Billy GatesSun, February 15, 2026 at 3:39 AM UTC·2 min readAUSTIN (KXAN) — The University of Texas System Board of Regents is set to approve the contract of Longhorns football defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and raises for two assistants in its upcoming meeting Feb. 18-19.
Muschamp’s contract is for $8.4 million in guaranteed compensation through the 2028-2029 season, and he’ll make $2.7 million in the first season as one of the country’s highest-paid coordinators. The man he replaced, Pete Kwiatkowski, was paid $1.9 million in the final year of his contract.
Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp speaks during a media day ahead of the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game between Georgia and TCU, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, in Los Angeles. The championship football game will be played Monday. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)Who will Texas State football play in the Pac-12?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJim Knowles, now the defensive coordinator for Tennessee, was the highest-paid assistant coach at Penn State last season, making $3.1 million. He’s taking a sizable pay cut with the Volunteers after signing a 3-year deal for $2.2 million annually. LSU’s Blake Baker and Michigan’s Wink Martindale made $2.5 million last season.
Muschamp’s guaranteed money increases each of the three seasons, reaching $2.9 million in the final year of his contract. In the details posted in the Board of Regents meeting agenda packet, his guaranteed money is split between an annual salary and professional services payments. He also gets a dealer car, club memberships and a ticket allotment through the school.
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He received a one-time relocation payment of $35,000. He spent the past two seasons as a defensive analyst for the Georgia Bulldogs. He could add to his paycheck with team performance incentives, and he’d pocket 19% of his guaranteed money if they’re met.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMuschamp was at Texas under Mack Brown from 2008-2010, helping lead the Longhorns to the 2009 BCS National Championship game.
Offensive line coach Kyle Flood will get a 5% raise to $1.525 million annually through 2028, and linebackers coach Johnny Nansen will receive a 10% raise to $1.2 million annually through 2028. Nansen stepped in and called the defense for the Longhorns in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl after Kwiatkowski was fired.
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