Well, this might be a first.
Normally when the “hot seat” subject is broached with a head coach, or even an athletic director, the parties either dismiss it completely or quickly change the narrative. Very, very rarely, if ever, do they actually acknowledge that phrase or let is spill off their lips.
To Will Muschamp‘s credit, he did exactly that earlier today.
Speaking to reporters at the SEC Media Days, Muschamp was asked a question regarding being on the hot seat entering the 2014 season. The third-year head coach, at least outwardly, didn’t flinch.
“There will be a lot of chatter about hot seat business and that’s part of it,” Muschamp said. “The way you combat that is by having a winning football team and winning football games, which is what we’re going to do.”
Acknowledging the hot seat is nice and all, but it doesn’t change the fact that Muschamp enters this upcoming season on arguably the most toasty seat in the country.
Following an 11-win second season in Gainesville, the Gators hit rock-bottom in Muschamp’s third as UF tripped, stumbled and bumbled its way to an abysmal 4-8 record. It was the Gators’ worst record since 1979 and its first bowl-less season 1990.
The din for Muschamp’s head on a pike grew exponentially louder with each embarrassing loss -- FCS Georgia Southern in The Swamp, anyone -- so much so that athletic director Jeremy Foley was forced to give his beleaguered and embattled head coach a public “atta boy.” Foley stated he was “1,000-percent convinced” that Muschamp is the right man for the job, and the coach is returning for a fourth season.
Should 2014 play out even remotely similar to the way 2013, did however, there’s a 1,000-percent chance that Muschamp won’t get a fifth season and will instead be headed for the head-coaching unemployment line.