Will Muschamp made perhaps the best decision of his professional life at 54 years old, and his new paycheck at Texas as the defensive coordinator is the proof. From spending two seasons at Georgia as a defensive analyst with a semi-retirement phase to this full-time job at Texas, he’s been making bank. In fact, the new Texas Muschamp has become one of the highest-paid in the country.

On Thursday, as per the released contract details of the university shared by Texas insider Chip Brown, Muschamp’s three-year contract with the Longhorns is set to pay him an average of $2.8 million annually. But the deal hasn’t gotten the approval of the University of Texas Board of Regents yet. It is expected to be approved at next week’s meeting. This signals that Longhorns rate Will Muschamp highly, and his huge pay comes with equally huge expectations.

That pay starts at $2.7 million and rises by $100,000 annually. With this deal, he will surpass the earnings of his predecessor, Pete Kwiatkowski, who in the previous season was the Longhorns’ top-earning assistant with a salary of $1.9 million. In 2026, if he had returned to reprise his role, Kwiatkowski would have reportedly earned $2 million as per his 3-year contract, which isn’t even close to what Muschamp will make.

Muschamp is joining a team where he needs to fix its defense, and at the same time, work with impressive talents like Ty’Anthony Smith, Jelani McDonald, transfer LB Rasheem Biles, freshman LB Tyler Atkinson, and more, with the new Texas DC having an advantage. Texas isn’t new ground to Will Muschamp, as he spent 2008 to 2010 here as a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

Interestingly, in Texas, he became the head coach-in-waiting in 2009, and that deal bumped his salary to $900,000. But he didn’t take over the head coaching role, as he left the Longhorns to become head coach at Florida. At that time, the Gators offered him a 5-year contract with an average of $2.75 million per year.

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Now his return to Austin marks his first full-time DC post since his 2015 stint at Auburn. The deal makes him the second-highest paid assistant coach in the country, based on last season’s figures. But now he has to improve Texas’ defense to give back to the program.

Why did Steve Sarkisian choose Will Muschamp?

The firing of Pete Kwiatkowski shook the Longhorns, as he produced four straight top-30 scoring defenses. However, Texas’s performance in 2025 under his watch didn’t impress the head coach. That’s when the decision took shape, opening the door for Will Muschamp, but it certainly wasn’t easy for Sarkisian, who spent five seasons with Kwiatkowski.

“Sometimes change is needed,” said Sarkisian. “Sitting in my chair, sometimes you’ve got to make the tough call.”

The Longhorns allowed just 11 PPG over their first six games under Kwiatkowski’s guidance. To sort that aspect of their game, the Longhorns hired Will Muschamp, who comes with a wealth of experience and, more importantly, familiarity.

As an SEC head coach, he has experience in handling approximately 107 games. In fact, he worked under Nick Saban and played a crucial role from 2002 to 202, with LSU and the Miami Dolphins. Now he is a coach Sarkisian trusts to be the “head coach of the defense.”

“If you really want to have elite success, you got to play a little bit more in your face,” added Sarkisian.

How the Texas defense performs under its new coordinator will show whether the hype surrounding Will Muschamp is justified.