South Carolina basketball: Best and worst coaches of all-time

WORST

Steve Newton

Newton was proven at the mid-major level, leading the Murray State Racers to three NCAA appearances and an NIT. But his time with South Carolina didn’t pan out. He spent two seasons as the Gamecocks’ head coach from 1991-1993, the program’s first two years in the SEC. He was sandwiched in between two of the better coaches in South Carolina’s history, taking over after George Felton and preceding Eddie Fogler. Both Felton and Fogler led teams to the NCAA tournament.

For some reason, Newton could never get the ball rolling, though. In two years, he went 20-35. After taking over a team that won 20 games the year prior, Newton’s first squad went just 11-17. The next season was even worse at 9-18. Newton stepped down following the disappointing stint, and Fogler was able to rejuvenate the program.

Walter Hambrick

Hambrick coached just one season in Columbia, but it was by far the worst season in the South Carolina basketball program’s history. In the 1958-1959 season, Hambrick’s Gamecocks went just 4-20, winning only two ACC games.

Hambrick lost his first eight games of the year, as well as his last 10. The Gamecocks finished in the cellar of the ACC standings and he was relieved of his duties following the season. The program would float around in mediocrity for a few seasons before Frank McGuire took control and led South Carolina to their best stretch in the school’s history.

Darrin Horn

Horn came to South Carolina after leading Western Kentucky to the Sweet 16 in 2008. Unfortunately, South Carolina wouldn’t sniff that success under Horn’s guidance.

The tenure started off well, as his first team won 21 games on their way to a first-place finish in the SEC East (before the conference did away with divisions for basketball) and an appearance in the NIT. But it was all downhill from there.

Horn would post losing seasons in his final three years, culminating with a 10-21 record in ’11-’12. The Gamecocks finished the year 2-14 in SEC games, good for last place in the conference. He lost 24 of his final 27 games against conference foes and posted one of just five 20-loss seasons in program history. Frank Martin would take over the following season.