The worst-kept secret in Athens was finally revealed when Georgia coach Kirby Smart announced on Wednesday that former Florida and South Carolina coach Will Muschamp had joined the team as an analyst.
Muschamp is hardly the first coach to assume the role of analyst in Georgia. It turns out that he has a much higher profile than names like Tyson Summers or Jay Johnson. Muschamp had spent the previous five years as a South Carolina coach. He was fired in November, with the Gamecocks agreeing to pay him $ 12.9 million.
As an analyst, Muschamp will earn $ 300,000 next year. But what does his new role ask him to do?
Smart, who started as a coach thanks to Muschamp, gave a little more clarity about what the new Georgia analyst will do.
“He has already made many strides in terms of helping me [and] helping our team, ”said Smart. “He will be able to help train the coaches and will work with the defensive side of the ball. It is very useful to have a guy who was technician in two places at our conference. “
Related: Kirby Smart announces the hiring of Will Muschamp
Despite the finals in South Carolina and Florida, Muschamp was consistently able to identify and develop defensive talent. Javon Kinlaw, who played an important role in the 20-17 upturn in South Carolina over Georgia in 2019, was a potential player when he left college. Jaycee Horn, a 2020 South Carolina team player who should be a high draft choice in this next NFL draft, was a 3-star recruit from Alpharetta, Georgia, in the 2018 recruiting cycle.
Bulldogs also have a new defense coach in Jahmile Addae. Having Muschamp being able to participate, especially with the secondary position being Georgia’s biggest concern, will be huge for a room that has seen a lot of movement in recent weeks.
Related: Georgia announces giant increase for Dan Lanning, releases Jahmile Addae salary
“It is a position that needs to be developed, we have some guys that we are developing who need to introduce themselves and play,” said Smart about the secondary. “We have also hired some young people who have just spoken and who will have to grow quickly and have the opportunity to compete for a position.”
Muschamp had several connections to the Georgia program that helped make sense for him to join the program at this point. Her son Jackson is an intermediate quarterback for the Bulldogs. Her nephew Rob is also reportedly joining the team as an analyst.
The former coach also graduated and played in Georgia, as Smart. According to his new boss, Muschamp felt the need to settle for his family after hanging around the SEC for so long. In the past decade, Muschamp has trained in Florida, Auburn and South Carolina.
The analyst function will allow him to recharge while remaining connected to the football game. One just to look at some recent Alabama analysts – Steve Sarkisian and Butch Jones – to see that this path may be worthwhile in terms of getting another job as a head coach.
And for what it’s worth, Smart eventually hopes that Muschamp will return to the world of coaches on the field at some point. It just won’t be this season in Georgia.
“I know he hasn’t finished his coaching days yet, and it is very important for him to be able to go out and have relationships and develop a position group and a coach,” said Smart.
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