Former Texas football DC Will Muschamp declines to return to staff

A former member of the Texas football coaching staff, Will Muschamp, reportedly declined the option to return under Sark’s direction in 2021.

The forming of the coaching staff will now be one of the next steps to take place for the Texas football after the firing of now former fourth-year head coach Tom Herman, and the subsequent hiring of new head coach Steve Sarkisian. The current Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator and Broyles Award winner Sarkisian was a somewhat surprising hire for the Texas program, that was announced over the weekend.

Texas athletic director Chris del Conte announced the hiring of Sark, and the firing of Herman, coming out of the weekend. And the news that shocked a lot of the Big 12 and college football landscape both first dropped on the morning of Jan. 2.

It looks like the Longhorns will not be retaining the first-year Texas defensive coordinator/safeties coach and former Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Chris Ash in 2021. If Texas does in fact part ways with Ash this offseason, then it will leave one of the most significant defensive coordinator job openings to fill across the entire college football landscape.

A name that was reported early in connection with Sark and the Longhorns for the defensive coordinator role as a potential candidate is one that held the role in years past. Former Texas defensive coordinator and ex-South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Will Muschamp was an early name that came to mind as a potential candidate to fill this position if Ash won’t be the guy for next season.

Yet, it wouldn’t be long before the news would emerge that Muschamp declined the opportunity to be Texas’ next defensive coordinator. According to a report from Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports early this week, Muschamp turned down the offer to be the next defensive coordinator this week.

South Carolina let go of Muschamp in the midst of the 2020 season, following a 2-5 start to this altered college football season. He finished up with a total record of 28-30 over the course of his five years as head coach in Columbia.

Moreover, Texas had just one season under the direction of Ash as the defensive coordinator/safeties. And while the results improved down the stretch, it looked to be likely that Sark would want to completely reconfigure this part of his coaching staff.

Herman led the Longhorns to finish up the 2020 season with a record of 7-3 (5-3 Big 12), winning five of their last six games to round out the campaign. They finished up by dominating the Colorado Buffaloes in the Alamo Bowl back on Dec. 29, by the final score of 55-23.