AUSTIN, Texas — Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds says the Longhorns football program was ’singled out’ by a new NCAA rule that drastically limits recruiting by defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, the Longhorns’ head-coach-in-waiting.
The rule states assistants “publicly designated” to be the next head coach are now bound by the same recruiting rules as the current head coach. That means Muschamp can make only one off-campus visit with a prospect and it can’t be during the critical spring evaluation period of April 15-May 31. Other assistants can have multiple off-campus visits.
The only other major college football program impacted by the rule is Maryland, where offensive coordinator James Franklin has been designated to succeed Ralph Friedgen.
“Obviously, since this legislation impacts only two programs in the country, we feel we are being singled out,” said Dodds, who first spoke to Orangebloods.com about the rule and later released a prepared statement Wednesday.
“We are exploring our options for legislative relief within the NCAA process, since we believe this places our program at a direct disadvantage. Will is our head coach-in-waiting but he is also our defensive coordinator, and this legislation restricts his ability to perform his current job duties,” Dodds said.
Texas could try to have the rule changed at the next NCAA meeting in April.
