Wishboned
12/15/2010, 10:34 AM
This guy has such a man crush on Stoops.
And the answer is no. There is only one...Bob Stoops.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/gators/os-bianchi-florida-will-muschamp-20101214,0,3686077.column
GAINESVILLE – When this all started, we all thought athletic director Jeremy Foley may finally convince Bob Stoops to become the head coach of the Florida Gators, and you know what?
I'm starting to wonder if that's not exactly what Foley did.
Could it be that he has hired The Ghost of Stoopsy Past – a hot, young assistant who many in the profession, including Foley, believe is destined for coaching greatness?
Foley proudly unveiled his next-generation version of Stoops to Gator Nation Tuesday, except there was one catch. His name is Will Muschamp.
"I see a lot of the same things in Will that I saw in a young Bobby Stoops," Foley says decisively. "… Let me tell you something, this guy is ready to be a head coach. He is NOT a gamble."
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Many critics believe Muschamp, who has never before been a head coach, is a monumental reach, but Foley strongly disagrees. He says Muschamp is no more of a reach than Stoops was when he was the defensive coordinator at Florida and the hottest assistant coach in the country. Now, a dozen years later, Muschamp, too, is a highly successful defensive coordinator and the hottest assistant coach in the country.
And then there is this: Muschamp is 39 years old -- the same age Stoops was when Oklahoma hired him as a rookie head coach.
Granted, it's a bit of a stretch to compare the unproven Muschamp to Stoops, who has won more games over the last decade than anybody in major college football. The fact is nobody knows if Muschamp will turn into a great head coach, but we do know this after Tuesday: He gives a great press conference.
Muschamp introduced himself to Florida fans Tuesday with a decisive, confident address that was as animated and caffeinated as a triple shot of 5-Hour Energy. Muschamp seems to have found all of the passion and enthusiasm that Urban Meyer lost somewhere during his brilliant-but-brief six years as UF's coach.
It's a good thing Muschamp is fired up because he will need to be. Let's face it, when Muschamp's introductory press conference was over Tuesday so was his honeymoon. You see, there is no honeymoon when you elope, and that's essentially what Foley did. He eloped in the middle of the night last week and came back three days later with a surprise bride. And, frankly, Gator fans are sort of like the suspicious mother-in-law. They want desperately to like the new bride, but they just aren't sure.
How can they be? Foley came back home to Gainesville with a new coach who is a former Georgia Bulldog captain and who is close friends with Florida State's head coach. You want to talk about literally sleeping with the enemy. Muschamp and FSU coach Jimbo Fisher, who worked side by side as coordinators on Nick Saban's national championship coaching staff at LSU, co-own a beach house together in Panama City.
"I suffered temporary insanity," Muschamp cracked. "We bought the beach house together. We haven't negotiated yet what's going to happen to it."
Muschamp seems to understand that he needs to tear a page from the playbook of his old old buddy Jimbo, who hit the ground running in his first year at Florida State. Muschamp grew up a Gator in Gainesville. He knows he is stepping into a meat grinder that chewed up Meyer and spit him out after six years.
"We're not a five-year plan here," Muschamp said. "We understand the expectations at Florida, and the expectations are to win championships."
Like I said, it was a great first press conference. Gator fans will tell you now how they are enthralled and excited about Muschamp. They will tell you how they trust the instincts of Foley, arguably the best AD in country. They will tell you that the engaged, enlivened Muschamp is just what UF needs to re-energize its program.
But none of this rhetoric matters. None of the media criticism matters. None of what was said at the press conference matters. All that matters is what happens next season when Tennessee, Florida State and Alabama come to Gainesville.
In this state, nothing matters except what happens on Saturday. Ask Randy Shannon, who was just fired at Miami even though he had spectacular graduation rate. Ask Ron Zook, who was fired after only 2 1/2 seasons at Florida. Ask Bobby Bowden, who was fired after 33 years at Florida State.
And what will become of Will Muschamp?
"I really believe he is going to be special," Foley says,
But only time will tell.
Check back in three years.
Only then will we know if this is a Stoops hire or a stupid hire.
And the answer is no. There is only one...Bob Stoops.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/gators/os-bianchi-florida-will-muschamp-20101214,0,3686077.column
GAINESVILLE – When this all started, we all thought athletic director Jeremy Foley may finally convince Bob Stoops to become the head coach of the Florida Gators, and you know what?
I'm starting to wonder if that's not exactly what Foley did.
Could it be that he has hired The Ghost of Stoopsy Past – a hot, young assistant who many in the profession, including Foley, believe is destined for coaching greatness?
Foley proudly unveiled his next-generation version of Stoops to Gator Nation Tuesday, except there was one catch. His name is Will Muschamp.
"I see a lot of the same things in Will that I saw in a young Bobby Stoops," Foley says decisively. "… Let me tell you something, this guy is ready to be a head coach. He is NOT a gamble."
Sign up for our new Varsity Sports newsletter and get high school sports updates delivered right to your inbox.
Many critics believe Muschamp, who has never before been a head coach, is a monumental reach, but Foley strongly disagrees. He says Muschamp is no more of a reach than Stoops was when he was the defensive coordinator at Florida and the hottest assistant coach in the country. Now, a dozen years later, Muschamp, too, is a highly successful defensive coordinator and the hottest assistant coach in the country.
And then there is this: Muschamp is 39 years old -- the same age Stoops was when Oklahoma hired him as a rookie head coach.
Granted, it's a bit of a stretch to compare the unproven Muschamp to Stoops, who has won more games over the last decade than anybody in major college football. The fact is nobody knows if Muschamp will turn into a great head coach, but we do know this after Tuesday: He gives a great press conference.
Muschamp introduced himself to Florida fans Tuesday with a decisive, confident address that was as animated and caffeinated as a triple shot of 5-Hour Energy. Muschamp seems to have found all of the passion and enthusiasm that Urban Meyer lost somewhere during his brilliant-but-brief six years as UF's coach.
It's a good thing Muschamp is fired up because he will need to be. Let's face it, when Muschamp's introductory press conference was over Tuesday so was his honeymoon. You see, there is no honeymoon when you elope, and that's essentially what Foley did. He eloped in the middle of the night last week and came back three days later with a surprise bride. And, frankly, Gator fans are sort of like the suspicious mother-in-law. They want desperately to like the new bride, but they just aren't sure.
How can they be? Foley came back home to Gainesville with a new coach who is a former Georgia Bulldog captain and who is close friends with Florida State's head coach. You want to talk about literally sleeping with the enemy. Muschamp and FSU coach Jimbo Fisher, who worked side by side as coordinators on Nick Saban's national championship coaching staff at LSU, co-own a beach house together in Panama City.
"I suffered temporary insanity," Muschamp cracked. "We bought the beach house together. We haven't negotiated yet what's going to happen to it."
Muschamp seems to understand that he needs to tear a page from the playbook of his old old buddy Jimbo, who hit the ground running in his first year at Florida State. Muschamp grew up a Gator in Gainesville. He knows he is stepping into a meat grinder that chewed up Meyer and spit him out after six years.
"We're not a five-year plan here," Muschamp said. "We understand the expectations at Florida, and the expectations are to win championships."
Like I said, it was a great first press conference. Gator fans will tell you now how they are enthralled and excited about Muschamp. They will tell you how they trust the instincts of Foley, arguably the best AD in country. They will tell you that the engaged, enlivened Muschamp is just what UF needs to re-energize its program.
But none of this rhetoric matters. None of the media criticism matters. None of what was said at the press conference matters. All that matters is what happens next season when Tennessee, Florida State and Alabama come to Gainesville.
In this state, nothing matters except what happens on Saturday. Ask Randy Shannon, who was just fired at Miami even though he had spectacular graduation rate. Ask Ron Zook, who was fired after only 2 1/2 seasons at Florida. Ask Bobby Bowden, who was fired after 33 years at Florida State.
And what will become of Will Muschamp?
"I really believe he is going to be special," Foley says,
But only time will tell.
Check back in three years.
Only then will we know if this is a Stoops hire or a stupid hire.