University of Texas athletic director, Deloss Dodds, and head football coach, Mack Brown, announced this week that they have appointed Texas defensive coordinator, Will Muschamp, as the future, would-be head coach for the Longhorns.  Muschamps salary was doubled to over $900k, making him the highest paid assistant coach in the country.  There has been no formal announcement of Mack Brown stepping down/retiring as head coach any time soon, but the raise in salary and promisary vote of confidence in Muschamp were a designed move to hold on to something good before it bolts to greener pastures. 

Brown has already lost great defensive coordinators the past few years to other BCS programs looking for new, bright head coaches.  Greg Robinson recently helmed Syracuse, and Gene Chizik is still at Iowa St.  Brown and Dodds were not about to let another defensive guru leave their sidelines.  The timing of the Longhorns' decision is far from coincidental.  With many prime BCS head-coaching positions coming open, it was only a matter of time before those programs started burning down Muschamp's phone lines.  Clemson, Auburn, Tennessee, Washington, etc would have been great programs to get his feet wet in.  However, Texas is one of the Holy Grails for coaching.  You don't step away from UT with an opportunity like this staring you in the face.  At 37 years old, Muschamp has plenty of years to learn and wait patiently for his time.  Mack Brown currently has an 8 year contract, but is likely to retire before its end and not renogiate for longer.

So, why Muschamp?  Why wasn't the same deal struck for Chizik, Robinson, or even current, longtime offensive coordinator Greg Davis?  Why not QB coach, all-time UT fan favorite, Major Applewhite?  I think Muschamp was a once in a lifetime window of opportunity that UT could not pass up.  Every Saturday we hear the ESPN bobble-heads talk more about Muschamp and his future than they talk about Brown.  Undoubtably, more than a few people in the CFB industry understand that Muschamp has more going for him than just a few successful seasons at several BCS programs.  He must already have wonderful recruiting inroads lined up across the southern USA that most head coaches, much less assistant coaches, would love to have.  For the last 5+ years UT has built itself into an offensive machine with occassional decent defensive squads.  Now comes the time when a superb defense needs to be raised in order to keep up with the new, spread offenses sprouting everywhere.  Muschamp will undoubtably be the right guy to recruit the speed talent needed to defend highflying passing attacks.

Doesn't Muschamp remind you of a guy up north in Norman?  Think back to that firey defensive coordinator that use to hop around insanely on Steve Spurrier's side-line?  Doesn't Muschamp's animation remind you of Bob Stoops?  Stoops has definitely mellowed more and more as head coach, but his defensive prowess and ability to fire up his team, are clearly similar to Muschamp's animated style.  The Longhorns, having lived for decades under old-school, CEO-type head coaches, but would now be looking at a headcoach that's active in play calling and coordinating, and brings youthful vigor to the sidelines.

However, I don't think it's just recruiting in-roads or sparky defense that have tipped the scales for Muschamp.  We usually don't get a feel for assistant coaches' personalities or private lives, as they typically live modest existences under their head coaches.  The media just doesn't have time and money to give any coverage to an assistant.  However, we've seen plenty of it this year for Muschamp.  A lot of that attention must be that he's an approachable and likeable fellow.  Perhaps there's a guy there that can work a press conference and booster/alumni meeting?  Perhaps this is another one of those special, Good Ole Boys, that often seem more politician than coach, which is exactly what a top-notch college football program needs at its helm.  As much as his job will be X's and O's, he also has to constantly work the phones, make the visits, press the hands, and kiss the mothers and babies to be successful.  You can bet that Dodds and Brown have spotted these qualities in Muschamp.  Dodds has taken a lot of flack in his 15+ years as UT atheltic director, but he's built the whole university into a highly competitive, NC caliber program in any sport.  So, he's not a stupid or dense fellow.  Likewise, Brown, having had to fill the great shoes of Darrell Royal, knows what it takes to be coach at Texas.  Former head coach John Mackovic was a perfectly capable coach for any major program.  However, he lacked the special qualities of being a diplomat and politician that are required at Texas.  Alumni never liked him.  He didn't fit in as a Texas good ole boy, and he didn't have the demeanor that would enamor himself to high school coaches and Texas families.  Mackovic's predesessor, David McWilliams, had the opposite problem.  He knew how to be friendly, and was a Texas orangeblood through and through.  However, he was not the CEO type that could manage all aspects of a big time program.  He was just a friendly, overrated high-school coach taking advantage of Texas-sized talent.  We have to look back before him to Fred Akers (Darrell Royal's successor) to remember what Texas CEO-type coaching was like.  Akers was a good coach who understood how to work the recruiting lanes and handle the national pressure of being UT head coach.  However, he fell victim to the worst of coaching fates... the fans weren't content with just winning, but were spoiled to want championships.  So he was fired after a decade of near misses at the national level.  Luckily for Mack Brown, he was able to gain his NC in 2005, and thus earn himself a spot in Texas lore with Darrell Royal, Tommy Nobis, Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams, Vince Young, etc.  So, Mack is qualified to detect and decide who would be a quality candidate to replace him someday.

So, is Muschamp ready to be the next CEO of the Texas Longhorns?  Not likely right now, which is why him spending a few more seasons apprenticing under Brown will be great.  Muschamp likely already has the X's and O's down to coach any program in the country.  However, as I mentioned before, it takes more than those abilities to coach at Texas.  Brown and Dodds recognize this, but see the seeds of potential that could blossom with time and patience.  UT fans can be happy that Mack Brown is hanging around for at least another few seasons.  And, wouldn't it be great to see another NC under his belt?  However, isn't it greater now knowing that if/when Brown decides to step down, that there is already a worthy replacement waiting in the wings?

Imagine small town Burton, Texas, the year is 2015, and there is a 5-star , blue-chip, all world high school stud?  Texas head coach, Will Muschamp, just came in through your family's front-door, looking to recruit you as the next star QB or RB for Texas.  Following him through the door are Mack Brown and Darrell Royal, hoping to give that little extra incentive to attend "The University".  Not only are you star-struck to meet the current Texas head coach, but you get to have even more honey poured into your ears by 2 coaching legends.  Do you think Muschamp is just the future figure head of this program?  Not likely.  If he has Dodds and Brown's endorcement, you can bet he also has Royal's and a multitude of heavy hitters in the Texas alumni and booster clubs, as well as Texas politics.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you the President of the Texas Longhorns!"

I guess Will must know what Princes Harry and William are feeling these days being heirs to the throne of England, in waiting for 20+ years.  Let's hope that it doesn't turn into a Charles-like wait of 50+ years.  I think Muschamp will give the Longhorns 3 years, by the time he's 40, to raise him to head coach.  Brown will undoubtably step aside graciously, and continue to support and mentor Muschamp all the way to more Texas NCs.

Hook'em!