A representative of South Carolina has contacted Steve Spurrier, and none other than coach Lou Holtz himself thinks it'd be a great thing if Spurrier were the one to replace him if Holtz retires as football coach.
The State of Columbia, S.C., citing anonymous sources, reported the story in Wednesday's editions of the newspaper. Spotlight On Spurrier The State (newspaper) of Columbia, S.C. asked what it called "three burning questions" to Steve Spurrier about his name being suggested as the next football coach at South Carolina. Has he purchased a house on Lake Murray (in South Carolina)? Spurrier said "no," that he didn't know where Lake Murray was until he was told. Has he been promised a membership at Augusta National should he become the next South Carolina coach? Spurrier said he knew of Augusta president Hootie Johnson, but didn't know Johnson is a South Carolinian. Would he be interested in coaching at South Carolina should Lou Holtz retire? Maybe. He said South Carolina already has a coach. When they don't, he said maybe he would talk about his next move. When contacted by The State on Tuesday, Spurrier, the former Florida coach who last week withdrew from consideration to return to the Gators, did not deny having interest in Holtz's job if it came open. Spurrier, 59, told ESPN on Tuesday that he would probably prefer the college ranks if he decides to get back into coaching. He resigned in 2003 after going 12-20 in two seasons with the Washington Redskins and hasn't coached since. He's also been linked to a potential opening at North Carolina. Spurrier left Florida in 2002 after 12 winning seasons, six Southeastern Conference championships and a national title. "South Carolina?" Spurrier responded when asked by The State about South Carolina. "What happened to North Carolina? South Carolina's got a coach. North Carolina's got a coach. Everybody's got a coach. When those guys aren't coaching anymore ... maybe we can talk about it." South Carolina athletic director Mike McGee declined comment when reached by the newspaper. Spurrier also was thought to be a candidate for the Dolphins' opening when Dave Wannstedt resigned Tuesday, but team president Eddie Jones said Miami does not intend to talk to Spurrier. "Will that change? I'm not sure," Jones said. "But at this point we don't have any intention of doing so." Spurrier told Florida Today that NFL teams shouldn't even bother pursuing him. "I've said recently to several people that if I get back coaching, it will probably be a good college job somewhere," Spurrier said. "It seems like I'm better suited for that. I know I certainly had a lot more success in the college game than in the NFL. So if I return to coaching, I think that would probably be the best idea." Spurrier even took a shot at his NFL record. "Probably very few NFL teams would want me after the success I had," he said. "Some probably would say that in the right situation I could be successful. But if I had a choice, I'd lean toward the college game. Everybody has their own little niche. The college game was certainly a lot better success-wise for me." Spurrier withdrew his name from consideration to return to Gainesville, where Ron Zook was fired last month after two-plus seasons. Spurrier refused to reveal whether he would have taken the job had it been offered, but school president Bernie Machen and athletic director Jeremy Foley weren't planning to extend any invitations without a full-blown search-and-interview process -- something Spurrier may have felt was a slap in the face considering his track record with the Gators. Holtz, 67, has danced around his plans as coach beyond the 2004 season. He has a five-year rollover contract that, according to The State, does not include a buyout clause; the contract can be broken mutually by him and the university with only five days' notice, the newspaper reported. "I can understand why he would want to come here, and I can also understand why they would want him," Holtz, who has the Gamecocks bowl eligible for the first time in three years, told The State. "I also understand that the job is not open." Several times since a 43-29 loss to Tennessee on Oct. 30, Holtz said he is tired, but wanted to get through the season before deciding whether he would return to USC. "I could understand why [Spurrier] would want to come because I think the program is pretty solid. I think it still has to go to the next level," Holtz said. "We're close to competing for the championship, and I thought maybe we could this year, but the loss to Georgia, the loss to Ole Miss, but we aren't far away." Several times since an Oct. 30 loss to Tennessee, Holtz said he's tired. Still, he hasn't made up his mind about coaching beyond this season. Quarterbacks coach/assistant head coach Skip Holtz has long been considered his father's likely replacement, but Lou Holtz stripped his son of his offensive coordinator's title during the offseason. "The one thing you want to make sure is that when you do leave, the program is going to be solid, in good hands and is going to move forward, because I owe it to these players," he told The State. "Everybody you recruit wants to know if you're going to be there four years and at that time, you believe you are. "But somewhere along the line, you aren't going to be there four years. It's impossible. Somewhere along the line, the answer is no." Spurrier said he would prefer to coach in a warm-weather climate, but declined to say whether he has spoken to any schools. "I can't answer all that. I can't answer all your questions. In the next two or three weeks, once the season is over, we'll see what happens," he told The Gainesville Sun. "I think I've made it clear now that if I go back into coaching, it'll be at a good state university, a college job. Hopefully it will be in the South. I'd rather not get up there in the North." _______________________________________________ RTF mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://rolltidefan.net/mailman/listinfo/rtf_rolltidefan.net
