Updated on Monday at 12:30 p.m.

With a new offensive coordinator on board and one open position remaining on his staff, Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp has intensified his search for an offensive line coach over the last few days.

Early Sunday morning, a report surfaced that Muschamp had decided on Texas Longhorns offensive line coach Stacy Searels to replace Tim Davis. However, just hours later, Florida denied that the long-rumored hire had been made.

“There are still multiple [offensive line] coaching candidates and there will be no hire today,” said the school via its official Twitter account.

According to CoachingSearch.com, Western Kentucky offensive line coach Neil Callaway was an early candidate for the position. The same website reports that former USC offensive line coach Mike Summers has already interviewed with Muschamp.

Summers was expected to be the choice for the assistant gig had USC offensive coordinator Clay Helton joined the Gators coaching staff. He is currently without a job as new coach Steve Sarkisian chose not to retain his services.

Sunday night, CBSSports.com‘s Jeremy Fowler reported that Central Florida assistant head coach and offensive line coach Brent Key is scheduled to be interviewed by Muschamp on Monday. Key interviewed for the same job with Alabama last offseason.

Monday morning, the Orlando Sentinel‘s Paul Tenorio reported that Key changed his mind and ultimately “opted not to interview” for the job.

Original Post – 1:35 a.m.

Head coach Will Muschamp is set to fill the final open position on his coaching staff, according to a report Sunday from 247Sports.com ($), with current Texas Longhorns offensive line coach Stacy Searels ready to take the same job with the Florida Gators.

The third assistant Muschamp would bring in this offseason, Searels is a known quantity for Florida’s coach, who is looking for assistants he can trust in a make-or-break season. The men spent two years together (2003-04) working under Nick Saban at LSU.



Muschamp also recommended Searels for his position at Texas though never got to coach with him as he left the Longhorns for the Gators that same offseason.

Searels, an All-American offensive lineman at Auburn who once blocked for Bo Jackson, has been coaching since 1992 and got his start as a graduate assistant with his alma mater for two seasons. He then took a job as an assistant coach at Appalachian State, where he lasted from 1994-1999 while the program won a pair of conference titles.

While at Appalachian State in 2001, Searels was presented with the NCAA Award of Valor recognizing “courageous action or noteworthy bravery” after he risked his life to save two colleagues from a fiery car crash. The honor has only been presented 15 times over the last 39 years (thrice in 1974, the year it was first awarded).

Following a two-year stint at Cincinnati (2000-02), Searels spent four seasons at LSU (2003-06) and won a national title in his first year. He then took over the offensive line at Georgia (2007-10) before getting hired away by Texas.

He would join offensive coordinator Kurt Roper (formerly of Duke) and special teams coordinator Coleman Hutzler (formerly of New Mexico) as the newest members of Muschamp’s coaching staff.

Florida is hoping to reinvigorate an offense that struggled all season long and was notably lacking at the line of scrimmage. Searels would take over for offensive line coach Tim Davis, who was fired along with offensive coordinator Brent Pease one day after the end of a 2013 season that UF finished 4-8.