ATHENS — Kirby Smart and Will Muschamp are good friends.
That’s why when Smart learned that Muschamp would be the next defensive coordinator at Texas, the Georgia head coach was thrilled for the former assistant.
“Oh, I’m so happy for him. He loves coaching,” Smart said on Monday. “He loved coaching when he was here. It was hard for him to step away, and he felt like he needed to, and I had so much respect for him. And, shoot, he helped us replace him with the guys we got, and he helped us tremendously in that role. He helped us tremendously this year throughout the year. And he’s been really good to me personally, and he’s been great to Georgia, and he’s been really good to a lot of players that he’s recruited.”
Muschamp first arrived at Georgia ahead of the 2021 season. He was elevated from defensive analyst to special teams coordinator in August of that year. For the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he served as the co-defensive coordinator, with Glenn Schumann taking over for Dan Lanning.
Muschamp took a step back at Georgia in 2024, serving as an analyst. He did so in part to spend more time with his family. His youngest son, Whit, is a quarterback at Vanderbilt.
Muschamp did not have a formal role with Georgia during this season, but, as Smart notes, he was still an integral part of the Georgia coaching staff.
“When he had an opportunity to jump back in, I know he loves it,” Smart said. “I think he missed it dearly. He talked to his family about it, his wife and his boys, and they all supported him. And he’s going to a great place to work for a great man. There’s not many better opportunities out there to go coach and play than a place like Texas where you’ve got a lot of infrastructure in place to help you. So wish him nothing but the best.”
Muschamp was replaced on staff by Travaris Robinson, who has been the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach the past two seasons.
Texas fired defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and Duane Akina to make way for Muschamp. Robinson has worked with Muschamp at several stops and it will be interesting to see if he potentially follows Muschamp once again. Doing so would create an opening on Georgia’s on-field coaching staff.
Muschamp has previous experience at Texas, working as the defensive coordinator from 2008 through 2010. In heading back to Austin, he’ll look to help a program that has struggled mightily against Georgia. The Longhorns are 0-3 against Georgia in the previous two seasons, including a 35-10 loss this season.
Texas went 9-3 this season.
“With what Coach Sark has done in rebuilding this program — knowing there are even better days ahead — I was fired up for the opportunity," Muschamp said in a statement when his hiring was announced. “I have tremendous respect and admiration for Sark, how he leads his program, develops his team and players, builds culture and goes about his business. I’m excited to be a part of it and can’t wait to get started.”
Georgia and Texas are not slated to see each other again until the 2027 season. Georgia is preparing for its upcoming College Football Playoff game against the Ole Miss Rebels.
The Bulldogs and Rebels are set for an 8 p.m. ET start on Jan. 1, with the game being played in New Orleans and broadcast on ESPN.
