South Carolina football: possible coordinator hires from new head coach
By Jacob Elsey
OPTION 1: MIKE BOBO
Bobo landed the offensive coordinator gig in Columbia just this season, and he’s seen extreme growth despite some of the struggles encountered in his first year. The Gamecocks have improved the scoring offense by around five points a game (27.3 pt/g). Last year’s group finished 104th in the nation in scoring, which led to the firing of then-offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon.
The offense in 2020 has seen Kevin Harris explode to lead the Southeastern Conference in rushing, while senior receiver Shi Smith is currently fourth in the league in receiving. Admittedly, quarterback play has left something to be desired, but overall, the Gamecocks have been a great deal better than they were in 2019.
Bobo also has direct ties to South Carolina’s only 2021 recruit, five-star signal caller, and the nation’s top quarterback recruit Gunner Stockton. The Stockton family has a personal relationship with the Bobos, and keeping a potential playmaker in the bag for the Gamecocks could have influence on the next hire.
OPTION 2: GARRETT RILEY
Riley is a trending name being connected to the South Carolina offensive coordinator position, due mostly to Shane Beamer’s connection with Riley’s brother, Lincoln, who is Oklahoma’s head coach.
The younger Riley, Garrett, is the current coordinator and quarterbacks coach at SMU, where the Mustangs have the nation’s 15th ranked offense, averaging 506.8 yards per game. It’s Riley’s first year as an OC, which may deter the Gamecocks from pulling the trigger, but his ceiling in running high powered offenses could be higher than most on the list.