<article itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/NewsArticle" class="articlecontent loaded" data-aop="article"> <section class="articlebody" itemprop="articleBody" data-aop="articlebody"> GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Ever since he entered the working world as a 23-year-old, Will Muschamp has been a football coach and he always will be.
Days after he was fired as UF's coach, Muschamp said Wednesday he plans to regroup and find a new job once his four-year run with the Gators ends Nov. 29 at FSU.
"I'd like to obviously be working next year," said Muschamp, now 43.
Muschamp undoubtedly will have people lining up to hire him for his defensive mastery.
That side of the ball rarely was an issue for the Gators under Muschamp. He fielded units ranked in the top 10 nationally during the past three seasons. UF currently is 20th in total defense.
The problem was UF's offense did not rank inside the top 100 the past three seasons. In 2014, the Gators scored two touchdowns or fewer in five of eight SEC games.
Once Muschamp turns an eye to the future, he will have options. They are sure to include some SEC schools, notably Auburn, South Carolina and Texas A&M, and possibly FSU under coach Jimbo Fisher. Muschamp worked at LSU for four seasons (2001-04) with Fisher, who was the Tigers' offensive coordinator.
Fisher, Auburn's Gus Malzahn, South Carolina's Steve Spurrier and Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin are offensive masterminds with struggling defenses.
Auburn is ninth in the SEC in total defense, South Carolina is 13th of 14 teams and Texas A&M is last in the SEC. Meanwhile, Sumlin's Aggies are third in scoring offense (36 points a game), Auburn is fourth (35.5 ppg) and Spurrier's Gamecocks are fifth (34.6).
Defensive breakdowns have cost each team all season.
Top-ranked FSU allows just 22.8 points on defense — 38th in the nation — and remains unbeaten, but has relied primarily on an offense that averages 37.1 points. The Seminoles were No. 1 in scoring defense last season under Jeremy Pruitt, who left for Georgia, and were ranked in the top 10 during 2011 and 2012.
Muschamp said he is in no hurry for figure out his next coaching stop.
"Certainly after the FSU game, 1/8his wife,3/8 Carol, and I will take a little time and sit down and see what our next step is," Muschamp said. "I'm looking forward to that next step, but what that will be, I have no idea. I haven't put any thought into that as far as where, what, when and how.
"Right now my focus is on this team and getting us ready for these next two games."
Auburn would offer the most familiarity for Muschamp.
His first job was as a graduate assistant there from 1995-96. Muschamp returned to Auburn in 2006-07 to work for Tommy Tuberville and fielded the nation's third-ranked scoring defense and fourth-ranked pass defense during his tenure.
Muschamp went from Auburn to Texas, where he coached some of the nation's top defenses. The 2009 unit led the nation in run defense and forced turnovers to help the Longhorns reach the national title game, where they lost to Alabama.
A few hours east, Sumlin was fielding some of the nation's top offenses at Houston and competing on the recruiting trail with Muschamp. As the Gators' head coach, Muschamp became close to Spurrier.
Whoever ends up bringing Muschamp on board for 2015, he cannot recruit any prospect he has come in contact with during the past 12 months.
Muschamp is worried about nothing beyond Saturday's visit from Eastern Kentucky. It was business as usual when the team returned to the practice field Tuesday.
"I told them the football team, you're not going to see anything different," he said. "1/8Defensive tackle3/8 Caleb 1/8Brantley,3/8 you jump off sides, I'm going 1/8to3/8 rip ya. You ain't going to see anything different. We're going to coach these guys hard. They deserve that, the University of Florida deserves that.
"I'm totally invested for two weeks to be the coach at Florida and that's what we're trying to do."
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Days after he was fired as UF's coach, Muschamp said Wednesday he plans to regroup and find a new job once his four-year run with the Gators ends Nov. 29 at FSU.
"I'd like to obviously be working next year," said Muschamp, now 43.
Muschamp undoubtedly will have people lining up to hire him for his defensive mastery.
That side of the ball rarely was an issue for the Gators under Muschamp. He fielded units ranked in the top 10 nationally during the past three seasons. UF currently is 20th in total defense.
The problem was UF's offense did not rank inside the top 100 the past three seasons. In 2014, the Gators scored two touchdowns or fewer in five of eight SEC games.
Once Muschamp turns an eye to the future, he will have options. They are sure to include some SEC schools, notably Auburn, South Carolina and Texas A&M, and possibly FSU under coach Jimbo Fisher. Muschamp worked at LSU for four seasons (2001-04) with Fisher, who was the Tigers' offensive coordinator.
Fisher, Auburn's Gus Malzahn, South Carolina's Steve Spurrier and Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin are offensive masterminds with struggling defenses.
Auburn is ninth in the SEC in total defense, South Carolina is 13th of 14 teams and Texas A&M is last in the SEC. Meanwhile, Sumlin's Aggies are third in scoring offense (36 points a game), Auburn is fourth (35.5 ppg) and Spurrier's Gamecocks are fifth (34.6).
Defensive breakdowns have cost each team all season.
Top-ranked FSU allows just 22.8 points on defense — 38th in the nation — and remains unbeaten, but has relied primarily on an offense that averages 37.1 points. The Seminoles were No. 1 in scoring defense last season under Jeremy Pruitt, who left for Georgia, and were ranked in the top 10 during 2011 and 2012.
Muschamp said he is in no hurry for figure out his next coaching stop.
"Certainly after the FSU game, 1/8his wife,3/8 Carol, and I will take a little time and sit down and see what our next step is," Muschamp said. "I'm looking forward to that next step, but what that will be, I have no idea. I haven't put any thought into that as far as where, what, when and how.
"Right now my focus is on this team and getting us ready for these next two games."
Auburn would offer the most familiarity for Muschamp.
His first job was as a graduate assistant there from 1995-96. Muschamp returned to Auburn in 2006-07 to work for Tommy Tuberville and fielded the nation's third-ranked scoring defense and fourth-ranked pass defense during his tenure.
Muschamp went from Auburn to Texas, where he coached some of the nation's top defenses. The 2009 unit led the nation in run defense and forced turnovers to help the Longhorns reach the national title game, where they lost to Alabama.
A few hours east, Sumlin was fielding some of the nation's top offenses at Houston and competing on the recruiting trail with Muschamp. As the Gators' head coach, Muschamp became close to Spurrier.
Whoever ends up bringing Muschamp on board for 2015, he cannot recruit any prospect he has come in contact with during the past 12 months.
Muschamp is worried about nothing beyond Saturday's visit from Eastern Kentucky. It was business as usual when the team returned to the practice field Tuesday.
"I told them the football team, you're not going to see anything different," he said. "1/8Defensive tackle3/8 Caleb 1/8Brantley,3/8 you jump off sides, I'm going 1/8to3/8 rip ya. You ain't going to see anything different. We're going to coach these guys hard. They deserve that, the University of Florida deserves that.
"I'm totally invested for two weeks to be the coach at Florida and that's what we're trying to do."
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