Texas Assistant Coach Gets Honest About Will Muschamp Hire

The Texas Longhorns had an overall successful season in 2025, going 11-3 and winning the Citrus Bowl, but they fell short of where they as a team wanted to be.

In response, head coach Steve Sarkisian oversaw a massive turnover of the roster and coaching staff, most notably bringing in SEC veteran Will Muschamp to take over defensive coordinator duties from Pete Kwiatkowski.

A few weeks into spring practice, the change seems to be going well.

Defensive line coach Kenny Baker, whom Muschamp inherited from Kwiatkowski, recently discussed the transition.

What Texas' Defense Has Been Like Since Muschamp Took Over

Texas Longhorns assistant head coach Will Muschamp after a game against the Rice Owls | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Muschamp, who was also Texas' defensive coordinator from 2008-2010 was brought in to change the status quo and general feel around the office. Kwiatkowski had led good defenses every season he had the talent to do so, but Sarkisian felt the team lacked a certain 'oomph.'

The change has led to a metaphysical tear-down of Texas' defense, something Baker spoke about in a media availability earlier this week.

"[We] start with a clean slate, don't assume anything, both coaches and players," Baker said.

Baker also said that teams take part in that kind of self evaluation every season, but that things were different because of the perspective that an experienced coach like Muschamp brings.

There are few coaches who are more experienced in the SEC than Muschamp, who has been on the conferences' coaching staffs for nearly 30 years. If anyone knows southern college football, it is him.

"With Muschamp's history in this league, and knowing majority of these [SEC] coordinators, it's been good to kind of get a fresh viewpoint," Baker said.

There has been little specification as to what Muschamp's defense will actually look like, but some general themes are starting to emerge.

Baker hinted that there would be a focus on putting players in a position to succeed and mimizing their weaknesses.

"It's been a lot of revisiting 'okay, what was good, what wasn't,?" Baker said.

This makes sense given that Muschamp's defensive personnel will look extremely similar to Kwiatkowski's, as both are heavy users of five-defensiveback nickel packages, but the way those players are used will be very different.

There is no way to be sure of the exact shape of Muschamp's defense until it takes the field, but Longhorns fans should be optimistic based on the early reports out of spring practice.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.