Will Muschamp was brought on at South Carolina to not only stabilize the sinking ship that legendary head coach Steve Spurrier had left behind with his abrupt resignation in the middle of the 2015 season, but to get the program back on an upward trajectory.
He has no doubt failed to do the latter, and it’s even fair to say he has failed in his attempt to bring stability to the fledgling program. Muschamp is just 26-25 in his four seasons in Columbia, tenth among SEC teams over that stretch.
Recently Sporting News released a list of coaches on the hot seat headed into the 2020 season and Muschamp’s was one of the first names on the list. To make matters worse, he is just 2-13 against ranked opponents and has been thoroughly dominated by Clemson during his tenure.
“Muschamp faces the task of turning the corner with the Gamecocks after four seasons. South Carolina is 26-25 in that stretch, the 10th-best record in the SEC. Clemson also has a six-game winning streak against the Gamecocks.”
Sporting News
Heading into the 2019 season, Muschamp would often compare his first three seasons to previous head coaches, saying he was further ahead than them all.
“We’ve had more success than any staff in its first three years at the University of South Carolina,” Muschamp said prior to last season. “We’ve won as many games in the Southeastern Conference as any staff at the University of South Carolina, And I’m not happy with that, but I’m saying there is positive progress for us to at least latch on to.”
Although, after going just 4-8 in 2019, failing to make a bowl game and once again being crushed at home by Clemson, patience has started to wear thin. That argument once often used by the embattled head coach no longer holds water.
One more subpar season may force Ray Tanner and the school may just be forced to pony up and pay that massive buyout, whether they want to or not.