Will Muschamp’s UGA buddies conflicted about ‘that Florida thing’
Will Muschamp (30) started at safety for the Bulldogs in 1994 and was named defensive co-captain that season. (UGA photo)
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — “Wherever I played has no bearing on this game at all.”
“There will be a lot of wasted ink on the fact that I played at Georgia and I’m now coaching at Florida.”
“I don’t mean any disrespect to anyone, but I’m loyal to people, not places.”
This is what we’ve heard Will Muschamp, the Florida Gators’ first-year head coach, say this week about his ties to Georgia. Those ties are pretty strong, as most folks can tell you. Raised in Rome and married to a girl from Thomaston, he played football and earned his degree in communications from the University of Georgia.
But Muschamp has downplayed those connections at every turn, understandable considering his current address. Instead he tells the Gator Nation that he really wanted to play football at Florida, having spent the early part of his childhood growing up in the city in which that university resides. Circumstances were such that, after breaking his leg playing baseball, only Georgia would give him the opportunity to play big-time college football. So he went there instead.
And that may well be the truth. But Muschamp also forged some lifelong relationships during those four years in Athens and his latest move in a whirlwind coaching career has left them in a conflicted state.
Whit Marshall, who played linebacker for the Bulldogs with Muschamp, was probably his closest friend while the two were in college. As it turns out, Muschamp also chose to marry Marshall’s first cousin, the former Carol Davis.
“I’ve been good friends with him for a long time,” said Marshall, who works in real estate and is raising four kids in Atlanta. “But it’s been funny seeing my in-laws become Gator fans. They were Georgia fans. Two my cousins went to Georgia, but now that Will’s the head coach they’re all big Gator fans.”
Muschamp also roomed with quarterback Eric Zeier all four years they lived in Athens. Zeier, one of Georgia’s most beloved players, is color analyst for the Bulldog Radio Network. Seeing one of his best buddies dressed in orange and blue and leading the Gators’ onto the field is something Zeier is still trying to get used to.
“For the record I called him up on day one and firmly announced that he was a traitor,” said Zeier, an executive with Bank of America. “But the serious answer is, as players and teammates, the minute you go into coaching your loyalty lies with the team that you’re on and with the players that you’re leading every day and you recruit to come to your school. We all realize that.”
Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and Muschamp have remained close in the years since they were at UGA. They used to talk almost weekly – that is, until Muschamp landed in Gainesville.
“We haven’t talked, except when he first got the job,” Bobo said. “Georgia-Florida’s a little different.”
Coaching a former rival against your alma mater is not unusual in the business. Auburn grad Vince Dooley led the Bulldogs for 25 years and Georgia grad Pat Dye coached Auburn during some of its most successful years. In each case, they downplayed their school ties when it came to the games.
“That’s the way you’ve gotta approach it, or try to approach it,” Bobo said. “Especially the magnitude of what fans think of the Georgia-Florida game.”
The fact of the matter is, as defensive coordinator at LSU and Auburn, Muschamp has coached against Georgia five times already. He’s 2-3 in those games.
Some have wondered if Muschamp’s presence in Gainesville has in anyway softened the rivalry between the two schools. On the contrary.
“Just the way this game has played out over the years, this game is as big as it gets for Georgia,” Zeier said. “It’s one that we want to win because we haven’t had success lately. The fact that Will is the coach heightens that to some degree and from a fan perspective it should. That’s what makes college football in the South so great.”
Meanwhile, no one buys Muschamp’s “it’s no different than any other game” spiel.
“It’s definitely one that means a lot to him just simply from the fact that he went to Georgia,” Marshall said. “But the reality is he’s been to so many different schools since then, it’s probably as not as big as if it’d had been a couple of years after he finished at Georgia. But I know deep down inside it means something to him, for sure.”
The whole thing is more than a little aggravating for Marshall, who said he always hoped Muschamp would remain at Texas, where he was “head coach in waiting” before taking the Florida job. Nevertheless, Marshall makes it clear that he “bleeds red and black.”
“It makes it tough, for sure,” Marshall said. “I’m always pulling for Will, but it’s hard to pull for him in this game. I have to pull for Georgia.”
|– Chip Towers
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249 comments Add your comment
GT Joe
October 28th, 2011
12:37 pm
1st (on the second page)
St. Clarkston
October 28th, 2011
12:38 pm
Taking the job at Florida was a nice career move for him. I don’t begrudge him that. It’s all the talk about really being a gator, a lifelong fan and only ending up at Georgia as a fluke makes him a traitor. Hope he fails miserably.
Fan-attic
October 28th, 2011
12:44 pm
Wally Butts says,”Hum-da-dee-dum”
Murphy
October 28th, 2011
12:45 pm
Muschamp can down play this all he wants but I promise you this is the one game he wants to win the most!!!
Happy Warrior
October 28th, 2011
12:45 pm
Maybe he will hire Bobo? We can only Pray!!!!!!
ZinoDawg
October 28th, 2011
12:46 pm
Send his a$$ to Pakistan. He’s a traitor! LOL!
This game is in the bag -Dawgs win big.
GATA!
Alabama Dog
October 28th, 2011
12:49 pm
Murphy: I totally agree. Muschamp wants this one BAD!!!! It will justify his hiring by the Swamp Lizards. He knows what it’s like to be on the Georgia sideline and lose, hopefully he’ll find out what it’s like to be on the Florida sideline and lose. Lord knows, the Dawgs are WAY OVERDUE!!!!!
GeorgiaGirl
October 28th, 2011
12:50 pm
So, Georgia took a chance with Muschamp when no other school would. . .
Interesting way to acknowledge the faith UGA had in him and his ability, don’t you think
Same 'ol thing
October 28th, 2011
12:51 pm
WIN AT ALL COSTS DOGS! You can pee on the traitors leg after the game.
Rusty
October 28th, 2011
12:52 pm
The last line of the article says it all. Marshall is a DGD.
In my opinion
October 28th, 2011
12:53 pm
Muschamp is soft
In my opinion
October 28th, 2011
12:54 pm
Charlie weiss if phat
In my opinion
October 28th, 2011
12:54 pm
is*
Murphy
October 28th, 2011
12:55 pm
Alabama Dog,
I was talking to a hugh Gator booster this morning and he was crying the blues on how bad they are and how good we are this year.I told him this: We for sure will be out coached in this game but we just might have the athelets to over come it. Lets hope so-We need this win in the worse way.
TampaDawg
October 28th, 2011
12:56 pm
Gatormeat always seems to lose me when you says the words “the mighty gators” .. they may be mighty mediocre at best. From the script of the classic comedy “Harlem Nights” .. “don’t tt-t-t-take th-this a$$$ whooopin p-p-p-personal”
Fact Finding Missionary
October 28th, 2011
1:02 pm
I love it…all you fans that were clamoring for Muschamp to be the next Head Coach in Athens are now hatin’ on him. What a fan base!
Same 'ol thing
October 28th, 2011
1:02 pm
Welcome back to the SEC Muschamp. Youre going down DAWGYSTYLE!
Todd Grantham
October 28th, 2011
1:03 pm
I’d like to choke that Muschump fella out!!!! Bring tht (*&^ to me man!!! Go Dawgs!!!!!
Same 'ol thing
October 28th, 2011
1:04 pm
I for one didint want him in Athens. Cause he is already on the hot seat.
DAWGS RULE
October 28th, 2011
1:04 pm
GUCK THEM FATORS
Coach Must-be-a-chump
October 28th, 2011
1:05 pm
How dumb can the Gators be to hire a Dawg to coach? The Gator thing is over!!
d-dog
October 28th, 2011
1:06 pm
@TampaDawg
Gatormeat appears to be uninformed or he can’t read. I just rechecked The TOTAL “D” Nartion wide “UGA” “D” is 6th. Surely Gatormeat understands that the “DAWGS” want lay down or quit, They haven’t so far this year. He should move to Orlando’s and live in “DISNEYLAND I’m trying to live in reality.
GTSteve
October 28th, 2011
1:09 pm
Even I pull for UGA this weekend
Muskrat
October 28th, 2011
1:12 pm
I love the job Muskrat is doing at Florida! Keep on losing, loser!!
TampaDawg
October 28th, 2011
1:13 pm
Fact Finding Missionary – I can’t honestly think of one person on here that was “clamoring” for Muschamp to take over at UGA. But if you want to claim it make you feel better about your little post then go right ahead. He wasn’t and wouldn’t even be in my top 10.
TampaDawg
October 28th, 2011
1:14 pm
GTSteve
October 28th, 2011
1:09 pm
Even I pull for UGA this weekend
———————–
LOL, then do us a favor and tidy up your end and get the Jackets to crush the carolina kitties.
why is it. .
October 28th, 2011
1:15 pm
Why is it that Georgia fans hate the Gators, but we don’t waste our time hating y’all? Florida State — yeah, I hate them; but y’all? Not worth the time or effort. Don’t really think anything of y’all. GO GATORS!
Blue Ridge Top Dawg
October 28th, 2011
1:16 pm
Nice inside informaton Chip. Good job as always…. So… The Dawgs and the Gators. Here we are once again. Wow, its been a year already…. Muschump gets his fourth loss in a row as Georgia’s momentum carries them to the dome to be the sacrifical lamb… BUT.. At least we’ll be there!!
Oh yeah, hard to pull for rocky top saturday, but… well, you know…
GTSteve
October 28th, 2011
1:18 pm
TampaDawg, if I had that kind of power…….
Beast from the East
October 28th, 2011
1:20 pm
UGA didn’t “take a chance” on Muschamp. He walked-on and EARNED a scholarship and EARNED the honor of Team Captain. Now you hate him because he took one of the best jobs in the country when offered? Stay classy!
markie mark
October 28th, 2011
1:21 pm
@why is it….because you are probably 25 or under and your whole history is of Florida winning…for those of us a little older, we whipped you guys repeatedly and wholeheartedly before your current run….so dismiss us like I dismissed you in the 70’s and 80’s…but the pendulum always swings back…..
LawDawg
October 28th, 2011
1:21 pm
I kind of hate that Muschamp is now saying he is dissapointed he HAD to play for UGA. You should be grateful UGA gave you a chance.
I do not understand why he cannot say, “I played for Georgia, I love Georgia, but I coach Florida and now I want nothing more than to beat Georgia” rather than saying “you know, I never really liked that POS school, I just pretended to while bleeding blue and orange.”
I have lost a lot of respect for the man, and I am very glad he is not coaching here in any capacity.
markie mark
October 28th, 2011
1:22 pm
And by the way….dont tell me Gator fans dont hate Dawg fans….I just moved back to Atlanta last year after 10 years in the greater Jax area (St Augustine and then Fernandina Beach)…and the hate is strong down there…..
Musloser
October 28th, 2011
1:23 pm
Nuff said. I just don’t admire his crass attitude about it. He could say that his days in Athens were great and that he was thankful to play for the Red and Black. But, he doesn’t. Greedy fool!
All the buffets are sold out....
October 28th, 2011
1:24 pm
@markie mark.
If you hate someone b/c of the school they attended. Shows your pretty immature huh?
I have friends that went to Florida, GT, AU, Bama, and LSU.
Beast from the East
October 28th, 2011
1:24 pm
LawDawg,
You’re making things up. He has never said either of the “quotes” you posted above. He said he was born in Gainesville in the shadows of the stadium and grew up wanting to be Gator. He has NEVER said he HAD to play for Georgia. He wasn’t offered a scholarship and chose UGA for financial reasons.
I’m sure he won’t lose any sleep by losing the respect of a liar.
LawDawg
October 28th, 2011
1:27 pm
Beast, you clearly have reading comprehension problems. I in no way attributed those quotes to him. I am basing this on the article above where is now revising history in speeches to say he always wanted to be a Gator, but he had to settle for Georgia. Read the article again, then read my comment again, rather than saying stupid things.
LawDawg
October 28th, 2011
1:30 pm
My point is he should be grateful to UGA for giving him a chance when UF would not and should not revise history to act like he was never a Dawg. If an UF fans think he will go easy on UGA because it his alma mater, those people are idiots and I do not understand why he is rewriting his personal history for their benefit and acting like UGA is something vaguely nasty on his shoe, rather than being where he made his name.
LawDawg
October 28th, 2011
1:31 pm
Pretty sure markie mark meant hate them as a group, not as individuals. I “hate” Florida, but I have friends who went there. How is that immature?
whatever
October 28th, 2011
1:32 pm
I am so sick and tired of this about Muschamp and his “loyalty” – and the AJC keeps saying he was raised a Bulldog fan – when Muschamp – who up until age 10 lived in Gainseville FL – has stated that he was a Gator fan in his youth. Further more – if you use the same logic about “bleeding red and black” because he played for GA – does that mean Mark Richt still bleeds “orange and green” – or whatever Miami’s colors are, because CMR played at Miami – or bleeds “maroon and gold” – once again, whatever FSU’s colors are – because CMR coached at FSU for most of his adult life??
Beast from the East
October 28th, 2011
1:37 pm
“I kind of hate that Muschamp is now saying he is dissapointed he HAD to play for UGA. You should be grateful UGA gave you a chance.
I do not understand why he cannot say, “I played for Georgia, I love Georgia, but I coach Florida and now I want nothing more than to beat Georgia” rather than saying “you know, I never really liked that POS school, I just pretended to while bleeding blue and orange.”
I have lost a lot of respect for the man, and I am very glad he is not coaching here in any capacity.”
What’s to misinterpret? Your post, your idiotic statement.
whatacrew
October 28th, 2011
1:38 pm
I have friends who live in Rome and went to Darlington – the HS that Muschamp went to – because his father was the coach. They say that he wanted to go to FL (he was actually offered scholarships to many schools before he broke his leg) but basically chose UGA because the out-of-state tuition was too high for him – they didn’t have many financial resources – after all – his father was a teacher/coach – teaching/coaching at a private high school where they make much less than public school teachers/coaches. So – he chose UGA, basically because it was much cheaper – since he was a walk-on.
Beast from the East
October 28th, 2011
1:38 pm
LawDawg,
You can get a point across without making things up. I guess that’s the lawyer in you? Always streeeettttccchhhiiinnnnggg the truth.
rabundog
October 28th, 2011
1:39 pm
Dawgs lose – CMR gone
HECKLE
October 28th, 2011
1:40 pm
Go to Firemuschamp.com for the truth!!
T.
October 28th, 2011
1:40 pm
I wonder if there are any streets in Auburn ALA named for Vince Dooley, or how about Pat Dye Field at Sanford Stadium? I don’t think so. Will Turncoat made a choice.
Beast from the East
October 28th, 2011
1:41 pm
whatacrew,
That is exactly what I’ve read. Does it mean he hates UGA? Absolutely not. I’m sure he had a great time at UGA and made some lifelong friends. The folks that think he’s now a traitor as the types that define their own personal success with a football team composed of 18-22 year olds.
Alabama Dog
October 28th, 2011
1:41 pm
markie mark: Right on, my Dawg brother! Back in the day the Gators were an AFTERTHOUGHT!!!! It was a GIVEN the Dawgs would win-even when Florida had the better team. I just want to live long enough to see the Florida fans leaving the Gator Bowl (as the stadium was called back then) early ’cause they were losing to the Dawgs-AGAIN!!!!
Chris Snow
October 28th, 2011
1:41 pm
I think the stars are aligning for a UGA win tomorrow. I know it only happens about twice every 10 years, but I think tomorrow could be the day that all get’s turned around.
Here Here!
October 28th, 2011
1:42 pm
“When Muschamp accepted the Florida job, he forifeted all rights that he once had as a dawg. Never again, can he call hisself a dawg. He should be dead to any true UGA fan.”
This