Seventeen days after coming out in support of coach Will Muschamp, Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley held an impromptu press conference about half an hour before Florida’s game against No. 2 Florida State today at noon.
His message was still the same: He believes in Muschamp’s ability to turn around a program that is going through one of the worst seasons in its history.
The Gators (4-7) have lost six straight games, including a crushing 26-20 loss to FCS opponent Georgia Southern on Nov. 23. Florida is a four-touchdown underdog to Florida State today.
“This year has obviously not been what we want,” Foley said. “I’m not trying to sugar coat things and I'm not making excuses.”
A year after going 11-2 and winning the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year award, Muschamp has been criticized heavily for Florida’s offensive shortcomings and inability to overcome injuries that have plagued the team.
Foley was emphatic in stating he still believes Muschamp is the right man for the job, but he did hint that changes could be coming to improve a Gators offense that has been one of the worst in the SEC the past two seasons.
“He has a strong work ethic,” Foley said of Muschamp. “I think he has a strong plan on how we're going to fix this.”
Asked why he chose to release comments in support of Florida’s third-year coach earlier this month, Foley, 60, said he wanted to send a strong message.
“I wanted to make sure the world knew where we stood,” Foley said. “To sit here and be silent or say how confident we are at the end of the year, that's not how we felt."
UF athletics director Jeremy Foley hugs a staffer as he celebrates a touchdown on Oct. 17, 2009. Foley announced his support for coach Will Muschamp before Florida's game against Florida State on Nov. 30, 2013.
