South Carolina football: Is Will Muschamp on the hot seat?
By Jacob Elsey
Is South Carolina football coach Will Muschamp’s job safe heading into 2020?
Will Muschamp is entering year five at the helm with the South Carolina football program, after posting the worst record of his tenure in 2019. With what coach Muschamp tabbed as the best team of his time here in Columbia, the Gamecocks turned in a disappointing 4-8 final record, missing a bowl game for the first time in the Muschamp era.
After a 3-3 start and huge upset of third-ranked Georgia, the Gamecocks lost five of their final six games. The offense scored one touchdown over the year’s final three contest, which signaled the end for offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon’s time on the Carolina sidelines.
Injuries in key areas did hamper the offense’s ability to move the ball at times, particularly at quarterback, with starter Jake Bentley missing the season’s final 11 games, and replacement Ryan Hilinski getting beat up in his first go-round the SEC. Still, finishing the year ranked 104th nationally in scoring is unacceptable. Another output like that will certainly have people talking about getting rid of Will Muschamp.
But how hot is his seat in reality?
Prior to last year, Muschamp had posted a 22-17 record, including going 12-12 in SEC play. The 22 wins were most ever by a Gamecock head coach in his first three seasons, even beating out legendary play caller Steve Spurrier’s win total (21). Heading into 2019, he seemed pretty safe.
But things grew a little sour after last season, and folks are starting to get antsy. Fans and media alike have grown skeptical of whether or not the head coach can get the job done in Columbia. In fact, FanSided recently released its college football preview, predicting that the Gamecocks will win just three games, culminating with Muschamp’s firing ahead of year six.
Personally, though, I believe his job is safe through at least 2022, for a few reasons.