South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier: ‘I'm resigning, I'm not retiring‘
On Tuesday, Steve Spurrier announced his resignation as head football coach of South Carolina.
Spurrier, 70, made a point of clarifying that he would be resigning, not retiring, as reports had indicated on Monday. He was in high spirits as he took the podium, and was his typical, witty self as he announced his decision to move on. “I'll just be the former head ball coach now,” he said.
South Carolina has opened its season 2–4, a disappointing start for which Spurrier took the blame.
“It's time for me to get out of the way and let somebody else have a go at it,” he told reporters.
Spurrier was in the midst of his 11th season coaching the Gamecocks, and had led the team to an 86–49 record. Shawn Elliott, the team’s co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, has been named interim head coach.
“Nothing goes on forever, I have gone on a lot longer than most,” Spurrier said. “Time to take on the adventure of the next part of my life.
“I don’t know if coaching is completely over or not,” Spurrier said. “It is fun being on a team. I might be a consultant or something. I doubt I’ll be a head coach. But who knows.”
Spurrier also left open the possibility of coaching high school football in the future. He holds a 228–89–2 career record as head coach of Duke, Florida, and South Carolina. He also dabbled in the NFL as head coach of the Redskins from 2002 to ’03, where he went 12–20.
SI’s Michael McCann indicated on Twitter that Spurrier emphasizing his resignation, rather than his retirement, could have to do with the syntax of his contract and the conditions of the money owed to him.
- Jeremy Woo
