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Florida boosters, administration trust AD Jeremy Foley with hiring of Will Muschamp
By Rachel George
GAINESVILLE – At dinner Friday night, University of Florida president Bernie Machen was tight lipped.
Just two days into the search for the school's next football coach and even Danny Ponce, a longtime booster and member of the Board of Trustees, couldn't get Machen to offer up names of candidates.
Instead, Machen let athletic director Jeremy Foley work. A day after that dinner, Florida announced Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp as its replacement for Urban Meyer.
That Ponce found out only hours before it was released to the media shows not only how guarded Foley was about his three-day search, but also how much confidence the UF administration and boosters have placed in him.
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"I trust that he knows what he's doing," said Bob Merkel, a prominent West Palm Beach attorney and Gators booster.
Added Ponce, "I got a 19-year athletic director who's been around this place for 35 years who I trust an awful lot."
That some of the most influential people have such abiding faith in Foley speaks to the AD's track record.
Muschamp becomes the 12th coach on Florida's current staff to be hired with five or fewer years of experience and is one of six Foley has hired with no previous head-coaching experience.
Of those 12 coaches, Foley hired all but one since he took over as athletic director in 1992. Volleyball coach Mary Wise was hired in 1991.
That group of coaches has combined to win six national championships. Toss in Meyer, who came to Florida after four years as a head coach, and that total is eight national titles.
With dozens of other SEC championships, NCAA appearances and runner-up finishes, Florida has the hardware to back up Foley's coaching hires.
"If you will look at his record over the years – while not perfect, cause no one's perfect, we're all human – he's done an outstanding job of hiring coaches," said booster Stumpy Harris, an Orlando attorney. "I have complete confidence in him, and if he figures this is the guy, it's the guy."
That faith in Foley comes as the AD has been criticized for not hiring a coach with experience running a program. Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, a former defensive coordinator at Florida, and Boise State's Chris Peterson were rumored to be among the candidates.
But Foley said he offered the job to only one guy – Muschamp.
After Meyer's resignation, he said he was looking for a coach who fit at Florida, a criterion that ranked near the top of the list for Foley.
"I talk about culture. I talk about this place, I talk about this community," Foley said last week. "When I hired Urban I knew Urban would be – I can't sit here and tell you I knew he'd hoist up two crystal balls, I hoped he could – but I knew he'd be a fit on this campus. I knew he'd be a fit on this community, I knew he'd be a fit in our athletic program. And that's important to us."
The search was Foley's third for a football coach, and he admits he wasn't prepared for the media attention and speculation the first time. That was in 2002, when he hired Ron Zook to replace Steve Spurrier, the promotion of a career assistant that ultimately ended with Zook's firing less than three years later.
He learned to play the cards close to his chest with Meyer's hiring, and he did it again with this search.
Foley targeted Muschamp, made his decision and quickly found his next coach. And that's just the way Florida boosters would want it.
Said Harris, "He's not afraid to be accountable for doing it the best way he sees fit."
Florida boosters, administration trust AD Jeremy Foley with hiring of Will Muschamp
By Rachel George
GAINESVILLE – At dinner Friday night, University of Florida president Bernie Machen was tight lipped.
Just two days into the search for the school's next football coach and even Danny Ponce, a longtime booster and member of the Board of Trustees, couldn't get Machen to offer up names of candidates.
Instead, Machen let athletic director Jeremy Foley work. A day after that dinner, Florida announced Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp as its replacement for Urban Meyer.
That Ponce found out only hours before it was released to the media shows not only how guarded Foley was about his three-day search, but also how much confidence the UF administration and boosters have placed in him.
Sign up for our new Varsity Sports newsletter and get high school sports updates delivered right to your inbox.
"I trust that he knows what he's doing," said Bob Merkel, a prominent West Palm Beach attorney and Gators booster.
Added Ponce, "I got a 19-year athletic director who's been around this place for 35 years who I trust an awful lot."
That some of the most influential people have such abiding faith in Foley speaks to the AD's track record.
Muschamp becomes the 12th coach on Florida's current staff to be hired with five or fewer years of experience and is one of six Foley has hired with no previous head-coaching experience.
Of those 12 coaches, Foley hired all but one since he took over as athletic director in 1992. Volleyball coach Mary Wise was hired in 1991.
That group of coaches has combined to win six national championships. Toss in Meyer, who came to Florida after four years as a head coach, and that total is eight national titles.
With dozens of other SEC championships, NCAA appearances and runner-up finishes, Florida has the hardware to back up Foley's coaching hires.
"If you will look at his record over the years – while not perfect, cause no one's perfect, we're all human – he's done an outstanding job of hiring coaches," said booster Stumpy Harris, an Orlando attorney. "I have complete confidence in him, and if he figures this is the guy, it's the guy."
That faith in Foley comes as the AD has been criticized for not hiring a coach with experience running a program. Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, a former defensive coordinator at Florida, and Boise State's Chris Peterson were rumored to be among the candidates.
But Foley said he offered the job to only one guy – Muschamp.
After Meyer's resignation, he said he was looking for a coach who fit at Florida, a criterion that ranked near the top of the list for Foley.
"I talk about culture. I talk about this place, I talk about this community," Foley said last week. "When I hired Urban I knew Urban would be – I can't sit here and tell you I knew he'd hoist up two crystal balls, I hoped he could – but I knew he'd be a fit on this campus. I knew he'd be a fit on this community, I knew he'd be a fit in our athletic program. And that's important to us."
The search was Foley's third for a football coach, and he admits he wasn't prepared for the media attention and speculation the first time. That was in 2002, when he hired Ron Zook to replace Steve Spurrier, the promotion of a career assistant that ultimately ended with Zook's firing less than three years later.
He learned to play the cards close to his chest with Meyer's hiring, and he did it again with this search.
Foley targeted Muschamp, made his decision and quickly found his next coach. And that's just the way Florida boosters would want it.
Said Harris, "He's not afraid to be accountable for doing it the best way he sees fit."
