The move actually makes perfect sense to me, even if it is just a lateral move. Baylor, Houston, and SMU are all in Texas and they all hired new HCs this year. Any of those would have been a good place for Muschamp to start a head coaching career. He wasnāt really up for any of those jobs, mainly because people in Texas are not that aware of him and he has no recruiting ties in Texas.
Iām sure if here in Alabama a school like Troy needed a coach, Muschamp would be very close to the top of their wish list. I donāt believe that will change even if he spends the next two seasons in Texas. By taking this job, he gives himself exposure to all the schools in Texas, the schools in the Big 12, and can claim recruiting ties in Texas (which is a recruiting hot bed). He can already claim recruiting ties in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida because he has been a coach at Auburn.
Basically, I think this move really broadens his horizons and improves his chances at moving up into a HC job over the next two or three years. If he goes to Texas, has pretty good success, then someone like Texas Tech or Rice or Tulsa finds themselves needing a coach, Muschamp will probably look like a pretty good candidate for those jobs. Not to mention schools around here like the previously mentioned Troy or UAB who if they needed a coach, you know would give Muschamp a long, hard look.
Iām not saying there are not other factors which may be influencing his decision, Iām just saying that even if there werenāt, this would be the right move for his career. We would all like to believe this move indicates big problems down on the farm, but that may not be the case.