Is South Carolina's football coach an investment worth the long haul for the Gamecocks' football program? Maybe.
Athletic director Ray Tanner's answer to that question? A resounding yes. Twice.
Shortly after the conclusion of the Gamecocks' nine-win season in 2017, Muschamp inked a new six-year deal that would pay him $4.2 million in 2018 and increase $200,000 yearly until its completion in 2023.
After seven wins in the 2018 season, the contract was extended until 2024. If Muschamp completes his final year, he'll earn $5.4 million. Headed into his fourth season as head coach, is he worth it for South Carolina boosters and fans? How long will his time continue in Columbia? Let's dissect.
Recruiting
Unlike South Carolina's former coach, it's no secret that Muschamp is a diligent recruiter, and he has assembled a coaching staff that is also serious about recruiting.
Muschamp's 2019 class ranked 17th nationally, heralded by second nationally ranked pro-style quarterback Ryan Hilinski and five-star defensive end Zacch Pickens, who the Gamecocks landed over rival Clemson.
It will be necessary for Muschamp to continue recruiting well to keep his job at South Carolina and keep up with the ever-competitive SEC. As a benchmark, the four programs that have qualified for the College Football Playoff more than once (Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma) have averaged a top-15 class or better in the 247Sports composite rankings over the five-year period the playoff has existed.
If the Gamecocks are to ever compete for a conference championship, they'll need to post numbers like these. Muschamp and his staff are working hard to crack this upper level. Fifteen signees are on board for 2020.
The coaching staff's hard work on the recruiting trail has paid off this summer, with 12 players signing the dotted line since May, including four-star running back MarShawn Lloyd of Hyattsville, Maryland, the eighth ranked running back in the nation according to 247Sports.
Luke Doty, a four-star quarterback recruit from Myrtle Beach, plans to embrace an ambassador role for the class and will try to get signees on board with the program.
The class is in good shape, but if four-star defensive lineman Alex Huntley of Hammond School in Columbia could encourage five-star teammate Jordan Burch to stay in town, this class could be really special.
Grade: B. Already an established recruiter when he arrived to campus, Muschamp's four signing classes have ranked 25th, 21st, 18th and 17th, according to 247Sports. His average of 20.25 is good, but needs some improvement if the Gamecocks want to compete with the likes of Georgia, Alabama and Clemson.
Facilities
"If you build it, they will come." This saying reflects the attitude that major college programs have towards building state-of-the-art infrastructure, an often useful tool when a coach wants to sell his program to a recruit.
The completion of the $50 million Long Family Football Operations Center in early January continues to demonstrate that South Carolina is making a serious financial commitment to the future of the program.
The facility is getting rave reviews and has likely improved recruiting as well.
The 110,000-square foot facility is complete with all of the bells and whistles, housing the entire coaching staff and providing everything a player might want or need. It is even equipped with a recording studio.
On top of that, South Carolina recently announced Phase II approval of $22.5 million in renovations to Williams-Brice Stadium, including new club space, restrooms, concessions and the 2001 Club, which will include new club seating and "offer a field view of the Gamecocks entering the playing field on Saturdays through a glass corridor," the Greenville News wrote.
Grade: A. As long as Muschamp lasts until the start of 2020, the Gamecocks will have completed two major facilities upgrades totaling $72.5 million during his time here. It doesn't get much better than that, especially considering that the new operations building ranks among the best in the nation.
On-field performance
It's harsh to assess a coach off of straight-up wins and losses when he is building a program, but it's the nature of big-time college football. But fans shouldn't be complaining about Muschamp if they did, should they? His 22-17 record is the most wins of any coach in their first three years with the program. Is that something to be proud of or is it a testament to the futility of the Gamecocks' program throughout its history?
The answer: The statistic should be taken with a grain of salt.
South Carolina only qualified for nine bowl games in the program's first 107 years. Since 2000, though, they've appeared in 14 bowl games, won the SEC East and finished in the top 10 three times. The reality is that both Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier raised the bar for the program, and Muschamp will need to make his mark if he wants to stay in Columbia for the foreseeable future.
The Gamecocks haven't been bad under Muschamp, but the reality is that he's been miserable against ranked opponents. South Carolina's record against top 25 opponents is 1-11 since 2016, and he's never won against four annual opponents: Clemson, Georgia, Kentucky and Texas A&M.
Grade: C. Muschamp took over the Gamecocks in rebuilding mode after Spurrier left the program. He's qualified for bowl games in each of his three seasons with the program, but Spurrier raised the bar for the program and there are donors who have put big money into the program that expect bigger things in Columbia.
Conclusion
Fans should be patient with the program. Recruiting is going well, and the new football facility means nothing but good for the Gamecocks. Muschamp will have plenty of opportunities to score a signature victory in 2019, and scoring a big upset could go a long way headed into the future.