South Carolina football: hypothetical replacements for Will Muschamp

South Carolina football may be searching for a new coach in 2021.

South Carolina is off to a 2-4 start through six games in 2020’s shortened, league-only season. Will Muschamp began the year on the hot seat, but that seat began to cool after his team recorded consecutive wins over Vanderbilt and 15th ranked Auburn.

Much like last season’s upset of Georgia, though, the Gamecocks have fallen flat following the big win, losing their last two matchups by a combined score of 100-27. With the team seemingly moving in a downward trajectory, rumors have started to arise regarding Muschamp’s future in Columbia. He’s even starting to lose the backing of some of the program’s top donors.

In five seasons with South Carolina, Muschamp holds a 28-29 overall record, with a 17-21 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Gamecocks’ win totals have decreased every year since 2017, and if the trend continues in 2020, the program could be searching for a new leader at the helm in 2021.

Much has been made of Muschamp’s buyout, which remains around $13 million. That number has an even larger impact in a COVID year, where the athletic department has lost out on the typical revenues made from ticket, merchandise, and concession sales. But with the Gamecocks trending towards a second consecutive losing season, none of it may make a difference, and Muschamp might be fired for a second time by an SEC Eastern division member.

With that being said, who would be the proper replacement for the South Carolina football team? Would the program look to a proven leader, an up and comer from the Group of Five ranks, or a coach with strong ties to the area that was a part of the Gamecocks’ best run in school history?

Let’s take a look at four realistic candidates that could get a call should South Carolina decide to cut ties with their current head coach.