The Rotary Club of Fort Myers South has announced that the University of Florida head football coach Will Muschamp will be the keynote speaker at the John Carrigan Rotary South All-Star Classic’s banquet on December 3 at Harborside Convention Center in Fort Myers.
Photo credit: UF Communications
A Gainesville native, Muschamp brings 16 years of coaching and recruiting experience to his role as the Gators’ head football coach, including 12 years in the SEC.
Muschamp started his coaching career immediately after college, working as a graduate assistant at Auburn University from 1995-1996 while earning his master’s degree there. He then spent time as a secondary coach at both West Georgia and Eastern Kentucky before moving on to his first defensive coordinator position at Valdosta State.
Muschamp’s first full-time coaching experience in the SEC came at LSU in 2001 as their linebackers coach. He then was elevated to defensive coordinator for the 2002 through 2004 seasons. His defensive coaching helped lead LSU to the national championship in 2003. Muschamp spent a season with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins in 2005 as Assistant Head Coach for Defense. The Dolphins finished second in the league that year. Muschamp was defensive coordinator at Auburn University in 2006 and 2007, where he was a finalist for the 2007 Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach. While coaching in Texas from 2008 to 2010, the Longhorns’ defense ranked number one in the nation.
The son of a football coach, Muschamp turned down appointments at West Point and Annapolis to become a four-year letterman as a safety at University of Georgia from 1991-1994 where he was named defensive co-captain as a senior.
Muschamp’s first season in Gainesville produced the schools 24th consecutive winning season and its 32nd consecutive season of .500 football or better, the longest streaks in the nation.
The John Carrigan Rotary South All-Star Classic was founded by Sanibel resident and football enthusiast John Carrigan in 1989 and was the first county-wide organized all-star football game in the state of Florida. Under the continued leadership of the Rotary Club of Fort Myers South, proceeds from the event are used to support college scholarships as well as grants for local community organizations. The 24th annual football game will be held December 5 at Fort Myers High School.
Tickets for the banquet and football game will be available for purchase online starting October 1. For more information, contact us.
Photos courtesy of UF Communications