Excitement continues to explode for Will Muschamp's return to Texas's sideline

Over the offseason, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian made some bold moves on his support staff, firing defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and hiring none other than Will Muschamp to fill the vacant role.

Muschamp, of course, was the Texas Longhorns' DC under Mack Brown from 2008 until 2011, when he left to take the head coaching job at Florida. His return was marked by a warm welcome, having been one of the more beloved assistants at Texas since the turn of the century.

Over the last six months, the excitement and expectations for his return to the sidelines at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium have only grown.

This week, as the Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) held its annual convention and coaching school, Muschamp made an appearance. The buzz around Texas's defensive coordinator being in attendance wasn't just audible, but visible.

THSCA convention packs the house for Will Muschamp

The convention hall was packed to the gills as Muschamp took the stage to teach anyone who could find standing room about his defensive coaching prowess.

Afterward, there was one takeaway that every high school coach in the room reportedly shared: "He's still got it."

Muschamp became a beloved presence on the 40 Acres as the heir-apparent to Brown's tenure as Texas's head coach. However, as Brown stuck around until 2013, Muschamp grew understandably impatient and left for a seemingly better opportunity with the Florida Gators.

After spending four years as the Gators' head coach, Muschamp has bounced around to various coaching roles over the last decade and a half.

Beyond acting as the South Carolina Gamecocks' head coach from 2016 until 2020, all of those roles were as an assistant, including working under Georgia's Kirby Smart from 2021 until last season, when Sarkisian jumped on the opportunity to bring him back into the Longhorns' fold.

Since returning to Texas, players and coaches alike have praised Muschamp, only adding to the hype around his upcoming return to the Longhorns' sideline this fall.

In fact, even some of his former players have had to admit it was a massive pick up for Texas, with Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson saying Muschamp was "pretty much like Coach Smart" at the SEC Media Days.

Of course, over the last five years, Sarkisian and Kwiatkowski returned the Texas defense to a place of prominence, but with an assistant like Muschamp holding the reins, the Horns are expected to take that next step toward their return to glory.

Read more: JD PicKell has superhero-sized expectations for Texas in 2026 and you should too

Only time will tell if the hire was the right move, especially as the Longhorns host the Ohio State Buckeyes and visit the LSU Tigers, as well as the Texas A&M Aggies.

However, if you asked high school head coaches across the Lone Star State (AKA, one of the most dominant states for high school football), you would clearly hear that Muschamp's "still got it."

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