Where Will Muschamp fits in for UGA in on-field role against former rival Clemson

Once Georgia steps foot into Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, Will Muschamp will find himself in a familiar spot but somewhere he never expected to be while coaching in the brighter shade of red.

Back on the grass.

Muschamp was hired as an defensive analyst at the end of 2020 — with a salary of $300,000 — after his dismissal as head coach at South Carolina. The former Bulldog defensive back saw a fit to return to Athens, reunite with his son and Georgia walk-on quarterback Jackson Muschamp, and serve in an off-field role. That’s a place where Muschamp could work in the shadows, not be seen on the sidelines and not have any recruiting duties, per NCAA rules.

All of that has changed in the lead-up to Georgia’s season-opening showdown against No. 3 Clemson (7:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC). Muschamp, who faced Clemson annually as the leader of the Gamecocks, has transitioned to an on-field role and will help Georgia in numerous ways against his former rival — and moving forward for an indefinite period of time.

“He has been a tremendous asset,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said, who begins his sixth season at the helm in Athens. “I can’t express the move to get him on board, and how important it has been — especially considering our situation with being an on-field coach. He has brought a jolt of energy to special teams and an extra set of eyes on the defensive backfield.”

In early August, second-year special teams coach Scott Cochran stepped away from the team due to personal reasons. Cochran remains employed by Georgia and is expected to return at some point, but Smart tabbed his friend and former teammate Muschamp to fill that vacancy.

Muschamp, since adding the interim tag to a new job title, has been a do-it-all coach for the Bulldogs. Muschamp is known for his defensive prowess, and Smart tasked Muschamp with keeping a focused eye on the secondary. Georgia’s unit underwent a massive shift in personnel over the offseason with transfers Derion Kendrick (Clemson) and Tykee Smith (West Virginia) replacing early-round draftees Tyson Campbell, Richard LeCounte and Eric Stokes.

Smart said Muschamp had plenty of involvement in his past stops with special teams units, despite not ever carrying an official title.

After all, Cochran never took sole responsibility for special teams, Smart said. Georgia takes a by-committee approach to its coaching staff, and the Bulldogs have their personnel dip into numerous areas. Along with Cochran, tight ends coach Todd Hartley handled the punting units. Robbie Discher, formerly at Louisiana, was hired by Georgia in an off-field role after leading a top-ranked Ragin’ Cajuns punt return unit.

Muschamp, who hasn’t spoken publicly since arriving at Georgia, is a multifaceted weapon on the Georgia staff. He helps in numerous ways and brings a veteran approach to a fairly-youthful group of coaches.

“I think that the players respect him and the job that he has done,” Smart said on Aug. 14. “So far, I have been really excited and reinvigorated because there is a new voice, and a lot of people are up there talking. They are hearing different voices every day, and the players are really competing.”

The transition from Cochran to Muschamp went on without a hitch. Cochran asked for a leave of absence, and Smart didn’t have any hesitation while citing mental health issues. Cochran was one of the most-prized assistants while at Alabama, and made the oft-discussed move to Georgia in 2020.

“It is critical. I think that we all deal with issues and problems within our own households and our own families,” Smart said of Cochran. “Those are personal things. We are a family here, and our players have really embraced that. Our players have really embraced the love, the affection and the struggles that he is going through. We love him. We love his family. We love his kids.

“We are going to be there to support him and them just like they are one of us. That does not change.”

Georgia will take the field on Saturday with plenty of coaching experience on its side.

Muschamp suits back up for his alma mater in a different role, yet one that’s all-too-familiar.

“He’ll operate on the sidelines and make a lot of the signals on special teams,” Smart said of Muschamp’s duties while on the field. “He’ll also help out our defensive backs.”

This story was originally published August 30, 2021 at 2:19 PM.