Florida AD to evaluate after season

ByABC News
September 26, 2014, 3:23 PM

— -- Florida Gators coach Will Muschamp will be judged on his program's entire body of work this season, athletic director Jeremy Foley said in an interview earlier this month.

The Florida defense has given up 1,095 yards in the past two games, including a school-record 645 yards in a 42-21 loss to the Crimson Tide last weekend.

Foley, in an interview before the Alabama loss, said he's sticking by his coach but will re-evaluate everything after the season.

"You never judge or evaluate a program based on one game or one season," Foley told "Open Mike" on 740 The Game in Orlando on Sept. 10. "That's just not how we do things here. We're going to evaluate where we're headed -- where the players are, how is recruiting going, what type of staff we have, are we better?

"That's going to be plain for all of us to see, but it's also going to be played out over the course of 11 games, and we'll see where we are when we get to the end of the season."

Florida has won only two of its past 10 games dating to last season -- including a 1-6 mark against SEC teams. The Gators (2-1, 1-1 SEC) have a bye this week before visiting Tennessee on Oct. 4.

Asked about the team's performance, Muschamp was pretty blunt during Wednesday's SEC coaches teleconference.

"We stunk on defense," Muschamp said. "I'm extremely disappointed two games in a row of giving up the big plays we've given up defensively. We've got to get some things tied together better on the back end. That's the bottom line. 

"The mistakes we've made in some situations back there are inexcusable."