I want to throw in my two cents on Muschamp’s future, Gator football’s future, and quite frankly just taking an inward look of where it’s all headed. As much as it pains me to write this, I believe Will Muschamp will not only get to coach 2014 but also 2015 regardless of the result on the field. Before you tell me I’m crazy, I will support my case with some facts and a little conjecture on my part. Be mindful that I am not a big fan of Muschamp. I just want this to be a discussion on where our beloved Gator Football Program is headed.
On December 12, 2010, Will Muschamp was hired as Head Coach. If we choose to believe, per Jeremy Foley, he was the only candidate considered (supporting article links below). The contract was for 5 years making him coach through the end of the 2015 season. He will also be owed $2 million dollars for every year remaining on his contract in the event that he is fired. This bit of information will be important as I formulate my hypothesis.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5910011 (8th paragraph supports Foley’s statement)
http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/41662/details-of-muschamps-contract-released (details on contract)
On February 24, 2012, almost 60 days after the Gators concluded a 7-6 campaign, Will Muschamp’s contract was extended by one year. This extension will make him head coach through the 2016 season. Was it necessary to extended him after such a season? I don’t recall any programs beating the drums to hire Muschamp away after one season. I don't recall any first year, first time coach who had an extension after a 7-6 season. I could be wrong.
http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-02-24/muschamp-signs-florida-contract-extension-through-2016 (article supporting the contract extension)
On November 27, 2012, it is announced that Muschamp has received another one year extension. This extension will make him head coach through the 2017 season. At this point, Gator Nation is sky high finishing the regular season at 11-1. Pay particular attention to the timing. About middle of the paragraph in the article in the link below, the extension was announced in November. However Machen, Foley, and Muschamp worked out the details in August 2012. This was before a down was played in the 11-2 season.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20121127/COLUMNISTS/121129699/1044/sports?Title=Back-Nine-Muschamp-given-contract-extension-before-11-1-season (2nd contract extension)
Will Muschamp guided the Gators to a 7-6 in 2011. Considering the state of Gator Football at the time, this was neither great nor terrible. Did this warrant basically a two year extension? Considering the Ron Zook experience, Foley hired yet another coach with no head coaching experience. Whatever your opinion is on that matter, did a 7-6 record warrant a two year extension to an unknown commodity? I don’t believe it did. Foley committed another $4 million to Mushcamp if Foley has to fire him. (Another 2 years @$2million if he is fired). This will hamper any flexibility the school has if Muschamp doesn’t work out.
Now we move on to the debacle of 2013. There are a few pieces of information we have to consider. Im pretty sure we are all in agreement that the loss to Georgia Southern was embarrassing. The fact that the Bull Gators did not write a check for Muschamp’s walking papers leads me to believe that Florida doesn’t have the big war chest of money that is perceived to have. Per the article below, Florida was the #6 ranked school by pulling in a $23 million profit as an athletic department. If Foley pulled the trigger on firing Muschamp at the end of 2013, Mushcamp would be contractually owed $8 million dollars. (4 years remaining at $2 million a piece). Since the firing did not happen, iI assume that Foley did not have the cache to sacrifice 35% of the athletic department’s profit. I understand that buyouts are paid out over time, but the money has to come from somewhere. Costs not factored in would be the buyouts for the assistant coaches, plus the buyout and salary for new coaches.
The final cost for Auburn to shed Gene Chizik and staff was $8.78 million. Gene Chezik is now paid $2.4 million a year for three years by Auburn not to coach. Gene Chizik would not get that salary if he were to coach again. That is why he is perfectly fine working as a radio host for SiriusXM. If Mushcamp were to have been fired, its muddy if his next job would be $2 million a year. It leads me to believe that Florida would have to pick up most of the tab that is owed to him.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/schools/finances/ (Florida AD profits)
http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/25/it-cost-8-78-million-for-auburn-to-buyout-gene-chizik-and-staff/ (Buyout costs to Auburn)
Now we can piece together why Muschamp is still Head Ball coach today. Now we know why Foley is "1000% behind Mushcamp". The two ill-advised contract extensions has handicapped any financial flexibility to the university. I believe Jeremy Foley must validate the money he has guaranteed Muschamp. The university isn’t willing to sacrifice 35% of the athletic department profit. Foley can’t come out and admit that so he has to provide some type of spin. To those who say a down season this year shows Muschamp the door, I counter with why would Foley say he is 1000% behind Muschamp only to give him at most 12 more games. If the leash was that short, one Foley didn’t have to give that quote, and two we might as well clean the slate and not lose a year on the rebuilding project. There are 8 million reasons why Muschamp is still here.
So where does that leave us? I see Florida at 6-6, 8-4 at best. I can’t give an at worst number. Due to Georgia Southern I could put 0-12. Florida should be favored against Idaho, Eastern Michigan, Kentucky, and Eastern Kentucky. Florida should be underdogs vs Alabama, Missouri, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida State. Tennessee, LSU, and Vanderbilt are games were anything can happen. I’m not overly optimistic on Kurt Roper since he was David Cutcliffe’s understudy. It’s the same manner where Nick Saban is the brains behind Alabama’s defense not Kirby Smart. I fear that if Kurt Roper does a decent to phenomenal job in turning around the offense, he will get a head coaching gig somewhere and we are back to square one. I fear that we are doing things reactionary instead of building the machine that Jimbo Fisher is constructing.
Finally, I’m afraid if Muschamp is shown the door in 2015, it won’t be until 2017 (if the next hire is the real deal) until we might be able to say we are ready to compete for Atlanta. Now for those who will say "ok, you ranted so who should we get?", my only opinion is we get an offensive mind. I believe in today's college football its much more difficult to get a functional offense going than building a defense. Again, I go back that if Roper does an awesome job, he will get head coaching opportunities quickly. We are now back hiring a 5th Offensive Coordinator since 2010.
How does Gator Nation see this? Tell me I’m crazy, tell me to f off, but let’s hear your opinion.