Muschamp Speaks! New Defensive Coordinator addresses return to Texas

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One of the biggest stories in Texas football’s offseason has been the return of defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. The one-time “coach in waiting” is back on the Forty Acres in the same role he had when Texas made it to the BCS National Championship game in 2009.

Muschamp addressed the Longhorns media contingent for the first time since returning to the Forty Acres on Thursday after spring practice. The DC was wearing a shirt that says, “NT = NP.” The excitable Georgia Alum explained.

“This is ‘no thud equals no play’,” Muschamp said. “If you don’t thud at practice, and you don’t throw your face in the fan at practice, then that means you’re probably not going to be a good tackler. So if you don’t thud at practice, that means you’re not going to be a good tackler. And the best defenses I’ve been a part of, they tackled extremely well. And right now in offensive football, you better be able to tackle and play in space. So we’ve got some guys – not many of them – that don’t want to thud at practice. They won’t. I call it a ‘turn down.’ If you turn down too much, you won’t get on the bus to go to the game. You’ll be watching it from home. So if you don’t thud, you won’t play. That’s what this means. It’s very important to me.”

That’s the Muschamp fans remember. Muschamp said it was a “very easy” decision coming back to Austin.

“Very easy decision and a very quick decision,” Muschamp told on3.com this week. “Coach Sarkisian reached out and asked me if I was interested in coming back to Texas. I asked my wife Carol, she looked at me and said ‘let’s go tomorrow.’ We’re obviously empty nesters. My youngest son, Whit, is at Vanderbilt playing football. My oldest son, Jackson, is working for CAA in Nashville. We were really excited to get back to Austin.”

Muschamp was Texas’ defensive coordinator under Mack Brown over 15 years ago and two-time head coach in the Southeastern Conference, with stints at Florida and South Carolina. He was officially tabbed the “Head Coach in waiting” at Texas, but Mack Brown decided he wasn’t ready to retire yet after the Longhorns lost the 2009 BCS Championship game to Alabama. That was the game Colt McCoy hurt his shoulder in the first quarter.

Sark brought Muschamp back to replace Pete Kwiatkowski, who was fired on the same day the Muschamp hire was announced. Kwiatkowski’s defenses were solid, but would crack at key times in big games.

Much of the Texas roster was too young to remember Muschamp’s first stint in Austin. But most have seen his iconic viral whiteboard video on social media.

“I’ve obviously heard of him. I’ve seen the video of him hitting the board and stuff,” sophomore edge Lance Jackson told the Daily Texan. “I knew when he first came in here, he was the real deal.” 

“He pushes us every day, he wants nothing but the best,” junior linebacker Colin Simmons told the Texan. “He’s gonna get the best out of you. I’m just glad that we got a dog on our team.” 

“The energy is a little bit different (from before) — that’s one thing he’s bringing every day into meetings,” senior defensive linebacker Hero Kanu told the Texan. “It can be 6 a.m. in the morning. It doesn’t matter. He’s bringing energy and obviously the knowledge of the game, and he’s been in this business for a long time.”

So far, the 54-year-old has been impressed with the current Texas program under Sarkisian.

“Great to be back. Excited about being at the University of Texas again. Appreciate Coach Sarkisian for giving me this opportunity. It’s been awesome. He does a phenomenal job with our staff, with our players, we’re very like minded in how you run a program.” Muschamp also praised the players he’s inherited. “I’ve been so impressed with their work ethic and their buy in for football.”

“Our time with Coach Brown here before was unbelievable. The University of Texas does everything in a first-class manner. Nothing’s changed. It’s been that way since we’ve been back. It’s been truly awesome,” Muschamp explained to On3.

“I’ve always had tremendous respect for him as a play-caller. Obviously, when you have respect for a guy that coaches on the other side — I’ve never been on the same sideline with him, which I’m glad I am now. Very positive. I’ve never known him as the man, but the guy does a phenomenal job with our team. He does a great job managing our staff. I’ve been so impressed.

“We’re obviously very like-minded. People would say ‘he’s an offensive coach and you’re a defensive coach, how can you be like-minded?’ He grew up with Pete Carroll and Nick Saban, both defensive coaches. That’s what makes him a great play-caller because he understands defenses very well. Very like-minded because of Coach Saban in the way he runs the program.”

That said, Muschamp does have a few concerns about the current team.

“Well we only have one starter coming back at linebacker with Ty’Anthony (Smith),” he said. “That’s a little bit of a concern. Just the experience at that position in a new scheme. A new system.”

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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Longhorns Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp addresses Texas return

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