One of the biggest non-playoff shockers of this week was the Texas Longhorns’ firing of defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, the same guy who helped Texas field the third-best defense in the country last season. According to head coach Steve Sarkisian, the decision had little to do with meritocracy and everything to do with process.

Anybody with a little common sense would ask, why’d you boot a guy with a $2 million band who’s been putting up top 30 defense every season since his arrival back in 2021? Well, from Sarkisian’s perspective, the answer comes down to strategy and flexibility.

“I love the fact that on game day, I can spend a little more time focusing on offensive football and allow him to kind of be with those players making those calls,” Sarkisian said. “If we need to call a timeout when we’re on defense, I don’t always have to be on the defensive headset every single play of defense. I can go talk to Arch (Manning). I can go be with coach (AJ) Milwee, coach (Kyle) Flood.”

According to Steve Sarkisian, also the offensive play-caller, he had to micro-manage Peter Kwiatkowski and that defense. That would add tons of time and extra responsibility-esque burden on Steve Sarkisian’s plate. But with the hiring of OG Will Muschamp, he wouldn’t have to worry about that and give all his undivided attention to Arch Manning and the Longhorns offense. That is the true intention behind this hire.

It makes sense when you look at Texas’ second half of the season under Kwiatkowski’s play-calling. The Longhorns opened their 2025 campaign right where they left off, boasting the third-best defense in the country. In their first six outings, the Longhorns allowed just 11 points per game.

However, hell broke loose in the second half. The Longhorns allowed almost 30 points and 290 yards to their opponents. So yeah, judging solely based on this, the firing of Kwiatkowski is justified.

He even labeled Muschamp as ‘head coach of Texas defense.’ Texas going for Will Muschamp is seen as an ‘all-in’ push for the 2026 natty, especially since it could be quarterback Arch Manning’s final year before the NFL.

Is Will Muschamp a good fit for the Longhorns?

This isn’t Muschamp’s first stint in Austin. He served as Texas’ defensive coordinator from 2008 to 2010 under legendary head coach Mack Brown, and those defenses were dominant. Before that, he worked closely with Nick Saban, dating back to the early 2000s.

Muschamp began as a linebackers coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator within a year. He was part of a staff that won the BCS National Championship in 2003, helping field the nation’s top scoring and total defense. He also spent a year in the NFL alongside Saban before returning to college football to take the defensive coordinator job at Auburn, where he helped develop 12 NFL Draft picks.

After his time at Texas, Muschamp went on to serve as head coach at Florida and South Carolina. More recently, he worked as an off-field analyst with the Georgia Bulldogs for a couple of years. Sarkisian clearly wanted a shift from the previous, more conservative defensive approach, favoring a more aggressive, attacking style that aligns with his “All Gas, No Brakes” offense.

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