GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Will Muschamp spent 10 years in Gainesville as a kid, graduated from Georgia and coached at Auburn and LSU.
He knows Florida.
He knows the Southeastern Conference.
For the Gators, that outweighed his lack of head-coaching experience.
Florida hired the former Texas defensive coordinator on Saturday night, handing him one of the premier jobs in college football and giving him the tough tasks of following Urban Meyer and rebuilding the Gators after a disappointing 7-5 season.
"This is a dream come true," Muschamp said in a statement. "I grew up watching the Gators and whatever other SEC team was on television. I have great memories watching SEC football with my father on Saturdays and playing football in the back yard with my two brothers right here in Gainesville."
Muschamp will be introduced at a news conference Tuesday.