ATHENS — During the SEC Championship game Dec. 7, when the Bulldogs recorded 15 tackles for loss — the most ever for a Georgia defense under coach Kirby Smart — Will Muschamp was on the sideline for the first time this season.
For much of the season, Muschamp has been absent on Saturdays, attending Vanderbilt football games where his son, Whit Muschamp, is a freshman quarterback. However, Vanderbilt was off that weekend of the Bulldogs’ game against Texas.
Muschamp has been involved with the team for much of the season, providing a boost, even if it’s not nearly as impactful as it once was.
“Everybody in the building loves Will Muschamp,” defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann said. “I appreciate him for making those sacrifices to still be a part of everything. And that’s something he wanted to do. Obviously, there’s things in his life and his family that he wanted to step away in some ways. But he’s actively, I mean, even when he’s not here, he’s involved in discussions. Football’s really important to him, and this university is really important to him. So he’s been great throughout the entire year.”
Muschamp wasn’t present at Georgia’s open practice Friday, but that was to be expected. Vanderbilt was playing in the Birmingham Bowl, where it defeated Georgia Tech.
Muschamp was the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach for Georgia in the 2023 season. He stepped into an on-field role before the 2021 season, when the Bulldogs won a national championship. The Bulldogs repeated the following season.
Muschamp moved into a defensive analyst role in January when the Bulldogs hired Travaris Robinson, who worked at Alabama with Nick Saban and previously worked with Muschamp at South Carolina, Auburn and Florida.
While Muschamp brings defensive expertise to the staff, his humor is a valuable soft skill, according to Schumann. “Will can make anybody crack a smile in even the most dire situations,” Schumann said.
And though Muschamp may not always physically be in the building, players recognize what he brings — even from a distance. “Even though he’s not, you know, always here, his presence is,” safety Malaki Starks said.
As for Muschamp’s future with the program, that is up to him. He’s made it clear he wants to be as present in his children’s life as he can.
“He’s gonna decide how he goes about that, and I hope he’s with us, but that’s his choice,” Schumann said. “I hope he continues to be involved on a day-to-day basis, and I would imagine his role will continue to be the same.”
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