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South Carolina Gamecocks football under Steve Spurrier

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Steve Spurrier, former national championship-winning head football coach at the University of Florida, served as the head coach of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks football team from November 23, 2004, until October 12, 2015.[1][2] It was Spurrier's fifth tenure as a head coach, his second longest tenure as a head coach, and his third and final tenure as a head coach in college football. He served as South Carolina's 32nd head coach.[3]

South Carolina Gamecocks football under Steve Spurrier
Athletic directorMike McGee (2004–2005)
Eric Hyman (2005–2012)
Ray Tanner (2012–2015)
Head coachSteve Spurrier
11 season, 86–49 (.637)
StadiumWilliams–Brice Stadium
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
Bowl record5–4 (.556)
Division titles1
Consensus All-Americans2

With a mantra of "why not us?",[4][5] Spurrier inherited one of the least successful teams in college football and quickly led its transformation into a more competitive program.[6][7] South Carolina averaged seven wins for his first five seasons in the mid-to-late 2000s,[7] and reached new heights in the early 2010s, winning the SEC East in 2010 and going 11–2 every season from 2011 to 2013.[7] The Gamecocks regressed the next two years, leading Spurrier to resign in 2015.[8]

Finishing with a record of 86–49, Spurrier is the winningest coach in Gamecock football history.[9] South Carolina won nearly 64% of its games, the highest winning percentage of any coach who has led the Gamecocks for more than twenty games.[10] South Carolina was ranked in 84 different weeks,[11] including 69 straight from September 2010 to September 2014.[11] The Gamecocks went to nine bowl games and won five, both school records for a coach.[12] They were 6–4 against Clemson, including a school-record five-straight wins.[13] The 2010–2013 seasons are widely considered the most successful era in program history.[14][15] In that era, South Carolina had its first appearance in the SEC Championship Game, its first three eleven-win seasons, its first three top-10 finishes, and its first top-5 finish.[16] South Carolina became only the twelfth team in college football history to win eleven games in three straight seasons.[17]

Spurrier was seen as an excellent recruiter with the Gamecocks,[18] bringing in renowned players such as Eric Norwood, Melvin Ingram, Stephon Gilmore, Alshon Jeffery, Marcus Lattimore, Connor Shaw, and Jadeveon Clowney.[19] The school's athletic finances improved during this time, leading to its football facilities being upgraded.[20][21][22] Spurrier's tenure was a turning point in the history of the program, with long-lasting changes in its resources and culture.[23][24]

Background

Spurrier

 
Spurrier in 1999

After winning a Heisman Trophy as a quarterback at Florida in 1966 and a largely unsuccessful NFL career, Steve Spurrier entered coaching.[5] He served as an assistant at several schools in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including Florida, Georgia Tech, and Duke.[25]

Spurrier earned his first two head coaching jobs in the mid-to-late 1980s, first with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL and then with Duke.[25] With the Blue Devils, Spurrier was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 1988 and 1989.[25] On the last day of the decade, Spurrier was hired as the head coach at Florida, returning to his alma mater.[25]

Under head coach Spurrier, the Florida Gators football program of the 1990s and early 2000s was, at the time, considered "arguably the most successful SEC football program ever".[26] From 1990 to 2001, Florida won one national championship and seven conference championships.[26] The Gators finished in the top 10 nine times and finished in the top 5 six times.[26]

In January 2002, Spurrier abrupty resigned from his position at Florida, stating "I simply believe that twelve years as head coach at a major university in the SEC is long enough."[27] Less than two weeks later, he was named the head coach of the Washington Redskins of the NFL.[27] In two seasons, 2002 and 2003, Spurrier went 12–20, and he once again resigned.[27]

Spurrier subsequently took a year off in 2004, when he was considered the most attractive free agent on the coaching market.[27]

South Carolina

 
Gamecocks in 1944

In its first 111 years, the South Carolina Gamecocks football program had won one conference championship and two bowl games.[5]

The program had seen its most success in the late 1970s and 1980s under head coaches Jim Carlen and Joe Morrison, with five eight-win seasons, a Heisman Trophy winner, and the program's only ten-win season.[28] However, a steroids scandal and the death of their head coach in late 1988 and early 1989 sent the Gamecocks on a decade-long downspiral.[28]

Lou Holtz, former national championship-winning head coach at Notre Dame, was hired to fix the situation, becoming the Gamecocks' head coach in 1999.[28] Holtz and the Gamecocks saw success in 2000 and 2001, but regressed the next three years.[28] Holtz remained the Gamecocks' head football coach in 2004,[28] though he had indicated in the summer that it might be his last season.[29]

Overview

Hiring

 
Lou Holtz was instrumental in Spurrier coming to South Carolina

On October 25, 2004, Florida head coach Ron Zook was fired.[30] Spurrier was considered a top candidate to return as head coach of the Gators.[30] Publicly, he expressed a moderate amount of interest in the position,[30] and his return to Florida was considered a strong possibility.[31] There was reportedly a strong sentiment within Spurrier's family for him to return to Florida.[31] Anonymous Spurrier associates claimed there was an active back-and-forth dialogue between school officials and Spurrier through intermediaries, though Florida officials denied this.[31] Considering the failure of the last coaching search, Florida would've been under intense pressure to hire Spurrier if he wanted the job.[31] However, Spurrier and Florida both said that he was not offered the job outright, and, despite Florida claiming that he was comfortable with this process, it would later be speculated that Spurrier was bothered by having to interview for the job.[32][31] He was also reportedly bothered by a number of other things that Florida had done, and he would later say that he still felt that twelve years with one program is enough.[32][31][5] Spurrier was also reportedly intrigued by the long-shot possibility of returning to the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, and his name was being mentioned in several other college job possibilities, including North Carolina, Texas, South Carolina, and Washington.[31]

On October 30, 2004, after South Carolina's loss to Tennessee, South Carolina head football coach Lou Holtz told South Carolina athletic director Mike McGee that this would be his last season.[29][33][34] McGee asked Holtz to assist in finding his replacement, to which Holtz agreed.[34] Spurrier was then contacted about the Gamecocks' head coaching job.[33][29] McGee had a head start because of Holtz's early decision, as well as Spurrier being out of coaching and available to talk immediately.[29] Spurrier would later say he was very interested from the beginning, without much negotiation back and forth.[26] McGee, Holtz, and Augusta National Golf Club president Hootie Johnson were involved in the negotiations with Spurrier.[33] Holtz and Spurrier were especially close after Spurrier had helped Beth Holtz gain admission to a Florida hospital for cancer treatment five years prior.[33] Spurrier's associates said at the time that if Johnson, a former Gamecock football player, were to offer Spurrier a membership at Augusta, Spurrier could be enticed.[31]

Spurrier would later explain why he was interested in the Gamecocks: "South Carolina has basically everything that I was looking for. It's in the South, it's in the Southeastern Conference and it's a big state university with wonderful facilities. Their tradition is not that good, so we've got a chance to do some things that have never been done here before. And it was the first job that came open. ... First of all, the (Florida) job was never offered to me. I didn't feel like going back and doing what we'd already done. ... I think it worked out best for everybody involved."[5]

On November 4, Spurrier called Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley and informed him that he was withdrawing his name from consideration for the Gators' head coaching job.[35] By November 6, rumors of Holtz retiring and Spurrier possibly taking over were circling at South Carolina.[34] By November 13, Spurrier had agreed to come to South Carolina.[29] On November 17, after having said several times that he was worn out and tired from the season, Holtz promised his Gamecock players he would tell them first when he decided about next year.[36] The next day, November 18, before the team's final regular-season practice, Holtz told his players that he would retire as coach at South Carolina after the season.[36][37] The same day, a number of media outlets confirmed reports that Spurrier had agreed to come to South Carolina, though McGee did not confirm or deny the rumors and Spurrier's agent stayed silent.[36][37] Also that day, Johnson said that Spurrier was not guaranteed a membership at Augusta if he became the head football coach at South Carolina.[37] On November 20, Holtz and the Gamecocks lost to Clemson, in a game that ended with an infamous brawl.[38] Later that day, as a result of the brawl, South Carolina announced it would not accept a post-season bowl bid despite finishing the season bowl-eligible, making the Clemson game the last game of Holtz's career.[38] McGee contacted Spurrier about the decision, with Spurrier agreeing.[38] On November 22, Holtz announced his retirement at a press conference at Williams–Brice Stadium.[39] Holtz said he expected to be replaced by a well-known, proven winner with whom he played golf, which appeared to be a reference to Spurrier.[33]

On November 23, 2004, at a news conference at Williams–Brice Stadium, Spurrier was introduced as the new head football coach at South Carolina.[26] Spurrier was given a seven-year contract, with an annual guaranteed compensation of $1.25 million.[26]

I’d like to borrow a phrase from the Boston Red Sox. Why not us? Why not the University of South Carolina Gamecocks?

Steve Spurrier, his introductory press conference on November 23, 2004[34]

2005 season

Main article: 2005 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

On September 1, 2005, Spurrier coached and won his first game at South Carolina, a home game at Williams–Brice Stadium against UCF.[40] That game also hosted College Gameday, only the third time the Gamecocks had ever hosted the pre-game show.[41] South Carolina's next two games were losses to conference opponents, No. 9 Georgia and Alabama.[40] The Gamecocks broke the losing streak by defeating Troy at home.[40] However, the next game was another conference loss, against Auburn.[40] By this point, South Carolina was 2–3 for the season, and 0–3 in conference play.[40] The Gamecocks subsequently went on a five-game winning streak, all against conference opponents, defeating Kentucky, Vanderbilt, No. 23 Tennessee, Arkansas, and No. 12 Florida.[40] The five consecutive SEC wins were a school record,[42] and the win at Tennessee was the school's first ever.[42] The upset over Florida was the school's first win over the Gators since the 1930s,[42] and also marked the highest-ranked opponenent the Gamecocks had beaten in the 21st century until then.[43] South Carolina improved to 7–3 for the season, and 5–3 in conference play, and were ranked No. 19 in the country.[40] It was the second highest ranking by a first-year Gamecock head football coach ever, behind only Warren Geise in 1956.[43] For the regular season finale, South Carolina was upset at home by archrival Clemson.[40] Following the regular season, Spurrier was named the SEC Coach of the Year.[42] It was only the third time a Gamecock head football coach had ever won a conference coach of the year award, and it was the eighth of Spurrier's career.[42] The Gamecocks were selected to play Missouri in the Independence Bowl to end the season, their first bowl game since 2001.[40][43] Despite a 21–0 lead in the first quarter, South Carolina lost to the Tigers, ending the season with a record of 7–5.[40][44]

2006 season

Main article: 2006 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

The 2006 season started with Spurrier's first two shutouts at South Carolina.[45] In the season opener, the Gamecocks held Mississippi State to zero points in a road victory.[45] The next week, they were themselves held to zero points by No. 12 Georgia in a home loss.[45] South Carolina won the next two games against non-Power 5 teams, Wofford and Florida Atlantic.[45] The Gamecocks then returned to conference play, welcoming No. 2 Auburn at home, with a chance for the biggest victory in program history.[45][46] This game was much closer than their first SEC game, but South Carolina still lost by a touchdown.[45] The Gamecocks won the next two conference games of the season, defeating Kentucky and Vanderbilt on the road.[45] Next, South Carolina had three consecutive close losses against top-12 SEC opponents: No. 8 Tennessee, No. 12 Arkansas, and eventual national champion No. 6 Florida.[45] The home game against Tennesse hosted College GameDay, marking the second consecutive season the Gamecocks had done so.[41] In the road game against Florida, South Carolina had the chance to win by kicking a 48-yard field goal attempt with eight seconds left to play, but the kick was blocked.[47] Next week, the Gamecocks pummeled Middle Tennessee by more than six touchdowns in a home victory which ended their losing streak.[45] For the regular season finale, South Carolina upset No. 24 Clemson on the road, the program's first victory over their archrival since 2001.[45][48] The Gamecocks were invited to the Liberty Bowl, where they defeated Houston, also their first bowl victory since 2001.[45][43] South Carolina finished the season with a record of 8–5, which was only the ninth eight-win season in program history.[43]

2007 season

Main article: 2007 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

In 2007, South Carolina had its best start to a season yet under Spurrier.[43] Within their first seven games,[49] and in the midst of an upset-heavy college football season,[50][51] the Gamecocks had upset victories over two top-11 teams (No. 11 Georgia and No. 8 Kentucky), four victories over unranked teams (Louisiana–Lafayette, SC State, Mississippi State, and North Carolina), and a loss to eventual national champion No. 2 LSU.[49] The victory over Kentucky was only the Gamecocks' sixth win over a top-10 team in program history, and their first since 2000.[46] By mid-October, South Carolina was 6–1, ranked No. 6 in the country (their highest ranking since 1984), and in the thick of the SEC Eastern Division race.[49][52] However, the Gamecocks lost the remaining five games on their schedule, including three upset losses of their own (Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Arkansas) and two losses against ranked teams (No. 17 Florida and No. 21 Clemson).[49] South Carolina still finished the season bowl-eligible, but was not selected for a bowl game, finishing with a record of 6–6.[49]

2008 season

Main article: 2008 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
 
South Carolina sideline in 2008

In the season-opener of 2008, South Carolina snapped their losing streak by defeating NC State at home, and re-entered the rankings at No. 24.[53] However, the Gamecocks then lost to Vanderbilt for the second consecutive season.[53][54] South Carolina welcomed No. 2 Georgia at home, with another chance for the biggest victory in program history.[53][46] Like the opportunity against Auburn two seasons prior, the game was close, but the Gamecocks still lost by a touchdown.[53] South Carolina bounced back, winning the next four games against Wofford, UAB, Ole Miss, and Kentucky.[53] This winning streak ended with a close loss to No. 13 LSU at home.[53] South Carolina won their next two conference games against Tennessee and Arkansas, but then lost the final one against eventual national champion No. 3 Florida.[53] For the regular season finale, the Gamecocks lost to Clemson for the second consecutive season.[53][55] South Carolina returned to the postseason with an invitation to the Outback Bowl, where they suffered a blowout loss to Iowa, finishing the season with a record of 7–6.[53]

2009 season

Main article: 2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

In 2009, South Carolina began with a victory over NC State for the second consecutive season.[56] However, the Gamecocks lost their first game in conference play, dropping a close game on the road against No. 21 Georgia.[56] South Carolina bounced back with a home win over Florida Atlantic.[56] Staying at home, the Gamecocks welcomed No. 4 Ole Miss, with a chance for one of the largest upsets in school history.[56] South Carolina won the matchup with a final score of 16–10.[56] It was only the second win over a top-5 team in school history, the first at home in school history, and the first since 1981.[56] The Gamecocks followed with this up with two more wins at home, against SC State and Kentucky.[56] By this point, South Carolina was on a four-game winning streak, had a 5–1 record and was ranked No. 22 in the country.[56] However, going back out on the road, the Gamecocks lost to eventual national champion No. 2 Alabama, snapping their winning streak.[56] Next, South Carolina defeated Vanderbilt for the first time since 2006.[56][54] The Gamecocks closed out conference play with three straight losses, against Tennessee, Arkansas, and No. 1 Florida.[56] For the final game of the regular season, South Carolina defeated No. 15 Clemson at home, their first win against the Tigers since 2006.[56][48] The Gamecocks were invited to the PapaJohns.com Bowl, where they lost to Connecticut, finishing the season with a record of 7–6.[56]

2010 season

Main article: 2010 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
 
South Carolina in 2010

In 2010, Spurrier scored another first with the first SEC Eastern Division Championship in school history.[57] On November 13, 2010, the Gamecocks defeated Florida 36–14 to clinch the division.[57] Prior to this contest, USC had an all-time record of 0–12 at The Swamp.[57] Freshman RB Marcus Lattimore rushed for 212 yards and 3 touchdowns in the game.[57] Spurrier got his first win in Gainesville as a Gamecock, received a "Gatorade Bath" from his players, and became the first coach to win the SEC East with two different teams.[57] Earlier in the season, the Gamecocks posted the program's first win over a No. 1 team in program history, with a 35–21 victory over top-ranked, defending national champion Alabama.[58]

2011 season

Main article: 2011 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

In 2011, Spurrier led USC to its most successful season in program history.[59] The Gamecocks posted an 11–2 overall record, went 6–2 in SEC play,[60] and defeated No. 20 Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl[61] to earn Final Top 10 rankings in the AP and Coaches' Polls (No. 9 and No. 8, respectively). Along the way, USC defeated Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and Clemson in the same season for the first time in program history.

The University of South Carolina was investigated in 2011–12 by the NCAA after it came to light that student-athletes (including some football players) had received an estimated $59,000 in impermissible benefits, mainly the result of discounted living expenses at a local hotel.[62] The school imposed its own punishment, paying $18,500 in fines and cutting three football scholarships in each of the 2013 and 2014 seasons.[63] The school also reduced its official visits for the 2012–13 year, from 56 to 30. The NCAA ruled this self-imposed punishment as adequate, stating that "the violations were limited in scope" and "there was no unethical conduct in this case", and went on to praise the school's handling of the affair, with the chairman of the NCAA infractions committee stating, "This has been one of the best cases I have seen from a process standpoint. . . . In this case, it was obvious to the committee that the university wanted to get to the truth." The commissioner went on to state that USC "wanted to ask all the hard questions of all the right people and, in some cases, they even went beyond what the NCAA staff was doing."[64]

2012 season

Main article: 2012 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

In 2012 Steve Spurrier, once again, led his South Carolina football team to double-digit wins during the course of the regular season campaign.[60] The 2012 regular season culminated with the annual season-ending game against arch-rival Clemson at Clemson's Memorial Stadium.[65][66] Spurrier and his Gamecocks emerged with a fourth consecutive victory over the Tigers – a victory marked by Spurrier winning his 65th game at Carolina and, in doing so, becoming the winningest coach in Gamecock football history surpassing Rex Enright's 64-win total.[67] Spurrier led the Gamecocks to a thrilling 33–28 victory in the Outback Bowl against the winningest program in college football, Michigan.[68] The victory elevated the Gamecocks to an 11–2 record for the second consecutive season.[69] Additionally, by finishing 8th in the Associated Press poll and 7th in the Coaches poll, South Carolina finished in Top 10 of both polls for the second consecutive year.[70]

2013 season

Main article: 2013 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
 
South Carolina in 2013

In 2013, Spurrier and the Gamecocks finished with another extremely successful 11–2 season.[71] The season started off with a convincing 27–10 win over North Carolina,[72] although they fell to Georgia for the first time in four years, 41–30.[73] Carolina went on a four-game winning streak before falling to Tennessee in Knoxville after starting quarterback Connor Shaw left the game with a knee injury.[74] In the following game against division-leading #5 Missouri, Shaw was sidelined due to injury, and backup Dylan Thompson got the start.[75] After a weak performance from the Gamecocks in the first three quarters, Shaw was put in the game in the fourth quarter with South Carolina down 0–17. Shaw went on to lead a historic comeback in which the Gamecocks beat Missouri in double overtime, 27–24.[76] That game was the first of a six-game winning streak in which Spurrier and Carolina won the rest of their games, posting another 11–2 season.[77] In the highest-ranked meeting of rivals, the #9 Gamecocks defeated #4 Clemson for the fifth year in a row, a school record, by a score of 31–17.[78] Spurrier led the Gamecocks to a 34–22 victory over the #19 Wisconsin in the 2014 Capital One Bowl.[79][80] South Carolina finished with the highest ranking in school history in the AP poll, ranked at #4 in the country.[79]

2014 season

Main article: 2014 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

South Carolina opened the 2014 season at home against Texas A&M, and the Aggies' 52–28 upset over the #9 Gamecocks snapped college football's longest active home winning streak.[81] Carolina earned a measure of redemption two weeks later, knocking off the #6 Georgia Bulldogs at home.[82] Two weeks later, the 13th-ranked Gamecocks would again suffer a home upset, falling to Missouri, 21–20.[83] This loss dropped USC out of the top 25 for the first time since the 2010 season.[84][85] The Gamecocks closed out the regular season with their first loss in six years to their in-state rival, #21 Clemson, 35–17.[86] Spurrier and his team finished the 2014 campaign with the program's fourth-straight bowl win, a victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the 2014 Independence Bowl and a 7–6 overall record.[87]

2015 season

Main article: 2015 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

In the 2015 season opener, South Carolina defeated North Carolina at a neutral site.[88] The next two games were conference losses, a close game against Kentucky at home followed by a blowout on the road against No. 7 Georgia.[88] Back at home, the Gamecocks hoped to snap the losing streak against UCF.[88] However, the game was a "struggle" for the Gamecocks, who were down 8–14 at halftime, though they did eventually win.[89][88] Following the game against UCF and the 2–2 start, Spurrier called South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner and informed him that he would try to finish the season but that he sensed his time at South Carolina was coming to an end.[90] Next, the Gamecocks went on the road and lost to Missouri for the second consecutive season.[91][88] The following game, against No. 7 LSU, was scheduled to take place at home, but instead was moved to Tiger Stadium due to severe flooding in Columbia.[88][92] On October 10, 2015, South Carolina played LSU, keeping it close in the first half but getting blown out in the second half to lose the game.[93][88] By this point, South Carolina was 2–4 in the season, and 0–4 in conference play.[88] The LSU game would prove to be the last of Spurrier's tenure.[94]

Resignation

On October 11, 2015, one day after the loss to LSU, Spurrier called South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner and told him that he was contemplating resignation.[90][94] Tanner and school president Harris Pastides tried to persuade Spurrier to coach through the end of the regular season, but were unsuccessful in doing so.[94]

On the night of October 12, 2015, after practice, Spurrier told his players that there was a "good chance" he would be stepping down.[90] He would later speculate that this "surprised some, and maybe not others".[90] Later that evening, Tanner and South Carolina deputy athletic director Charles Waddell met with several coaches and team captains Skai Moore, Mike Matulis, Isaiah Johnson, and Pharoh Cooper in an effort to decide an interim head coach.[90] Soon after, Tanner called offensive line coach/co-offensive coordinator Shawn Elliott to ask him to be the interim head coach, which he accepted.[90]

The next morning, October 13, Elliott conferred with the other coaches and some players, who showed their support for him.[90] One of the players asked Tanner to tell Spurrier to visit practice, which Spurrier did.[90] Later that day, the University of South Carolina held a press conference, concerning Spurrier's resignation and the appointment of Elliott as interim head coach.[90][94]

Okay, first of all, I'm resigning. I'm not retiring. [I want to] get that part straight. I doubt if I'll ever be a head coach again, but, you know, maybe coaching a high school team or something. So don't say I've retired completely from coaching. Who knows what will come in the future. But, the last several years, as I travel around the country, seeing guys and so forth, I always get asked: 'How much longer are you going to coach?' And my answer is always the same. As long as we keep winning, keep winning these bowl games, everybody's happy, we're ranked, life's pretty good, I guess I can go several more years. But, if it starts going south, starts going bad, then I need to get out. You can't keep a head coach that's done it as long as I have, when it's heading in the wrong direction. And, really today, when I move out of the way, and Shawn Elliott's going to take over as the interim head coach, it sort of starts our rebuilding, or building back, what we had just two years ago. ... somehow or another, we've slid. And it's my fault, I'm responsible, I'm the head coach. ... [The school president] said 'Why can't you just go through the end of the year and announce this is your last year?' I find that that doesn't work a lot, because if the players know you're not going to be their coach after such and such of time, you just don't have the accountability, I think. And also, it gives us a chance to hire an interim head coach ... and gives him a chance to make his mark, for these next six games. ... Yesterday, I was sort of a recruiting liability. It's hard to recruit when your coach has done it a long time, and, at a certain age, the recruits want to know that guy's going to be there five to ten years from now. And with a new coach here, I think it really is going to pick up recruiting. ... Back in '04, I think I was probably the best coach for this job, eleven years ago, but I'm not today. I'm not today. And that's the cycle of coaching. ... I'm still going to be around town. ... I'll just be the former Head Ball Coach now. ... And I just think it's the best thing. This is the best thing for South Carolina football, for our university, to start another building process.

Steve Spurrier, his opening statement at his resignation press conference on October 13, 2015[90]

In a letter to Gamecock fans, Spurrier would later further justify his resignation by saying that he saved the university three million dollars by forfeiting his buyout clause, that the team played better under Elliott, that he didn't want a "Spurrier Farewell Tour", and that he essentially fired himself because he knew the university would not fire him.[95]

Head coaching record

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
2005 South Carolina 7–5 5–3 T–2nd (Eastern) L Independence
2006 South Carolina 8–5 3–5 5th (Eastern) W Liberty
2007 South Carolina 6–6 3–5 T–4th (Eastern)
2008 South Carolina 7–6 4–4 T–3rd (Eastern) L Outback
2009 South Carolina 7–6 3–5 T–4th (Eastern) L PapaJohns.com
2010 South Carolina 9–5 5–3 1st (Eastern) L Chick-fil-A 22 22
2011 South Carolina 11–2 6–2 2nd (Eastern) W Capital One 8 9
2012 South Carolina 11–2 6–2 3rd (Eastern) W Outback 7 8
2013 South Carolina 11–2 6–2 2nd (Eastern) W Capital One 4 4
2014 South Carolina 7–6 3–5 T–4th (Eastern) W Independence
2015 South Carolina 2–4 0–4 [note 1]
South Carolina: 86–49 44–40
Total:
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Aftermath

Spurrier

 
Spurrier in late 2016

In February 2016, Spurrier assumed a new role at the University of South Carolina: special assistant to the president and athletic director. He had a contract clause that allowed him to assume such a role, if he wanted.[97]

In July 2016, Spurrier returned to the University of Florida, as ambassador and consultant for the Gators' athletic department. He said: "My wife, Jerri, and I are extremely thrilled to be returning home to our alma mater, and to Gainesville where we met on campus over fifty years ago. I'm very appreciative to athletic director Jeremy Foley, head coach Jim McElwain and Phil Pharr of Gator Boosters for their role in making this happen. I also want to say thanks to the University of South Carolina for allowing me to be their coach from 2005 to 2015. Also a special thanks to all of the Gamecock players, coaches and fans that allowed our teams to set so many school records. I will now pull for South Carolina to win every game but one, just as I did when I pulled for Florida to win every game but one as the Gamecock coach."[98]

In April 2018, Spurrier made a return to coaching, being named the first head coach of the Orlando Apollos, part of the new Alliance of American Football.[99] Spurrier would later express interest in ending his coaching career on a winning note.[100]

The Apollos began their first and only season in February 2019. By April, the league was suspended, and the Apollos' 7–1 record was the best of all eight teams. Spurrier said: "We're all disappointed, but, on the other side, we've got to be the champs, right? We're 7–1 and the next teams are 5–3. ... But it's sad to end this way."[101] Spurrier ended his coaching career on a winning note, and not has coached again since.

Spurrier remains on the University of Florida's athletic staff.[102]

South Carolina

 
Action during the 2022 win against Clemson, the program's first win in the rivalry since Spurrier's resignation

South Carolina has yet to be ranked in the AP Poll as highly or as consistently since Spurrier's resignation.[11]

Interim head coach Shawn Elliott, carrying Spurrier's visor onto the field,[103][104] won his debut game, beating Vanderbilt.[104] However, he then lost the last five games of the season, including a loss to The Citadel,[105] the program's first loss to an FCS program since 1990.[106] The 2015 team finished with a 3–9 record, with two wins and four losses coming from Spurrier, and one win and five losses coming from Elliott.[105] It was South Carolina's first losing season since 2003 and worst record since 1999.[107]

Elliott was not kept as head coach, and South Carolina instead hired Will Muschamp as its new head coach in December 2015.[103] Muschamp went 28–30 over 4.7 seasons before being fired during the 2020 season.[108] Mike Bobo subsequently took over as interim head coach,[108] and lost the last three games of the season.[109]

Bobo was not kept as head coach, and South Carolina instead hired Shane Beamer as its new head coach in December 2020.[110] Beamer remains South Carolina's head coach,[111] and, through his first full three seasons, has amassed a 20–18 record.[112]

South Carolina's first post-Spurrier season in which it finished ranked was the 2022 season.[7] In that season, Beamer's second year, the Gamecocks did something that even Spurrier's best teams could not do: they defeated three top-15 teams and back-to-back top-ten opponents for the first time in program history.[113] South Carolina finished that season with an 8–5 record and ranked No. 23 in the country, the program's first final ranking since Spurrier's 2013 team.[7]

Legacy

Assessment

 
Two players from Spurrier's tenure have had their jerseys retired by the school, with more likely to follow

For his accomplishments both on and off the field, Spurrier is widely considered the greatest Gamecock head football coach of all time.[114][16][115] Additionally, in a fan poll conducted by The State in August 2021, Spurrier ranked as the third greatest coach of any sport at the University of South Carolina, behind only Dawn Staley and Ray Tanner.[116] His success with the Gamecocks contributed to him being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2017,[117] and it contributes to him being considered one of the greatest college football coaches of all time.[118][119]

Several players from the Spurrier era have also been regarded highly in retrospect.[19] In an article published by The State listing the fifty greatest Gamecocks of all time, twelve were players that played under Spurrier, including three of the top four.[19] By November 2024, seven players from the era will have been inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame.[120] Two of the program's six retired jerseys played under Spurrier.[121] Connor Shaw is widely considered the greatest Gamecock quarterback of all time.[122][123][124][125][126][127][128] An article by The State ranked him as the second greatest Gamecock football player ever,[19] and a Saturday Down South article listed him as arguably the most underrated SEC football player of the 21st century.[128] Marcus Lattimore is often considered the second greatest Gamecock running back of all time.[19][129] Jadeveon Clowney, Melvin Ingram, Eric Norwood, Stephon Gilmore, Emmanuel Cook, Jasper Brinkley, and Cliff Matthews have been considered some of the best defensive players in program history.[130][131]

The four-year stretch between 2010 and 2013 is considered the most successful era in program history by many journalists, and has even been officially honored by the university.[14][15][132][133][128][134] The 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 seasons/teams have each individually appeared on lists of the greatest in program history.[135][136][137][138]

Several individual games, plays, and moments from the era have continued to receive attention.[139] The upset over Ole Miss in 2009 has become increasingly significant over time, largely due to starting the "Sandstorm" tradition.[140][141] The upset over Alabama in 2010 has been described as "one of the biggest wins perhaps in the history of the school".[142] Athlon Sports has ranked the 2010 victory over Florida, which clinched the SEC East, as the greatest moment in Gamecock football history,[143] and the photograph of Spurrier being carried off the field after the win has been considered one of the most iconic in school history.[144] "The Hit" by Jadeveon Clowney in the 2012 season has been considered the greatest play in program history,[145] as well as one of the greatest plays in college football history.[146][147] The "Miracle at Mizzou" in 2013 has been considered one of the best comebacks in program history.[148][149]

Marky Billson of Saturday Down South has written: "The 1984 Gamecocks showed the program’s potential. But by becoming only the 12th team in college football history to win 11 games in three straight seasons, the 2013 Gamecocks lived up to it."[150]

Zach Barnett of FootballScoop has written: "It's unquestionably the best 4-year run in South Carolina's football history, and means more in Columbia than one (national) title would in Tuscaloosa."[151]

Barrett Sallee of Bleacher Report has written: "But the biggest reason for South Carolina's success from 2010-13 when it won the SEC East and reeled off three straight 11-win seasons was program-defining players inside the Palmetto State who chose to go to the Gamecocks rather than Clemson or other major programs. Players like Marcus Lattimore, Stephon Gilmore and Jadeveon Clowney are the exception to high school football in the state of South Carolina, not the rule."[152]

Spurrier has received much criticism for his resignation.[95][153][154] One day later, Jeff Owens of The Sporting News wrote: "Now he’s gambling again — with his reputation and his legacy. ... This seems like the way of a quitter ... Though he may have the best interest of South Carolina at heart, it’s hard not to conclude that he is stepping down simply because he can’t stand losing and doesn’t want to end his career with a losing season. ... At 2–4, he was almost certainly facing his first losing season since 1987. ... So, instead of seeing it through and trying to turn things around, or enduring the hard times with his team, Spurrier quit. ... He’s one of the top five college football coaches of all time. And he did it with a style and colorful personality that was both entertaining and good for the game. He deserves to be recognized for all that. Just not now. ... No matter how bad things get, you don’t quit on your teammates and your coaches."[153]

In terms of blue-chip ratio, a theory which states that a team needs to be at least 50% four-star and five-star players to be able to win a national championship, South Carolina was 30% after the 2013 season.[155] This suggests that Spurrier and the Gamecocks, even at their peak, never had a level of talent even remotely close enough to actually compete for a national championship. Recruiting analyst Bud Elliott commented: "South Carolina turned in its best class ratio so far under Steve Spurrier, but many recruiting media members feel that Spurrier's Gamecocks might not reach that next level. Typical of most overachievers, South Carolina scouts very well and finds players to fit its system, but the Gamecocks have never won an SEC title."[155]

Honors

 
Spurrier receiving the Order of the Palmetto award

On September 10, 2015, Kenny McKinley was posthumously inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame.[156]

In December 2015, South Carolina's new $14.3-million indoor practice building was renamed the "Jerri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Practice Facility".[157]

In 2016, Mike McGee received the Homer Rice Award, given to an athletics director who had made a significant and meaningful contribution to intercollegiate athletics.[158]

On June 7, 2016, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley inducted Spurrier into the Order of the Palmetto, the highest honor of the South Carolina government.[159]

On October 20, 2016, Sidney Rice was inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame.[160]

On September 21, 2017, Eric Norwood was inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame.[161]

On December 5, 2017, Spurrier was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach.[162]

On October 17, 2019, Marcus Lattimore was inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame.[163]

On July 22, 2021, Spurrier was inducted into the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame.[164]

On October 14, 2021, Connor Shaw and Mike McGee, the latter posthumously, were inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame.[165][166]

Since December 2021, the senior offensive MVP of each Gamecock football season has been awarded the Steve Spurrier Award.[167][168][169]

On May 23, 2022, Sidney Rice was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.[170]

On September 3, 2022, during halftime of a football game against Georgia State, the University of South Carolina retired Jadeveon Clowney's jersey, only the fifth retired jersey in program history, and the first since 1987.[171][172]

On September 23, 2023, during halftime of a football game against Mississippi State, the University of South Carolina retired Alshon Jeffrey's jersey, only the sixth retired jersey in program history.[173]

On November 4, 2023, during halftime of a football game against Jacksonville State, the University of South Carolina honored the 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 football teams. Spurrier as well as roughly forty former players and their families were in attendance for the ceremony.[174]

On May 20, 2024, Marcus Lattimore was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.[175]

Pharoh Cooper and Melvin Ingram will be inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame on November 1, 2024.[176]

Lasting impact

 
Shane Beamer, assistant under Spurrier from 2007 to 2011, is South Carolina's current head coach

Spurrier has been credited with changing the culture of the South Carolina program and its fans, especially regarding expectations.[23][24] In the mid-2000s, many around the program expressed only an interest in beating Clemson,[115] or applauded the team after losing a close game against superior competition.[24][177] Spurrier pushed back against these ideas.[115][24][177] Sanders Early of FanSided has written: "Spurrier doesn’t expect fans to be satisfied with losing. This type of mentality has spread throughout Gamecock fans minds, especially after 3 straight 11-2 seasons. After tasting success, Gamecock fans are not ready to fade back into mediocrity in the SEC ... By being Steve Spurrier, he effectively changed Gamecock culture. ... he showed that becoming an elite power in the SEC and in the country is entirely possible at South Carolina."[24]

South Carolina's football facilities currently rank among the best in the nation.[178] This started as a result of improvements made during Spurrier's tenure, with credit being given to Spurrier for pushing for better facilities and "rounding up boosters",[18][179] as well as athletic directors Eric Hyman and Ray Tanner.[180][181][182] In 2013, South Carolina's football facilities were considered to be near the bottom of the SEC and not among the best in the nation.[183][184] However, after the opening of a new $14.3 million indoor practice building that was constructed during Spurrier's tenure, the largest of its kind in college football,[182][185] South Carolina's football facilities were ranked as the twentieth best in college football.[185] This commitment to amenities has continued, and by 2024, South Carolina was considered to have the tenth best facilities in college football.[178]

However, in the short term, not every aspect of the program was considered to be sufficient following Spurrier's resignation.[186] He received much blame for shortcomings during coach Muschamp's tenure.[186] In 2019, athletic director Ray Tanner was quoted as saying: "We all love coach Spurrier, but he didn’t leave the program in great shape from a recruiting standpoint."[187]

Players and staff from the Spurrier era have continued to impact the Gamecocks program for years to come. Marcus Lattimore served as director of player development from January 2018 until January 2020.[188] Connor Shaw was director of player development from January 2020 until November 2020, interim quarterbacks coach from November 2020 until December 2020, and director of football relations from February 2021 until February 2022.[189][188][190][191][192] Several staff members from the Spurrier era are currently coaching at South Carolina, including head coach Shane Beamer,[193] and tight ends coach/run game coordinator Shawn Elliott.[194]

Several traditions from the Spurrier era persist today. Sir Big Spur, the university's official live gamecock mascot, made its debut at home football games in 2006, and is still used today.[195] "Sandstorm" was first played in 2008,[196] became popular in 2009,[196] and is still a large part of South Carolina's identity.[197] The "Under a Carolina Sky" pregame video played on the videoboard of Williams–Brice Stadium made its debut in 2011, and is still used today.[198][199]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Spurrier resigned on October 12, 2015.[96] Shawn Elliott was named interim head coach and led the Gamecocks to a final record of 3-9.

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