GAINESVILLE, Fla. – When Will Muschamp walked into a team meeting with Urban Meyer on Tuesday afternoon, Gators receiver Frankie Hammond knew very little about Florida’s new football coach other than that Muschamp was defensive coordinator at Texas the past three seasons.
Hammond listened closely as the fiery Muschamp introduced himself and opened his speech. Apprehensive at the start, Hammond walked out of the room breathing easier.
“As he was talking, I just found out that he has a lot of history at Florida,’’ Hammond said. “That definitely was a plus, him knowing the traditions and being at some of the games. That definitely made me feel a little more comfortable.’’
As the transition from Meyer to Muschamp unfolds over the next two-plus weeks, the Gators must develop a comfort zone to bridge the coaching change as smoothly as possible. Muschamp addressed the issue at his press conference Tuesday night, fully aware of the unusual transition.
“I’m excited to see what Coach Muschamp has for us,’’ receiver Omarius Hines said. “We’ve got a new coach now, so we don’t have to stress about who we’re going to get.’’
Meyer will remain head coach through the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl against Penn State. Meanwhile, Muschamp is already on board and working to secure a strong 2011 recruiting class.
Meyer has asked Muschamp to get to know the players and to watch the Gators practice leading up to his final game in charge of the program.
“I’m strictly a spectator,’’ Muschamp said. “I’m going to evaluate the players and then make a decision for Florida as far as our staff is concerned. I told the guys, first impression is so critical.
“There are two things I think we need to do: number one is this is exam week. We’ve got to finish strong academically. Number two, we need to send Urban Meyer out the right way with a win over Penn State.’’
While the players will begin making their first impressions at practice this week, they left Tuesday’s team meeting confident in the man Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley hired to replace Meyer.
Freshman quarterback Trey Burton is one of Meyer’s favorite young players on the team and the two have developed a close connection. But Burton saw enough of Meyer in Muschamp to ease any concerns.
“Really energetic and unbelievably smart,’’ Burton said. “That’s what we need here. He knows a lot of football.’’
The fact Muschamp is a defensive coach didn’t seem to concern the offensive players. On the flip side, the defensive players like the fact the head coach will spend more time on their side at practice and in team meetings.
Junior running back Jeff Demps, like Hammond, knew very little about Muschamp before news broke Saturday night that he would be the Gators’ new head coach. Following Tuesday’s meeting, Demps left convinced that Muschamp understands what is in store at his new job.
“He seems like a good guy, real down to earth,’’ Demps said. “At the same time, he’s all about business and all about winning games. I’m excited to see what he brings to the table.’’
Muschamp said he is working to build a coaching staff while the team prepares for the Outback Bowl. He also revealed some of his plans, including installing a pro-style offense and defense.
The biggest question mark about the team he inherits is at quarterback, where junior starter John Brantley split time with Burton and redshirt freshman Jordan Reed for much of the season. More a traditional drop-back passer, Brantley may have a second life as the Gators move from Meyer’s spread-option attack to Muschamp’s pro-style system next season.
Brantley plans to sit down and discuss his future with Muschamp soon. The two have a previous relationship when Brantley originally committed to Texas coming out of high school but later changed his mind and enrolled at Florida, where his dad and uncle played.
Brantley’s impression of Muschamp’s team meeting Tuesday echoed much of what his teammates said.
“I think he's going to do a great job of coming in here and molding our offense to what our players do best," Brantley said. "I didn't want to see a change necessarily, especially to this extent. I love this coaching staff and I have a lot of respect for them.
“We were excited to have a chance to meet him. He approached the team like any other head coach would -- with a lot of confidence. He told us our plans and how to finish out the season. I think he's going to be a great fit for the University of Florida."
Now it’s up to the players to prove they fit into Muschamp’s plans now that introductions are out of the way. As Meyer leads his final practices heading into the Outback Bowl, the new guy will be walking around taking notes.
Outback Bowl practices at Florida have never meant more.
“It’s been kind of hectic, but we are just focused on the bowl game and sending Coach Meyer out the right way,’’ Hammond said. “You want to end on a positive note. [Having Coach Muschamp around] probably might make practice – amp it ups just a little bit – knowing that he’s out there. That definitely will help out.’’
