ATHENS — Georgia coach Kirby Smith said former South Carolina coach Will Muschamp has been added to the football staff in an analyst role.
“As of last week we were able to get things completed with Will,” Smart said on Wednesday.
“He’ll be joining our staff in an off-the-field role, we call it an analyst, and he’s already made a lot of strides in terms of helping me, helping our staff. He’ll be able to help coach the coaches.”
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Muschamp will make $300,000 at Georgia as a “Quality Control” coach this season, per UGA officials.
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Smart said Muschamp, who was fired with three games remaining in the Gamecocks’ 2020 season, will be working on the defensive side of the ball.
“It’s very valuable to have a guy that’s been a head coach at two places in our conference, he knows the ins and outs of this conference,” Smart said. “He’ll be able to help our staff, our coaches in a lot of ways. I’m excited to be able to have him join us.”
The 49-year-old Muschamp was head coach at Florida (28-21 record, 2011-14) and South Carolina (28-30, 2016-20).
Smart said he believes Muschamp aspires to get back to an on-field coaching role at some point.
“I would say that anytime you’re an aspiring coach you want to get on the field and get an opportunity to go coach on the grass,” Smart said. “I know he’s not through with his coaching days. It’s really important for him to get out here and have relationships and go develop a position group and coach.
“His family has been his focus here recently. I know he feels like he’s moved his family all over the country and this is an opportunity for him to give back to them and be with them and be able to watch his son play.”
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Muschamp’s son, Jackson, is a preferred walk-on on the Bulldogs’ football team.
Muschamp (1991-94) and Smart (1994-98) overlapped briefly as players at Georgia, but they didn’t become close until Muschamp helped Smart get his first-full time coaching. position at Valdosta State in 2000.
Muschamp has been seen around the Georgia program as far back as the Chick-fil-A bowl practices in December, but he was waiting to get a reported $12.9 million buy-out from South Carolina to formally accept a position with UGA.
Kirby Smart announced Will Muschamp has joined the Georgia staff as a defensive analyst. pic.twitter.com/KrOHDbbtIQ
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 3, 2021