Splashy Will Muschamp hire makes headlines, but Texas' real problem lies with Steve Sarkisian's offense
Muschamp harkens back to Texas' glory days on defense, but the Longhorns won't take the next step until offensive problems are addressed
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Texas coach Steve Sarkisian turned the clock back Thursday by hiring Will Muschamp as the program's new defensive coordinator. As part of the move, the Longhorns parted ways with Pete Kwiatkowski, who was a finalist for the Broyles Award just one year earlier.
Muschamp is widely regarded as one of the top defensive coordinators of the 21st century, including a run to the national championship game in 2009 under then-Texas coach Mack Brown. He later had uneven head coaching stints at Florida and South Carolina, though his defenses generally remained solid.
Now, Muschamp is tasked with helping stabilize a Texas program that became the first preseason No. 1 team to fall out of the top 10 since 2012 USC. Fortifying the defense is part of that equation, but it is far from the only issue.
Kwiatkowski's defenses were consistently strong over the past three seasons as Texas rose to national prominence. In fact, the Longhorns' defense has rated ahead of the offense in FEI in each of the past four years. During last season's run to the national semifinals, Texas ranked No. 3 nationally in FEI defense.
Cracks did form in 2025, particularly in the secondary. In a 29-21 loss to Florida, Texas allowed more than 450 yards of offense to a team that finished 4-8. The Longhorns were also overwhelmed through the air in the second half of a 35-10 loss to Georgia, surrendering four passing touchdowns to Gunner Stockton.
Getting back in the game
Muschamp's background working with defensive backs should help address those issues. He also brings significant SEC recruiting credentials that could elevate the talent level on that side of the ball.
Still, it has been a long time since Muschamp has called a defense. During his time at Georgia from 2021-25, he was not a playcaller, even while serving as co-defensive coordinator alongside Glenn Schumann. His last stint calling plays came at South Carolina in 2020. His units were inconsistent down the stretch during that tenure ranging from as high as No. 19 to outside the top 40 in FEI.
Over the past five years, Muschamp worked closely with Georgia coach Kirby Smart, one of the game's top defensive minds. Optimistically, that experience may have helped sharpen his approach, though he was not an on-field assistant for the past two seasons.
What's the real problem?
The more glaring reality, however, is this: Defense has not been Texas' primary problem.
While the Longhorns ranked in the top 10 defensively in three of the past four seasons, Sarkisian's offense has not cracked the top 15 nationally. Its best FEI finish was No. 17 in 2022, Bijan Robinson's final season at Texas. In 2025, the Longhorns ranked 10th among 16 SEC teams in both scoring offense and total offense.
In all three losses, Texas' offense stalled. The Longhorns were scoreless through three quarters against Ohio State, had just seven late in the third quarter against Florida and managed only 10 in a loss to Georgia that cost them a College Football Playoff berth.
After the season, Sarkisian fired first-year running backs coach Chad Scott, but the rest of the offensive staff remains intact. Sarkisian will also continue calling plays, despite mounting calls for him to hire a true offensive coordinator. Yet throughout his tenure, Texas' offense has not faced the same level of scrutiny as its defense.
Of the five offensive assistants Sarkisian hired in 2021, three remain. Running backs coach Stan Drayton, a holdover from the previous staff, left to become head coach at Temple. Wide receivers coach Andre Coleman, another holdover, is the only offensive assistant who has been fired. During the Sarkisian era, nine of Texas' 11 All-Americans have come on defense or special teams.
Texas attempted a similar nostalgia play last season by bringing back legendary secondary coach Duane Akina as defensive passing game coordinator. Akina, ironically, coached defensive backs at Texas when Muschamp was defensive coordinator. The move backfired, as the Longhorns finished last in SEC play in passing defense.
Maybe this time will be different. Muschamp is 15 years younger than Akina and still firmly in his coaching prime. But no defensive overhaul will elevate Texas to national-title caliber unless the offense is held to the same standard.
