Spurrier to retire as South Carolina coach

Sports Illustrated’s Thayer Evans broke the news nationally.

The coach’s weekly press conference is still scheduled to be held at noon Tuesday.

I enjoyed that 2001 win not just because it gave the Vols the SEC East and a chance to play for the BCS title, not just because it ended a 30 year drought in The Swamp, but because Spurrier left a month later when ten wins weren’t enough for the Gators anymore.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision has not been announced publicly. He wanted to go to a school that had never won big before, and South Carolina had exactly one season of double digit victories before he arrived in 2005.

Florida was ranked in the Associated Press poll in every season Spurrier was there, and he won the SEC Coach of the Year in 1990, 1995 and 1996.

All but Shaw are from South Carolina, which usually doesn’t produce such a mother lode of talent and, if so, the Gamecocks don’t get such a lion’s share. It’s questionable whether Mangus would get consideration for the full-time job, though he has head coaching experience.

He owned Phillip Fulmer and Peyton Manning during the mid-1990s and did not hide it with quotes like “You can’t spell Citrus without UT” and “I know why Peyton came back for his senior year”.

He was named SEC coach of the year seven times and ACC coach of the year twice with Duke in 1988 and 1989 prior to moving to Gainesville. He gets slapped up side the face and turns the other cheek and says, ‘Lord, forgive them for they know not what they’re doing.’ I’m probably more of an Old Testament guy.

While Floyd, namesake for the building at the north endzone of Williams-Brice Stadium, did not expect Spurrier to quit, he noticed a change in the coach during losses at Missouri and LSU in the past two weeks.

South Carolina is scheduled to play at Tennessee on November 7.

As painful as it is to lose one of the most interesting characters in college football, this is something that is long overdue. “And yes, you can continue to call me “FAY-ROW”…” And then Spurrier came back to South Carolina, a team the Vols had beaten a dozen years in a row, and immediately beat us again. After parting ways with the Washington Redskins and sitting out the 2004 season, Spurrier was advised to be patient.

“Nobody jabbed at you the way coach Spurrier would, and let me tell you”. “He loved golf and his family”.

The news of the longtime ball coach hanging up the headset and playbook is shocking fans everywhere.

There was widespread speculation about the possibility of Spurrier retiring after this season coming into the year, but he denied those reports publicly.

He is 86-49 at South Carolina since taking over in 2005, and welcomed three consecutive 11-win seasons from 2011-13.