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
