Steve Sarkisian Loves This One Thing From DC Will Muschamp

The Texas Longhorns failed to live up to their expectations last season. Entering the year as the preseason number one team in the country and overwhelming favorites to win the National Championship, they failed to even reach the College Football Playoff by year's end.

They were far from awful, though, and they were just barely on the cusp of missing the 12-team selection. Still, when expectations aren't met, changes will be made, as was evident when Steve Sarkisian opted to bring in a new voice as the defensive coordinator.

Will Muschamp wasn't brought in for just his ability to be one of the best assistant coaches around the country, but because of his fire and his energy, something that immediately drew Sarkisian towards him.

Headbutting a Dry-Erase Board

Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian — Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian before the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

After a defense that found itself slipping, during a time the offense seemed to be turning a corner, Sarkisian opted for a fresh face, giving the keys to Muschamp for the 2026 season. He's a decorated coach, with head coaching stops at Florida and South Carolina, and spent the last three seasons working with the Georgia Bulldogs in a defensive coaching capacity.

"It's been great," Sarkisian said of having Muschamp on the coaching staff. "Coach Muschamp, I think one thing, you know, I've seen the video of him hitting the board and all that stuff. I love that stuff quite frankly."

That's who Muschamp is. He oozes energy and drive and can get the most out of his players on the field. Players feed off his energy and use it themselves to get the extra push they need. However, he is more than just the "energy guy," as he knows how to call a defense and scheme a game plan to put his team in the best position to win.

"But his relationships that he has forged in our building already have been awesome," Sarkisian continued on about the effect Muschamp has had. The relationships with the players, the other coaches on staff, our staff members, you never know what you're going to get when you hire somebody, but that's another aspect of him that I think he's exceeded some of those expectations on the relationship-building piece."

For the Longhorns, it was less about turning the keys over to a new defensive scheme in 2026 and more about Sarkisian being completely hands-off in the defensive game plan room, allowing him to focus on the offensive side of the ball. With Muschamp, he has someone he can trust, someone who will bring the energy, and someone who can game-plan with the best of them, all in one coach.