South Carolina Gamecocks hire new right-hand man for athletics director Ray Tanner

Earlier this summer, Chance Miller, the #2 man in the University of South Carolina Athletics Department, left to become the AD at Coastal Carolina. Now, on Friday, the South Carolina Gamecocks hired a new right-hand man for Athletics Director Ray Tanner.

Reports began leaking on Thursday night, and then on Thursday morning, the University of South Carolina announced that Jeff Crane was hired to be USC's next senior deputy athletics director.

Crane was the interim athletics director at the University of Memphis and had been the associate athletics director for the school since 2019. Before heading to work for the Memphis Tigers, he had worked in various athletics department jobs for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Crane worked for the University of South Carolina from 2006-2019. His most recent title with the Gamecocks was executive associate athletics director. He previously worked in the athletics departments at TCU and USC-Upstate.

Crane was a major player in a proposed "stadium project" at Memphis that was set to bring major renovations to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (where the Tigers play), improvements on the behind-the-scenes athletics facilities, and added businesses to the surrounding area. As most South Carolina Gamecocks fans know, Carolina is in the very early portion of a similar project in Columbia, one that is still in the planning and funds-generating stage, so Crane's influence could be a big help as USC works toward its goals.

The University of South Carolina's version of a "stadium project" is hoping to include updates to Williams-Brice Stadium and Colonial Life Arena and, perhaps even more, a potential business district near downtown Columbia could be coming, as well. Everything from a golf course to restaurants to hotels have been proposed as possible business ventures that investors could work to fund for the project. Whatever is accomplished, Jeff Crane is sure to be a big part of it.