ATHENS — There was something different with regard to the Georgia defense in the SEC Championship game win over Texas.
Not it wasn’t just that the Bulldogs had 15.0 tackles for loss, the most ever for a Georgia defense since Kirby Smart took it over.
It was that for the first time all season, Will Muschamp was on the sidelines for Georgia.
For much of the year, Muschamp has been absent on Saturdays. That is because he has been attending Vanderbilt football games, as his son Whit Muschamp is a freshman quarterback.
But with Vanderbilt off, Muschamp was on the sidelines for Georgia. He’s been in and around 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 practice on Friday, but that was to be expected. Vanderbilt beat Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl on Friday.
Muschamp had been the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach for Georgia last season. He stepped into an on-field role prior to the 2021 season, which saw the Bulldogs go on to win a national championship. The Bulldogs repeated the following year.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart originally brought Muschamp in to serve as an analyst with the program. He would largely help coach the coaches and provide other organizational support.
Given Muschamp’s personality — he’s not always full of rage as his on-field demeanor once indicated — he brings great comfort to the Georgia organization.
And outside of this, Will’s a comedian. So outside of occasionally when he’s not there, bringing light of some situations,” Schumann said. “I would say that’s the time that you don’t see him the most because Will can make anybody crack a smile in even the most dire situations.”
Georgia replaced Muschamp with Travaris Robinson, who is well-versed in the ways of Muschamp. Robinson, in addition to working at Alabama with Nick Saban, worked with Muschamp at South Carolina, Auburn and Florida.
And while Robinson has had a positive impact on the Georgia program, no one can replicate everything that Muschamp brings to the table.
“You know, even though he’s not, you know, always here, his presence is,” safety Malaki Starks said of Muschamp. “It’s kind of funny because when T-Rob got here, we said T-Rob was another Muschamp, because they’ve been working together for so long. He really is, and when he gets back, you know, that energy that he just brings. He’s just been here for so long, so just to see his face, you know, it’s always a good thing to see.”
Georgia recognizes that it is fortunate to still have Muschamp around. He’s undoubtedly one of the best defensive minds in the sport and someone who can go tit-for-tat with Smart.
As for Muschamp’s future with the program, it is up to him. He’s made it clear he wants to be as present in his children’s life as he can.
But Schumann, Georgia’s defensive coordinator, even sees the value of keeping Muschamp involved and a regular face in and around the Georgia program.
“He’s gonna decide how he goes about that, and I hope he’s with us, but that’s his choice in regards to that,” Schumann said. “His role, he’d been really involved the whole time in all facets of this, whether it’s DB play or the defense as a whole. So 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.”
