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'90 alumnus finds new coaching home in the NFL
Oct 13, 2005 8:59 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
Written by Jim O'Hara, Rome News-Tribune Sports Editor, published 10/13/05
As a football coach, Will Muschamp ('90) had one of the quickest ascents to become one of the top collegiate defensive coordinators in the country. After all, the Rome native has always had a knack for the game, not to mention his dedication to do what it takes to become successful.
From the day he earned a scholarship at the University of Georgia — he first had to walk-on with the Bulldogs after a broken femur he suffered in a baseball game his junior year scared away recruiters — to his appointment as the defensive coordinator at LSU just eight years after graduating from Georgia, Muschamp proved he knew a lot about the game. Yet never, never did the former Darlington standout give much of a thought to making it to the NFL.
That all changed this year when Muschamp made the transition to the pros by becoming the assistant head coach/defense for the Miami Dolphins.
“I never cared about going to the NFL and never really thought about it,” said Muschamp, who was one of six LSU assistants brought into the Dolphins’ fold by Miami head coach and former Tigers’ coach Nick Saban. “But football is football. It all boils down to basic fundamentals.
“It’s been a great experience,” he added. “There are times when I miss college football, but this has been an awesome experience. On this level, everybody’s good and they’re all well-coached.”
Coaching is something that has always been in Muschamps’ blood. It’s a family thing, one that includes his dad, former East Rome High coach Larry Muschamp, and his brother, Mike Muschamp, who is now the head coach at Lovett School in Atlanta.
After ending his playing career with the Bulldogs, where he was a co-captain his senior year, Muschamp sharpened his coaching skills at Auburn as a grad assistant, then joined the staffs at Eastern Kentucky, West Georgia and Valdosta State before landing at LSU. It was in Baton Rouge, La., where Muschamp made a name for himself, becoming the defensive coordinator in 2002.
That next year during LSU’s run to the national title, the Tigers led the nation in scoring defense (11.0 ppg) and total defense (252 ypg). Last fall, which turned out to be his last year at LSU, Muschamps’ unit was the nation’s third-ranked defense, so when Saban made the move to the NFL by taking over the top job at Miami, Muschamp was one of his first hires. The transition to being a professional coach wasn’t hard for him, although he now is in charge of grown men who play the game.
“Four of the guys on defense are older than I am,” Muschamp said. “But what’s different is that they understand what you want done. As long as they know you can help them, they’ll do anything you ask of them.”
Judging from how they have started the season, taking a 2-2 record into Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay, the Dolphins — Miami has the second-best defense in the AFC — have responded.
One thing that has changed, Muschamp pointed out, is the number of hours the coaching staff puts in every week under Saban, who rarely allows his assistants to be quoted in the media.
“It’s a grind,” said Muschamp, who patrols the Dolphins’ sidelines every Sunday. “It’s a longer season, but you don’t have recruiting on top of it. But we’re working seven days a week, and it would be eight days a week if we had them.”
As a football coach, Will Muschamp ('90) had one of the quickest ascents to become one of the top collegiate defensive coordinators in the country. After all, the Rome native has always had a knack for the game, not to mention his dedication to do what it takes to become successful.
From the day he earned a scholarship at the University of Georgia — he first had to walk-on with the Bulldogs after a broken femur he suffered in a baseball game his junior year scared away recruiters — to his appointment as the defensive coordinator at LSU just eight years after graduating from Georgia, Muschamp proved he knew a lot about the game. Yet never, never did the former Darlington standout give much of a thought to making it to the NFL.
That all changed this year when Muschamp made the transition to the pros by becoming the assistant head coach/defense for the Miami Dolphins.
“I never cared about going to the NFL and never really thought about it,” said Muschamp, who was one of six LSU assistants brought into the Dolphins’ fold by Miami head coach and former Tigers’ coach Nick Saban. “But football is football. It all boils down to basic fundamentals.
“It’s been a great experience,” he added. “There are times when I miss college football, but this has been an awesome experience. On this level, everybody’s good and they’re all well-coached.”
Coaching is something that has always been in Muschamps’ blood. It’s a family thing, one that includes his dad, former East Rome High coach Larry Muschamp, and his brother, Mike Muschamp, who is now the head coach at Lovett School in Atlanta.
After ending his playing career with the Bulldogs, where he was a co-captain his senior year, Muschamp sharpened his coaching skills at Auburn as a grad assistant, then joined the staffs at Eastern Kentucky, West Georgia and Valdosta State before landing at LSU. It was in Baton Rouge, La., where Muschamp made a name for himself, becoming the defensive coordinator in 2002.
That next year during LSU’s run to the national title, the Tigers led the nation in scoring defense (11.0 ppg) and total defense (252 ypg). Last fall, which turned out to be his last year at LSU, Muschamps’ unit was the nation’s third-ranked defense, so when Saban made the move to the NFL by taking over the top job at Miami, Muschamp was one of his first hires. The transition to being a professional coach wasn’t hard for him, although he now is in charge of grown men who play the game.
“Four of the guys on defense are older than I am,” Muschamp said. “But what’s different is that they understand what you want done. As long as they know you can help them, they’ll do anything you ask of them.”
Judging from how they have started the season, taking a 2-2 record into Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay, the Dolphins — Miami has the second-best defense in the AFC — have responded.
One thing that has changed, Muschamp pointed out, is the number of hours the coaching staff puts in every week under Saban, who rarely allows his assistants to be quoted in the media.
“It’s a grind,” said Muschamp, who patrols the Dolphins’ sidelines every Sunday. “It’s a longer season, but you don’t have recruiting on top of it. But we’re working seven days a week, and it would be eight days a week if we had them.”
