Will Muschamp gets bigger role after Georgia coach takes leave of absence

Less than a year after he was fired by South Carolina, Will Muschamp is back in an on-field role.

Muschamp, also a former head coach at Florida, will take over as Georgia’s acting special teams coach, according to John Brice of FootballScoop. Muschamp joined the Georgia staff in February as an analyst, with no on-field role at the time. The current opportunity opened up when highly touted special teams coordinator Scott Cochran took a leave of absence. Georgia coach Kirby Smart attributed Cochran’s absence to “health issues,” and there was no timetable for when he may return to work.

Muschamp was spotted around the Georgia program in January, although at the time his role was unofficial. Muschamp and Smart are longtime friends who played together for the Bulldogs in the 1990s.

Muschamp, 50, is 56-51 as a college head coach at Florida and South Carolina. He has no previous experience as a special teams coach.