South Carolina football: Gamecocks’ head coaching wishlist
By Jacob Elsey
Who tops the list in South Carolina football’s head coaching search?
The South Carolina Gamecocks parted ways with head coach Will Muschamp on Sunday, after a 59-42 loss to Ole Miss. It was the third consecutive loss in which the Gamecocks allowed more than 45 points, dropping the team’s record to 2-5 on the year.
In the last three games of the season, the Gamecocks have been outscored by a total of 159-69, allowing 593 yards an outing to the opposition. The Ole Miss game was the final nail in the coffin, though these talks probably started as early as three weeks ago following the loss to LSU.
Muschamp finishes his tenure with a 28-30 mark, including a 17-22 record in SEC play. Since a 9-4 season in 2017, where the Gamecocks finished second in the SEC East and took down Michigan in the Outback Bowl, the program has been in a downward trajectory.
In each of the last three seasons, the South Carolina win total has decreased, with the Gamecocks bottoming out in 2020. The lack of progress was reason for termination, and now, the search to find Muschamp’s predecessor begins.
The new hire will be just the fourth head coach of the century for the Gamecocks. Will South Carolina look for another defensive minded leader, or will they choose to go a different route and look for someone with expertise on the offensive side of the ball? The program has had success with both in Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier, but obviously Muschamp was a failed attempt.
We’ve laid out 12 candidates that have been tied to the opening, categorizing coaches in terms of “longshots,” “best bets,” and “lower down the totem pole.”
In the spirit of the holidays, here’s South Carolina football’s head coaching wishlist.