Steve Spurrier has resigned as South Carolina’s head coach following a 2-4 start to the 2015 season and coming off the heels of a somewhat disappointing 7-6 season previous year. Spurrier said one of the reasons he wanted to leave now rather than during the bye week or at the end of the season is so that Elliott could give the team a chance for success and rebuild.
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South Carolina has opened its season 2-4, a disappointing start for which Spurrier took the blame.
Shawn Elliott, who has been the offensive line coach since 2010, will take over for Spurrier in the interim until a new coach is named.
After nearly 30 years coaching both in both college and the NFL, football icon Steve Spurrier has chose to resign. Spurrier said they talked about if he would resign effective immediately or stay on to finish the season, but Spurrier said he felt it best to not “delay the inevitable”. “I think we’ll have a lot of people looking at this job now that wouldn’t have looked at it five years ago just because of what he did here”.
“He’s awesome, he’s one of the best coaches there’s ever been”, Ganus said. As you know, we came in at halftime behind.
– Ray Tanner: First phone call when WBB program made Final Four was from Steve Spurrier.
His early years showed solid improvement before the old ball coach started reeling in program-changing players like DE Jadeveon Clowney, RB Marcus Lattimore, WR Alshon Jeffery, QB Connor Shaw, CB Stephon Gilmore, and DE Melvin Ingram.
“I really believe Shawn will bring a few enthusiasm, energy, passion and that our team will excel”, Spurrier said.
Spurrier’s hesitance to commit to several more years with the school after a third straight top-10 finish in 2013 became an anchor on the recruiting trail, however, and it is likely that Spurrier, now 70, passed the point of no return in terms of competing on the national stage with that misstep.
Spurrier built South Carolina into a national power, and the Gamecocks had three consecutive 11-win seasons from 2011 to 2013.
“It’s their turn to see what they can do”, Spurrier said, per ESPN. After two disappointing seasons, and a 12-20 overall record, Spurrier returned to the college ranks at South Carolina.
Spurrier will not be involved in determining the new coach: “That’s not up to the former coach. Who knows? I doubt it. I’d miss being on the team”. The only thing I heard prior to today was the fact that he just decided he had coached long enough.
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“From the sources that I’ve gotten it from, it’s been reliable every time”, USC student Taylor King said.
