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AP
AUSTIN, Texas - When Texas hired football coach Mack Brown a decade ago, it was the result of a high-stakes national coaching search to find just the right man to lead one of college football’s most prestigious programs.
Texas decided it didn’t want to go through that again when Brown retires, whenever that day comes. The Longhorns believe they already have the best guy for the job on the payroll.
Brown and Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds announced Tuesday that first-year defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will be signed to a new long-term deal that not only keeps him in his current role, but designates him as Brown’s successor.
Muschamp, 37, had been linked to openings at Clemson, Tennessee and Washington among others, but decided instead to wait his turn at Texas, a place where he’s been on the job less than a full calendar year. Muschamp’s coaching resume includes jobs at LSU and the Miami Dolphins under Nick Saban and a season as Auburn’s defensive coordinator before Brown hired him at Texas.
“This is a special place. I think it is ’the’ elite job in the country,” Muschamp said of Texas.
The 57-year-old Brown insisted several times during a news conference he does not expect to retire anytime soon. Brown is in his 11th season at Texas and has eight years left on his current contract.
“I don’t want someone to think this is the twilight for me,” Brown said. “It’s not.”
Texas has won at least 10 games the last eight seasons. The Longhorns were ranked No. 1 for most of the month of October and still have a shot at playing for their second national championship since 2005. The Longhorns (10-1) host rival Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night.
“I’m having more fun than I’ve ever had,” Brown said. “I’d sure like to win another one before I get out of the way.”
Brown has several assistant coaches who have been with team for several years and have decades of coaching experience. He said the staff supported Muschamp being designated as the head coach of the future, even though he was Texas’ fifth defensive coordinator in six years and had little time to establish roots in the Texas soil.
Naming a successor coach has become a hot trend in college football. Florida State has already named offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher to be Bobby Bowden’s replacement. Kentucky assistant Joker Phillips will eventually take over for Rich Brooks and Purdue assistant Danny Hope will replace the retiring Joe Tiller next season.
Brown said the Texas deal with Muschamp only works because Muschamp is willing to be patient. He also sees in Muschamp a young version of himself.
“He’s passionate, he works really hard, he wants to do what’s right, he’s tough enough to make hard decisions,” Brown said. “We’ve got time. We will watch him through the years. If he wanted to do it today, we wouldn’t have done it because I’m not ready to quit.”
Muschamp said he wants to continue to learn how to be a head coach — not just game planning, but the entire package of being the public face of a program as big as Texas and the politician a major college coach sometimes has to be.
Muschamp is known for his fiery sideline enthusiasm that has led some fans to post highlights of his antics on YouTube and earned him the nickname of “Coach Blood” because of a self-inflicted scratch on his face.
“I think from the Xs and Os and managing the team, I’m very comfortable. Coach Brown always seems to say the right thing at the right time in the right way. I need to learn how to do that,” Muschamp said.
Brown said Muschamp reminds him of a young version of himself.
“He’s passionate, he works really hard, he wants to do what’s right, he’s tough enough to make hard decisions,” Brown said.
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Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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