GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Will Muschamp’s first season as Florida’s head coach in 2011 didn’t go as well as he hoped on the field, but UF’s administration was confident enough in the direction of the program to extend Muschamp’s contract in August, it was revealed Tuesday.
The one-year extension put the 41-year-old Muschamp under contract through 2017.
Muschamp originally signed a five-year contract that ran through 2015 when he was hired to replace Urban Meyer. After Florida’s 7-6 season a year ago, Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley exercised a one-year option on Muschamp’s original deal that extended the contract through 2016.
However, in August Foley and UF President Bernie Machen showed their confidence in Muschamp by rewarding him with a one-year extension. The Gators didn’t disappoint in Muschamp’s second season, finishing the regular season 11-1 and ranked No. 4 in the BCS standings.
The five-game turnaround in the regular season marked the biggest one-year leap for the program in 32 years.
“Dr. Machen and I believed in the leadership and direction of the football program this summer, and we made a decision to extend Coach Muschamp's contract an additional year this past August, prior to the start of the season," Foley said. “The financial terms are unchanged, but he is now under contract for the University of Florida through the 2017 season."
Muschamp is considered a strong candidate for SEC Coach of the Year honors.
