Old Ball Coach Abruptly Calls It Quits

by Eric Fulton
On Monday night Oct. 12, one of the biggest names in college football decided he was done with the thing he loves to do and it came as a shock to many.

Steve Spurrier, who has been a college football staple for decades, decided to retire immediately from his head coaching job at the University of South Carolina. The Gamecocks were in the midst of tough 2-4 start to their season and all four losses were in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play. Spurrier decided it was best for him and South Carolina to step away.
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Coach Spurrier is incredibly unique as fans will always remember him for his flamboyant play calling and just trying to shove it up the other team by running up the score. Even though opponents disliked it, he was sending the message that you can’t stop his play calling and you can’t stop his team, at all.

Coach Spurrier was a big time quarterback at Florida in the mid 1960’s. He went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 1966. His head coaching start began in the short-lived United States Football League (USFL) with the Tampa Bay Bandits in 1983. After the league folded in 1985, Spurrier went back to college football coaching at Duke University where he led them to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Title. Yes, the same Duke that is mostly known for basketball today more than football.

In 1990, he made his way back to Florida where he began a successful run leading the Gators to multiple SEC championships and a national championship in 1996. That same year, quarterback Danny Wuerful won the Heisman making the first quarterback/coach duo to win the Heisman trophy in the long and illustrious history of college football and that famed award. Many fans, including myself, thought Spurrier would retire at Florida. However, he decided to give coaching in the National Football League (NFL) a shot. He coached the Washington NFL team for three seasons in the mid-2000s. I bet he wishes he had a mulligan on that one. By the way, he is an avid golfer.

When he decided to return to college football, he found himself at the one place not really known for football, the University of South Carolina. Spurrier built the program from the ground up and they became frequent contenders in the SEC. He helped guide the Gamecocks to the 2010 SEC East championship and also led them to three straight 11 win seasons, the first in South Carolina history. Several players later became NFL draft signees including number one overall pick Jadeveon Clowney in 2013.

While Spurrier did not win a title at South Carolina, having him on the sidelines for opponents was intimidating and scary for some. However, what fans and fellow coaches liked was the way he told things: very honest and direct to the point. He didn’t cut corners with the media. He simply told it how it was whether he was winning or losing.

Sometimes people know when it is time to go. This week, Spurrier said it was his time to go. While we all will miss what he brought to college football, his impact to the game will never be forgotten. I do hope he enjoys a golf game or two. Thank you for the memories, Coach!

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