Muschamp and Texas: The speculation begins

We all knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time. Chip Brown, the Texas beat reporter from Rivals affiliate Orangebloods.com finally put it into verbal form for a national audience this afternoon when he went on the Paul Finebaum Radio Network:

Chip Brown tells us potential Texas candidates if Mack Brown steps down: Will Muschamp, Gary Patterson, Charlie Strong, Kirby Smart...
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) September 16, 2013

[Let me also add three other coaches I think Texas will take a look at. 1. Nick Saban (how can Texas not at least give him a call?) 2. Pat Fitzgerald (a true up-and-comer in the profession with ties to the state of Texas, but will he leave what he's building at his alma mater?) and 3. Hugh Freeze (would be worth a look, considering what he just did to the Longhorns over the weekend)]

I know I've already discussed the topic of Muschamp and Texas with friends. To a certain extent, the subject has been tossed around ever since Muschamp was hired by Florida. Fans knew Mack Brown wasn't going to hang around forever. What happens when the venerable UT coach decides to throw in the towel? Well, it appears that decision is about to be made for him.

So, will Will Muschamp listen to DeLoss Dodds? Or I guess I should say whoever takes over as AD for Dodds (assuming the reports he will step down at the end of the year are true, of course.)

I'm inclined to believe "yes." Why wouldn't Muschamp listen to Texas? They can offer more money, more resources and better facilities than just about any program in the country (including Florida.) Sure, UF is one of just a handful of "destination jobs" out there. At the very least, Muschamp has a little extra leverage in his pocket to bring to the table when talking about the budget for facilities, assistants, recruiting, etc. going into the offseason. At the very worst, Muschamp is already dealing with an impatient fanbase who feels he should be winning national championships right now instead of losing to Miami. This, despite the fact he's only into Year Three of the clean-up from the mess Urban Meyer left behind. Considering a potential offer from Texas isn't as absurd as anyone might think.

In the end, if it were to come to this, Muschamp's decision will likely come down to a few factors:

1. How does Florida finish out this season? 9-3 or better would keep Muschamp right about on track from where he was heading into the season, considering this is a young team. Better days are ahead. If the heat is off of him from the fanbase, and he's poised to potentially compete for an SEC Championship (and subsequently, a National Championship, as the two go hand-in-hand these days) in 2014, why leave? 8-4 would be a middle ground. 7-5 or worse might have him ready to move on. But then, of course, that would lead one to wonder if that type of finish could hurt Muschamp's stock enough to force Texas to look elsewhere for a head coach? All reasonable questions, which makes how the rest of this season plays out a key here.

2. What's the relationship like between Muschamp and Foley? Being happy in the workplace is always a key. Assuming their bond is still tight (Muschamp was Foley's hand-picked guy, after all), this will be hard for Texas to top. Remember, the Longhorns have an athletic director that seems to be in tenuous standing as well.

3. Is the appeal in Austin that much greater? I don't think there's much argument that Austin, in itself, is generally considered a better place to live than Gainesville. But that's a broad generalization which doesn't take into account every unique situation. The Muschamps were reportedly very happy living in Texas. But is it that much of an improvement over being closer to home (both Muschamp and his wife are Georgia natives, remember) and family? That's a factor we really can't answer.

But for Muschamp, it's really going to come down to his comfort level. If both he and his family are happy in Gainesville and still he's still please with the direction of the program, I'm just not sure Texas would ever be able to swoop in and take him. However, if those factors change, and Florida's somewhat rocky start to the fall continues, perhaps a clean slate will interest him. In any case, it's certainly a situation that will bear watching as the season continues to play out.