Why The Texas Longhorns' Biggest Acquisition This Offseason Was Not a Player

The Texas Longhorns had a successful 2025, finishing the regular season 9-3 and handling the Michigan Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl. However, they fell short of where many expected them to be as the preseason No. 1 team in the country.

In response, head coach Steve Sarkisian underwent the most drastic offseason of his half-a-decade tenure, letting 25 players transfer to other squads and bringing in the No. 2 portal class in the country to replace them.

Amidst massive roster turnover, Sarkisian also made a massive move on his coaching staff: firing defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkoski and bringing in Will Muschamp. While names like Cam Coleman, Hollywood Smothers and Rasheem Biles have occupied Longhorns headlines for the past few months, it is Muschamp who will be the biggest difference maker for Texas in 2025.

Bringing in Will Muschamp was Texas' Best Move in 2026

Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator Will Muschamp watches on the sidelines during the 2010 BCS National Championship against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Rose Bowl. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Kwiatkoski's exit was a shock to most Texas fans, given that he is the only defensive play-caller Sarkisian has worked with at Texas and led successful defenses from 2022 onward.

Less surprising was Muschamp being tagged as his successor. The fiery coach has an unparalleled track record, as he has worked in the Southeastern Conference for nearly the past 30 years and has worked under the likes of championship-winning coaches Nick Saban, Mack Brown and Kirby Smart.

Muschamp is returning to a role he served with the Longhorns from 2008-2010, a stretch during which the Longhorns made the National Championship game and had two one-loss seasons.

After Texas, Muschamp had middling success in stints as the head coach of the Florida Gators and South Carolina Gamecocks, with a season as the defensive coordinator of the Auburn Tigers interspersed between them, before serving a variety of roles on the Georgia Bulldogs defensive coaching staff from 2021-2025.

As a defensive specialist with the Tigers and Bulldogs, Muschamp had pronounced success, winning back-to-back national titles with Georgia in 2021 and 2022. It seems that Muschamp thrives in roles where he is allowed to concentrate on that side of the football.

"[When] you put Will Muschamp in a role where he doesn't have to worry about the whole program, [and] he can lock into day-in, day-out defense ... This man turns into something completely different," Greg McElroy of Always College Football said. "If Texas makes the playoffs, and they're in great shape, it's going to be partly because Will Muschamp is calling the defense."

Texas has seen what a focused Muschamp can do before, and with all of Sarkisian's chips pushed to the middle of the table, he knew exactly who to call on to pilot his defense.

On top of his experience, Muschamp also brings an intensity that Texas has lacked in recent seasons and especially last year. He will probably always be remembered for this clip of him in Nick Saban on LSU's sideline.

This video of Nick Saban and Will Muschamp is absolutely hilarious 🤣pic.twitter.com/zhGsQEZmv2
— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) March 22, 2024

Players around the program are already noticing the difference.

"The energy, the energy is a little bit different," Veteran defensive lineman Hero Kanu said. "And obviously, the knowledge of the game, he's been in this business a long time."

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