Fact or Fiction: Will Muschamp will land another Power Five job
National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
*****
MORE FACT OR FICTION: Hugh Freeze should be top South Carolina candidate | Kyle Trask is a Heisman front-runner
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
*****
1. Will Muschamp will get another Power Five head coaching job.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. It’s over. Muschamp has had two chances at the Power Five level in the SEC and he won’t get a third. He’ll be a defensive coordinator for someone - and a very good one at that - but I can’t see anyone giving him another shot to be a head coach at the highest level.
It’s not like he was a failure, but this isn’t the NFL, where coaches get chance after chance. Schools want coaches with head coaching experience but they also want guys with proven track records on the field and in recruiting, and Muschamp has been average to below average in both areas as a head coach.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Muschamp is not even 50 years old and he’s already coached at Florida and South Carolina and he will get another opportunity because, in large part, coaches get recycled and athletic directors want people with track records. Muschamp is a fantastic defensive coach and will rehabilitate his reputation somewhere in the Power Five and then should get another shot.
Lane Kiffin has been given multiple opportunities. Steve Sarkisian had substance abuse issues and is now being mentioned for South Carolina and other jobs. Hugh Freeze has had significant off-the-field issues and he’ll be a top target. Give Muschamp a few years and he will be back.
*****
2. The Vols are closing poorly because they're struggling on the field.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. Tennessee has struck out on some big names down the stretch, including OT Amarius Mims and LB Smael Mondon, but it’s not because they are struggling on the field. In fact, the Vols have done a good job of making themselves a player in the race for Mims or staying in it with Mondon and getting the last visit.
DB Nyland Green and others are still out there, but this is a good class no matter what happens, and I’m not correlating the disappointing sesaon with these results. These would have been big recruiting upsets.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I was never a serious believer in all the chatter that Mims was ever going to end up at Tennessee, since he was Georgia’s top target for so long and coach Kirby Smart rarely loses those recruiting battles. And I was equally unmoved by the rumors that Mondon was going to play for the Vols because he always seemed to be leaning to the Bulldogs and he was another top priority. Tennessee still has an outstanding recruiting class, and the Vols have kept all the key parts to it intact despite the struggles this season.
*****
3. DT Jowon Briggs will land at Ohio State.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I’m not sure if Ohio State is interested or not, but with the Virginia transfer hailing from Ohio many could see him ending up with the Buckeyes after a successful start at UVA. Briggs started the final seven games of his freshman year and the first seven of this season before announcing he was entering the portal this week.
Briggs is a different breed of player and has many more interests outside of football that will likely dictate his destination, and it wouldn’t shock me to see him on a smaller level because of them. Ohio State might be too big for him even if the Buckeyes showed interest.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Former Virginia assistant Vic So’oto, who now coaches at USC, was the one who led Briggs’ recruitment to Charlottesville. Since Briggs is also interested in singing, could he be coming West for the music exposure and to reunite with So’oto? No one knows yet, but my guess is Ohio State won’t be the landing spot.