Could Will Muschamp Be An Option for Jeremy Pruitt's Staff?

After almost five years of being South Carolina's head football coach, Will Muschamp is out the door and a free agent in the coaching world. Muschamp, formerly an elite defensive coordinator, will likely not stay unemployed for long, and it is a possibility that Jeremy Pruitt at least gives him a call.

Muschamp and Pruitt have never coached together, but the defensive-minded coaches have several connecting factors, and according to Lane Kiffin, "they all have the same father."

Despite not coaching together, Pruitt and Muschamp are at least friends. Earlier this year, it was revealed the duo was in a group text message with Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart.

At the time, Kiffin said, "We are in a group text. Me, Kirby, Jeremy, and Will. I must have said something funny. I don't know. It's a pretty interesting group chat...a lot of stuff. Sometimes it's 'hey, how are you guys doing with COVID or a practice idea, just sharing with each other. Sometimes it's personal funny stuff. It's a pretty interesting group. Three good guys."

Kiffin was asked how the group formed, and he responded, "we all have the same father." Meaning Nick Saban. The group all served as assistant coaches under the best college football coach in the country at one point in time. While part of the group has worked together under Saban at different stops, Pruitt and Muschamp have not coached on the same sideline. However, it does seem possible it could happen at Tennessee.

Tennessee moved on from Jimmy Brumbaugh after just four games for "philosophical differences", and given their coaching tree, it is unlikely that Pruitt would run into this with Muschamp, not to mention his off-field recruiting ties.

Muschamp has had successful stops at LSU, Texas, and Auburn as a defensive coach, to go along with being on Saban's NFL staff in Miami, and while things have not worked out for him as a head coach, his buyout would allow him to get his feet back into a coordinator position with ease. Tennessee will need to fill Jimmy Brumbaugh's vacancy as defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator this off-season. While Muschamp has served as more of a hands-on linebacker coach, it would be trivial to think he would not be able to coach the defensive line or that Tennessee would not shuffle its staff to get him in place.

Barring a catastrophic meltdown to end this season, along the lines of three 35-plus point losses to Auburn, Texas A&M, and Florida, and adding a loss to Vanderbilt, it is unlikely Jeremy Pruitt is not the coach at Tennessee heading into 2021. He has to get the staff in place that he feels he can win with going into year four, and Muschamp may provide that opportunity.

Muschamp's hot-headed coaching style is never going to win the popular vote, but his track record as an assistant speaks for itself. His philosophy aligns with Jeremy Pruitt, his recruiting ties are extensive, and he simply may be the best name on the market in 2020. There is likely at least a month or two before Pruitt makes a final decision on his staff, but Muschamp will have plenty of suitors, and will likely at least get a call from Tennessee.