Will Muschamp William Larry Muschamp ( born August 3 , 1971 ) is an American college football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of the Florida Gators football team of the University of Florida . A native of Georgia , Muschamp attended the University of Georgia and played for the Georgia Bulldogs . Muschamp previously served as the defensive coordinator for the LSU Tigers , Auburn Tigers , and the Texas Longhorns . He also served as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League ( NFL ) . Muschamp has gained a reputation both for his excellent defenses and his intense , enthusiastic demeanor during games and practice . In his second season at Auburn , Muschamp was a finalist for the 2007 Broyles Award for the most outstanding assistant coach in college football . Prior to accepting the job at Florida , the University of Texas had announced that Muschamp would eventually succeed Mack Brown as head coach of the Longhorns and designated him the " head coach in waiting . " Early years . Muschamp was born in Rome , Georgia but grew up in Gainesville , Florida . He attended Martha Manson Academy elementary school and Oak Hall High School in Gainesville . His family moved back to Rome , where his father became the head master of the Darlington School , and where he graduated from high school . Muschamp played football , basketball , baseball , and ran track for the Darlington Tigers . College career . Muschamp attended the University of Georgia in Athens , Georgia . He walked on to the Georgia Bulldogs football team and played safety from 1991 to 1994 . As an undergraduate , he was initiated into the Kappa Alpha Order ( Gamma Chapter ) and also earned a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 1993 . He was a defensive team captain his senior season , and played in two bowl games with the Bulldogs . Current Georgia offensive coordinator and former Bulldogs quarterback Mike Bobo , who was Muschamp ' s college teammate , described him as " a hard worker . Very physical . Very intense . " Muschamp graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor ' s degree in 1994 . Coaching career . After graduating from Georgia , Muschamp became a graduate assistant coach at Auburn University , where he worked under defensive coordinators Wayne Hall and Bill Oliver in 1995 and 1996 . He earned a master ' s degree in education from Auburn in 1996 , then spent a season each at the University of West Georgia and Eastern Kentucky University as the defensive backs coach , before becoming the defensive coordinator at Valdosta State University in 2000 . LSU Tigers . Muschamp joined Nick Saban ' s staff at LSU as the linebackers coach in 2001 , before rising to become the LSU defensive coordinator in 2002 . In 2003 , LSU won the BCS Championship . That season , Muschamp ' s defense led the nation in both scoring defense ( 11 . 0 points per game ) and total defense ( 252 . 0 yards per game ) . The Tigers topped the SEC in every major defensive category and also ranked second nationally in defensive pass efficiency ( 89 . 8 rating ) and third in rushing defense ( 67 . 0 yards per game ) . While at LSU , Muschamp coached four All - Americans including Bradie James , Chad Lavalais , Corey Webster and Marcus Spears . Muschamp left LSU with Saban after the 2004 season to join the Miami Dolphins staff as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator . Miami Dolphins . As assistant head coach and defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins , Muschamp ' s defense ranked fifteenth in total defense in the NFL . The Dolphins allowed 19 . 8 points per game and 317 . 4 total yards per game during the 2005 NFL season . Muschamp ' s unit also ranked second in the NFL with 49 quarterback sack s . Auburn Tigers . When the Auburn defensive coordinator position became available in January 2006 , Muschamp took the opportunity to return to the college game . In 2006 , Muschamp ' s first season at Auburn , the defense finished seventh among NCAA Division I - FBS teams in scoring defense , allowing only 21 touchdowns . In 2007 , Auburn led the SEC in scoring defense and finished in the top 10 in four defensive categories ( ranking 7th nationally in pass efficiency and 6th nationally in total defense , passing defense and scoring defense among NCAA Division I - FBS teams ) . Texas Longhorns . On January 3 , 2008 , Muschamp interviewed for the vacant co - defensive coordinator job for the University of Texas . The next day , he resigned from Auburn to accept the position with Texas . Muschamp was slated to receive a raise to $ 425 , 000 per year with a two year , no buyout , contract at Auburn for 2008 , which would have made him the highest paid assistant coach in the SEC . Muschamp received a contract with a $ 425 , 000 annual salary at Texas , making him the highest paid assistant coach in the Big 12 . On November 18 , 2008 The University of Texas announced that Will Muschamp would eventually succeed Mack Brown as head football coach . They agreed in principle to increase Muschamp ’ s salary to $ 900 , 000 . There was no timetable set for Brown ’ s departure , and both Brown and UT said they expected Brown to stay a long time . 59 - year old Brown is under contract as head coach through 2016 . Upon Brown ' s retirement , Muschamp was slated to get a five - year contract as head coach . In announcing the move , the University of Texas noted , " Muschamp ' s Longhorn defense is leading the Big 12 in rushing defense ( 82 . 5 ypg / 25th NCAA ) and scoring defense ( 19 . 5 ppg / 25th NCAA ) . UT ranks second nationally with four sacks per game . The Horns have held all of their Big 12 opponents below their season scoring average and limited six foes to 14 points or less . " UT Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds said , " With the landscape in college football and all of the changes around the country , I ' ve been looking at this for the last couple of years . When it ' s not working , you have to go outside and make changes . Things are going well here , it ' s working , so it ' s best to be prepared to build from inside and that ' s what we ' re doing . Mack has provided outstanding leadership and continues to elevate our football program to a level as high as anyone in the country . We hope he stays a long time and he will be our coach as long as he wants , but this assures us that when the time comes , we have the right guy to step up into that position and continue to build on the great things we ' re accomplishing . " Prior to this announcement , Muschamp had been mentioned in association with head coaching job openings at Clemson , Tennessee , Washington , and Auburn . He had been planning an off - week interview with Clemson but as a result of this deal decided instead to wait his turn at Texas , saying , " This is a special place . I think it is ' the ' elite job in the country . " Austin American - Statesman columnist Kirk Bohls predicted this would be good for the program : " Muschamp ' s ascension conveys to fans and recruits that Texas values what it has now as one of the elite programs in the country and wants to maintain . This smart , bold move should bring coaching stability , sustained recruiting and possibly expanded recruiting into the Southeast and a continued framework for success . " Florida Gators . On December 11 , 2010 , University of Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley named Muschamp to succeed Urban Meyer as the head coach of the Florida Gators football program . In his first year as head coach , he led the Gators to a 7 – 6 record and a 24 – 17 Gator Bowl victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes . Muschamp also proved himself an adept recruiter , bringing in the No . 3 recruiting class in the nation according to Rivals . com . In his second season at Florida , Muschamp led the Gators to an 11 – 1 regular season with four wins over teams that were ranked among the top twelve of the BCS standings at the end of the regular season , including Texas A & M , LSU , South Carolina , and Florida State . However , the season ended with a disappointing 33 - 23 loss to the Louisville Cardinals in the Sugar Bowl . Personal . Muschamp ' s wife Carol ( née Davis ) is from Thomaston , Georgia . They have two sons , Jackson and Whit . His brother Mike Muschamp is the head football coach at The Lovett School in Atlanta , Georgia .