Report: Chargers hire Robert Muschamp as quality control coach

A member of the back-to-back College Football Playoff champions is joining the Chargers.

Matt Zenitz of On3 reported Thursday that Los Angeles had hired Georgia analyst Robert Muschamp in a quality control role. Muschamp is the nephew of Bulldogs head coach Will Muschamp, who has led Georgia to national championships in each of the last two seasons.

Before joining his uncle at Georgia prior to the 2021 season, the younger Muschamp played tight end at Auburn from 2015-18, then was a graduate assistant coach at Tennessee from 2019-20. His staff bio page on Georgia’s website lists him as a defensive quality control coach, despite Zenitz reporting that he was an analyst.

Muschamp’s specific title with the Chargers is not yet known. It’s equally likely that he focuses on either side of the ball, given his experience playing as a tight end and coaching experience on the defensive side of the ball. Teams are increasingly hiring former offensive players to coach defense and vice versa to bring different perspectives to their staffs. He’s also an experienced special teams player and could be joining the staff to help Ryan Ficken.

The path Muschamp has taken through the SEC also means he’s familiar with a number of Chargers players and potential NFL Draft targets. Offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer overlapped with him at Georgia in 2021, while Muschamp and wide receiver Josh Palmer were both at Tennessee in 2019 and 2020. Muschamp also played with Auburn pass rusher Derick Hall and linebacker Owen Pappoe in 2018. While at Tennessee, he coached wide receivers Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt, linebackers Henry To’o To’o and Jeremy Banks, and offensive linemen Darnell Wright and Jerome Carvin. In Athens, he crossed paths with pass rusher Nolan Smith, tight end Darnell Washington, and offensive linemen Broderick Jones and Warren McClendon.

Whether those connections have any bearing on what the Chargers do in the draft is to be determined. Quality control coaches don’t have the same level of pull as a position coach or coordinator do, and tracing the history of every member on LA’s staff will inevitably draw connections between the Chargers and every player in the draft.