You can officially put the Kirby Smart-to-Florida talk to rest. Will Muschamp has gone to the NFL ranks to fill the defensive coordinator vacancy, according to the Gainesville Sun:
Florida will name Seattle Seahawks defensive line coach Dan Quinn its defensive coordinator under new head coach Will Muschamp, sources told The Gainesville Sun on Monday.
Quinn will remain with the Seahawks through their NFL playoff run, the sources said.
With that Kirby Smart is all but assured to return to Tuscaloosa in 2011. I think it's clear that he is working on borrowed time in Tuscaloosa, but for now I think you can safely dismiss moving forward any notion that he leaves Alabama for a position as an assistant coach. Last year he turned down his alma mater and this year he turns down an opportunity to coach with a close friend, so wherever he ends up next expect Smart to go there only for a head coaching position.
For Florida, note that with his coordinator hires Muschamp has gone into the NFL to get Charlie Weis and the aforementioned Quinn -- who worked under Saban with the Dolphins, I should add -- both fairly conventional coaches who would implement pro-style schemes on both sides of the ball. In order words, the days of Florida running the gimmick offenses and the like are over. Expect them in the coming years to look much like Nick Saban Alabama teams, trying to out-talent everyone else on the recruiting trails and then pound them into submission come Saturday afternoon with superior skill, execution, and conditioning.