Kirby Smart breaks down Will Muschamp’s special teams role

Georgia named former Florida and South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp the temporary special teams coordinator last week. The move came after second-year coordinator Scott Cochran left the program to deal with personal health issues. Muschamp originally joined the staff as a defensive analyst this offseason.

Head coach Kirby Smart is confident that his former rival will be able to make the transition to a new role easier than most might think.

“Muschamp’s always been very involved in special teams,” Smart said during his Saturday press conference. “I think people think because you’re a head coach, you’re not a special teams coach. You’re probably more special teams when you’re head coach then you are when you’re the special teams coach.”

He continued: “I know Will ran his program very similar to how we run ours and he was involved in those. I was very involved. He brings a lot of energy to the meetings. I think the players respect him, the job he’s done and so far I’ve been really excited about it. It almost reinvigorated because there’s a new voice and a lot of people are up there talking. They’re hearing different voices every day and the players are really competing.”

Team effort

In addition to showing confidence in Muschamp’s special teams credentials, he assured everyone that he will not work alone. Georgia utilizes a number of special teams assets to put its coordinator in a position to succeed.

“If you remember, we never really had just one special teams guy. I mean Cochran had the title but that isn’t the way it was anyway,” said Smart. “Todd Hartley did punt and he continues to do that. He’s helped up and stepped up more in the other phases.

“Coach Muschamp’s going to reside over the other units but to be honest with you we have a special person on our staff, unbelievable last year, the ULL was one of the best teams in the country at the return units. And Robby Discher, the hire we made in the offseason, he coaches the coaches. He’s there for Muschamp with ideas.”

2021 outlook

Phil Steele projects a top 10 special teams unit in 2021 after the group finished No. 7 in his 2020 rankings. The team returns senior punter Jake Camarda, a 2020 finalist for the Ray Guy award and preseason All-American. He finished fourth in the country with a 46.6-yard average last season. Junior kicker Jack Podlesny also returns after going 13-for-16 in his first season as the starter.

The Bulldogs also bring back return specialist Kearis Jackson, who helped Georgia finishe first in the SEC in kick return average. Jackson had a career-long 56-yard return against Florida in 2020. Georgia also finished No. 1 in the SEC in kickoff coverage, allowing 16.8 yards per return, and total blocks with three.

“It’s really a total team effort,” said Smart. “It always is. It was last year. The composite special teams ranking that we keep, it’s just our own methods, we were No. 1 in the SEC in special teams. Everything included. It wasn’t all coach Cochran, right? It was a lot of people doing it by committee. That’s kind of the same way it is.”