Will Muschamp fired. What is next for South Carolina football
Will Muschamp is no longer the head football coach at South Carolina.
The move, announced Sunday, closes the book on a four-and-a-half season run, where South Carolina went 28-30, and had been trending down after a 9-4 campaign in 2017.
Fox affiliate WACH's Mike Uva first broke the news on Twitter.
Breaking: Will Muschamp has been relieved from his head coaching duties at the University of South Carolina, a source tells me. Mike Bobo will be the team’s interim head coach @wachfox https://t.co/2uDzHN1crD
— Mike Uva (@Mike_Uva) November 16, 2020
Much like his four-year run at Florida, Muschamp was unable to put a viable offensive product on the field. Much like his time in Gainesville, things dropped off after year two, where after going 11-2, Muschamp went a combined 10-13 before being shown the door there.
Including 2020, South Carolina's offense has ranked no higher than 57th out of 130 nationally in scoring, and that came in 2018. The other years, the offense has been ranked 116 (2016), 99 (2017), and 104 (2019).
Under first year coordinator Mike Bobo, the offense currently sits barely inside the top 100, despite a strong showing against Ole Miss. Bobo was named interim head coach.
The more frustrating part of the tenure has been defense. Outside of a 25th in points allowed finish in 2017, again his best year, the defense has been outside the top 50 every other year, and sits at 82nd in 2020.
And recently the defense was unable to get a key stop against Ole Miss, despite a record-setting night by tailback Kevin Harris and a managed night from QB Collin Hill in a 59-42 loss.
Factor all that in with back-to-back blowout losses against a rebuilding LSU team (52-24) and a no-show 48-3 performance off a bye week against Texas A&M, and it was clear Muschamp's large buyout was worth the financial hit.
Personally, you hate to see good people lose work. By all accounts, Muschamp is a nice guy, runs a clean program, his players aren't in trouble with the law and go to class.
It also spoke volumes over the summer when he backed and marched with his players after the George Floyd killing.
But NCAA football is a win-lose business, and Muschamp did not win enough, nor did he show the growth expected at this point in his tenure.
So what is the next step for South Carolina in yet another coaching search?
I would argue the move will be to an offensive minded coach, and there are many on the market.
Mike Bobo, OC/interim HC South Carolina
The offensive coordinator has head coach experience from his time at Colorado State, but he amassed a 28-35 record over five years. He has proven he can be great with top flight talent during his time as offensive coordinator at Georiga. With less than stellar talent across the board, which is what he had at Colorado State and now at South Carolina, past results say he may not be the answer.
But if he is able to turn the year around and finish with some wins, he will at least be in contention. He would likely have to clean house on the defensive staff.
Luke Fickell, HC Cincinnati
Fickell will be a top name on many school's coaching lists after the job the former Ohio State interim head coach has done the last four seasons at Cincinnati. After going 4-8, the Bearcats mounted back-to-back 11-win seasons and currently sit at 6-0.
Fickell has shown the ability to recruit and develop under the radar talent, and get the most out of them. His 6-7 mark at Ohio State is something to look at. His offenses have been in the top 23 two of the last three seasons while his defense has been in the top 25 the last three years.
Granted, that comes in the American Conference.
Josh Heupel, HC Central Florida
Another young up-and-comer, Heupel is in his third year with the Golden Knights, amassing a 26-6 record. UCF has been a proving ground of sorts the last few years for young coaches following Scott Frost.
Another from the American Conference, so take his numbers with a pinch of salt, but his offense has been in the top 10 all three years, while his defense has been in the top 50 two of those seasons. This year the defense ranks 75th in scoring. The scoring production has been on a slight decline since the program's No.1 ranking in 2017 under Frost.
Heupel's hire would also, likely, open up more recruiting avenues in Florida, a state South Carolina has rescided from in recent years in favor of south Georiga and now Alabama.
Hugh Freeze, HC Liberty
The former Ole Miss coach has seemingly recovered from controversy, and has the Blue Flame looking competitive in year two. After going 8-5, Liberty is 7-0 and has offenses in the top 35 the last two years. How much of that is on Freeze and how much is a residual from former coach Turner Gill, whose offense finished in the top 35 in his final season, is unknown.
Freeze has SEC coaching expeirnce, and went 39-25 at Ole Miss. But the personal baggage and issues the program had with the NCAA are something to consider if you go with Freeze. Has he learned from past mistakes?
You can't question his offensive acumen. He did just sign a contract extension, which may make him too expensive.
Jamey Chadwell, HC Coastal Carolina
The Chants are in their best run in a while, and Chadwell has been a big part of that. In three years he has taken CCU from 3-9 to now 7-0 and a favorite to win the Sunbelt. The SEC would be a big step up for Chadwell, and would he bring co-offensive coordinator Will Korn's pistol option offense to Columbia? Could Carolina fans stand having a former Clemson QB calling plays?
Also, is this season just a flash in the pan for Coastal and Chadwell, or is the steady climb in the scoring rankings legitimate, even if it is the Sunbelt?
Billy Napier, HC Louisiana
Would South Carolina go back to the Nick Saban coaching tree again? Napier has quietly been solid in the Sunbelt, going to bowl games back-to-back years and goint 24-11 in that time.
This year's offense though is ranked 57th, which while an improvement, many not be the big splash hire you want for a fanbase where apathy has set in. Also, his former ties to rival Clemson may be too much for some fans to get behind. And, it would be another coach jumping from the Sunbelt.
But from where South Carolina sits, getting the most out of under recruited talent is what you need right now.
Jeff Monken, HC Army
This is an outside the box pick, based simply on the fact new South Carolina president Bob Caslen came from West Point. Caslen may want to put his hand into the search, and bring in someone familiar to steady the football program. .
Monken also coached at Georgia Southern, going 38-16 over four years, and is a respectable 84-53 over his entire career. I wouldn't expect the triple option to be brought to Columbia.
Matt Campbell, HC Iowa State
In 10 years Campbell has gone 66-42 over stints at Toledo and Iowa State. He has brought respectability to the Hawkeyes and gotten the program to bowl games the last three years. His offense is consistently in the top 50, and is used to playing in the shootout style of ball the Big 12 is known for.
Kendall Briles, OC Arkansas
Briles has long been a name associated with head coach searches, whether a confirmed candidate or not. He has jumped to a new offensive coordinator job every year since 2017, from Florida Atlantic, Houston, Florida State and now Arkansas.
His offense is high-powered, and has been a part of a quick turnaround at Arkansas. Could now be the year? Or is South Carolina ready to hire someone with no head coaching experience?
Skip Holtz, HC Louisiana Tech
At one time Holtz was thr heir apparent to the program while father Lou walked the sidelines. But a sour end to that era led to a complete reset and the hiring a Steve Spurrier.
Since then the younger Holtz had made Louisiana Tech a respectable program, along with stops at South Florida and East Carolina.
He is 114-87 all time as a coach, and could a return to Columbia and a job he seemed destined for be in the cards?
Bob Stoops
I know, this name comes up every season with every team looking to name a new head coach. It also wouldn't be the first time South Carolina hired a coach who made a hall of fame worthy career at another school in an attempt to see if lightening can strike twice.
The last time it happened they hired Steve Spurrier, who is now the school's winningest coach.
Over Stoops' 18-year career at Oklahoma, Stoops went 190-48, winning 10 conference titles and the 2000 national title.
Most recenlty, he was the head coach of the XFL's Dallas Renegades.
At 60 years old, you have to think Stoops would have 7-9 good years left in him. Maybe taking over a program that has yet to win a conference title since 1969, and overall success has been modest at best, is a motivating challenge.
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