On Monday, the Head Coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, Steve Spurrier, announced his resignation. The Gamecocks were 2-4 and 0-4 in SEC conference play. According to Yahoo Sports, Spurrier said, “I’m responsible. I’m the head coach. It’s time for me to get out of the way and let somebody else have a go at it.” He might never coach in football at any level again.
Steve Spurrier started coaching college football in 1987 at Duke University. His best season with Duke was in 1989 when they went 8-4. He spent three years there before going to the University of Florida where he stayed for the next 12 seasons. Eight of those 12 seasons ended with 10 or more wins. Spurrier won his only National title in 1996 when the Gators beat Florida State 52-20. He had an outstanding record of 122-27-1 in Florida.
January 14, 2002 the Washington Redskins hired Spurrier as Head Coach. The contract was five-years, paying him $5 million a year. At the time that made him the highest paid coach in the NFL. Spurrier lasted two seasons with an overall record of 12-20.
Spurrier would wait until 2005 to coach any level of football again. South Carolina hired him for the 2005 season. During his time in South Carolina they went 86-49. Each season from 2011 through 2013, the Gamecocks had a record of 11- 2. Spurrier felt that now was the time to step down. They just lost the last two games in a row, including a 45-24 drubbing at the hands of #7 LSU.
Most media members thought he would retire. ESPN stated Spurrier said, “First of all, I’m resigning and not retiring. I doubt if I’ll ever be a head coach again but don’t say I’ve retired completely. Who knows what will come in the future?”
Steve Spurrier will go down as one of the best coaches in college football history. His record says it all. He left the game on his own terms. Spurrier won a National Championship. He was a winning coach at the college level, and coached in the NFL. There was nothing left for him to prove.
What do you think of Steve Spurrier and his time in football?
A good competitor and a rock solid coach! It may look like he is quitting because of a dismal season but I think he wanted to give the school as much time as possible to find a new coach. He might have stayed on and completed the season but immediate resignation allows subordinate coaches to make plans and decisions. Your last paragraph pretty much sums it up. HAF