South Carolina football: Where do Gamecocks go after firing Will Muschamp?

South Carolina football is in the market for a new head coach.

Will Muschamp is out as head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks. The team has struggled over its last three outings, losing three straight games to SEC West foes by a total score of 159-69. A 59-42 loss to Ole Miss was the final straw, as the South Carolina administration decided to make the move midseason.

So where do the Gamecocks go know?

For now, Mike Bobo will lead the team as they finish up the final three games of the 2020 season. There are tons of questions to be answered as the year comes to an end.

First, a question that’s been on the minds of Gamecock fans for the last month, will we see a change at quarterback? Collin Hill played better against a horrible Ole Miss defense, but still missed some crucial open throws, and hasn’t been able to connect on the deep ball.

Hill’s familiarity with Bobo and his offensive system seem to lean towards the graduate transfer finishing out the year as the starter, though many would like to see Ryan Hilinski get a shot under center.

Through seven games, Hill has thrown for 1,372 yards and six touchdowns. Those marks rank sixth and ninth, respectively, in the SEC. He’s thrown at least one interception in each of his last four contests, and has been sacked 20 times.

Inserting Hilinski into the lineup would give a new life to the offense and help prepare the Gamecocks for the future.

Secondly, we’ll have to wait and see the impact on future recruiting classes. The Gamecocks currently hold the nation’s 46th best class, good for 12th among SEC members. They also hold a commitment from the nation’s top dual threat quarterback prospect in the class of 2022, Gunner Stockton.

Coaching turnover often affects the state of recruiting. It will be interesting to see how South Carolina’s classes, as well as the current roster, are impacted by Muschamp’s firing.

Finally, we have to look to future options as the Gamecocks’ next head coach. Mike Bobo will take over, for now, but he shouldn’t get too hard of a look for the full time gig after struggling at Colorado State. The next leader at the helm in Columbia will likely be a hot name from the Group of Five level, with Billy Napier, Jamey Chadwell, and Hugh Freeze being at the top of the list.

It would be nice to see the Gamecocks go after an offensive minded coach after its failed project with defensive minded Muschamp. Fun, high powered offenses can often help attract talented recruits and make games more entertaining for fans. Making this type of move would also show some progress by an administration that’s been viewed as being a little too conservative with its latest hires.

In their most recent coaching search, Ray Tanner struck out on some of his top options, which included Tom Herman, Kirby Smart, and Matt Campbell, before settling on Muschamp. Similar results can’t be afforded to the program if they want to take that next step back to SEC relevance.

The Gamecocks aren’t that far removed from being a perennial top ten team and SEC East contender, though it may seem like a lifetime ago to some. South Carolina needs a homerun hire to avoid falling further down the food chain.