Will Muschamp was thought to be the head coach-in-waiting with the Texas Longhorns during the 2008, 2009, and 2010 seasons in Austin, which were the years that followed his first stint as the Auburn Tigers' defensive coordinator under Tommy Tuberville in 2006 and 2007. Muschamp never got promoted from DC/LB coach to the Longhorns' head coach, instead leaving for his first head coaching job with the Florida Gators.
ESPN's Mark Schlabach mentioned that initial stint with Texas, now that Muschamp is the Longhorns' defensive coordinator once again, coincidentally during a season in which all the pressure is on Steve Sarkisian to produce results. Texas handed out massive NIL/rev-share investments in Arch Manning, Cam Coleman, and others.
Schlabach did heavy-duty lifting with his promotion of Muschamp's prior success with the Georgia Bulldogs during UGA's title seasons in 2021 and 2022, perhaps implying that Muschamp is a head coach-in-waiting again.
"After missing the CFP, the Longhorns are going all-in for 2026, which might be quarterbackArch Manning's final college season. The Longhorns added Coleman, the No. 1 receiver in the portal, to start oppositeRyan Wingo. After ranking 90th in the FBS in rushing in 2025, the Longhorns have to become more physical on offense. Getting star tackleTrevor Goosbyback will help, while Brown and Smothers might be upgrades in the backfield. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian fired defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and brought in former UT coach-in-waiting Will Muschamp, who was instrumental in helping Georgia win back-to-back CFP national titles in 2021 and '22," Schlabach wrote.
Is Will Muschamp Texas's planned Steve Sarkisian replacement?
Now there's a question worth asking in the wake of Schlabach's between-the-lines insinuation that Muschamp could be what he once was in Central Texas. Maybe there's a Sarkisian succession plan in place.
Sarkisian was linked to the NFL this past hiring cycle, specifically the Tennessee Titans, though that might have just been nefarious reporting from Dianna Russini, who, in hindsight, might not have ever been a reliable source. Perhaps the Dallas Cowboys could be more logical, though, if the team bottoms out under Brian Schottenheimer this season, and Manning is available to them in the 2027 NFL draft. Either way, Sark in the NFL or at his alma mater, the BYU Cougars, if they lose Kalani Sitake, after almost losing him this past offseason, could be a future possibility. The politics of the Texas job are well-renowned.
If Sark goes, maybe Muschamp is already lined up to be next, and Schlabach is saying it without saying it. He's already talking up the Longhorns' culture like a future head coach, even at the expense of his own alma mater.
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