschamp said the day he took over. “I deal in the real world, I deal in reality. I've got no ego. My agenda is the players and the University of Florida. It's about winning -- that's what the fun is.
“It's about winning football games and doing it the right way.''
