November 23, 2004
Spurrier introduced as Head Coach at South Carolina
The University of South Carolina will introduce Steve Spurrier as the new head coach of the Gamecocks today at 1pm EST (streaming video). As previously mentioned, Spurrier takes over following Lou Holtz's retirement. According to reports, Spurrier will make between $1.5 million and $2 million in salary, plus bonuses, incentives, and marketing deals.
Spurrier entered Columbia last night under the most absurd circumstances. The university plane filed several flight plans to throw off anyone tracking it. Once the plane arrived, two black Suburbans took off from the airport along different routes - one with Spurrier and the other as a decoy - but both Suburbans arrived at a fully lit Williams-Brice Stadium. (Note to USC: You go through all this Mission Impossible malarkey and then fire up the lights?! Hello!)
Spurrier takes over a South Carolina team that finished 6-5 (4-4 SEC), capped their season with a brawl during the Clemson game (Clemson-South Carolina fight video), and will not accept a bowl bid.
Related:
South Carolina Gamecocks football Fanblogs homepage
Nov 10, 2004: Spurrier to replace Holtz?
Dec 31, 2003: Spurrier - where will he land?
All Steve Spurrier mentions at Fanblogs.com
Comments:
Rob Knodell said:
posted on November 23, 2004 10:48 AM — 168.166.54.11 — link — abuse?
I wonder when the first backup quarterback from an elite will transfer TO South Carolina now. I also wonder when the first highly touted quarterback will transfer FROM South Carolina upon getting into Steve's doghouse.
posted on November 23, 2004 2:58 PM — link — abuse?Kevin Donahue said:
More on Spurrier's seven year contract with South Carolina:
The executive committee of the school trustees approved the deal for Spurrier. Incentives include $250,000 for winning the Bowl Championship Series, $100,000 for becoming national coach of the year and $150,000 for winning the Southeastern Conference championship game.
The contract has a $250,000 a year buyout clause for both sides. Should Spurrier retire and not take another job, he owes the university nothing.
posted on November 24, 2004 10:53 AM — link — abuse?
Florida fans are blasting the UF administration for not getting Spurrier. The Florida Board of Trustees tried, it would seem:
UF Board of Trustees chairman Manny Fernandez and board member Carlos Alfonso said Spurrier was asked at least three or four times to reconsider after he released a statement Nov. 4 saying he wasn't interested in returning to UF.
Alfonso, a Tampa architect, said efforts were made to contact Spurrier immediately after Ron Zook was fired Oct. 25.
He added that athletic director Jeremy Foley "did everything humanly possible" to convince Spurrier to apply for the job. He wasn't the only UF official to ask the 1966 Heisman Trophy winner to consider coming back to the school he led to the national title in 1996.
"We even talked to him after he issued his statement to say, 'Hey, are you sure you don't want to reconsider this thing?' " Alfonso said. "(Foley) did go back, on (Nov.) 4, 5, 8 and the 17th."
Alfonso received documentation of the courtship from UF officials and was kept up to date on the attempts to lure back Spurrier.
Fernandez, who lives in Fort Myers, backed Alfonso's claims that the school gave Spurrier numerous chances to change his mind but the former coach just didn't seem interested.
In fact, board members said Spurrier didn't even return most of the phone messages they left for him during the three-week period following Zook's firing.
After being told on Nov. 17, for one final time, by Spurrier that he wasn't interested, school officials finally gave up.
Crazy stalkers?
posted on November 29, 2004 8:53 AM — link — abuse?
Don't forget, Spurrier also inherits some NCAA poking around that may result in some self-imposed penalties at the least.
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Kevin Donahue said:
posted on November 23, 2004 10:41 AM — link — abuse?Anybody think you can still book Steve Spurrier as a speaker for your Rotary Club lunch?