| Herald-Journal
One of the final breaking points for the University of South Carolina to break ties with football coach Will Muschamp on Sunday was to make the Mississippi accumulate 59 points and 708 yards on Saturday, giving the Gamecocks their third straight loss by at least 17 points .
Muschamp has built his considerable reputation as a defensive coordinator on several prestigious programs, and the defense of the USC in the past three defeats has been atrocious, allowing for averages of 53 points and 593 yards. It was no surprise to hear athletics director Ray Tanner say on Monday that the search for coaches at school is likely to end with someone with a more offensive background.
More: South Carolina fires football coach Will Muschamp seven games in his fifth season
“When we think about college football, it is a moment when everyone lights up the scoreboard,” said Tanner. “Games 10-7 are distant memories, so I think it’s important that we may have an offensive orientation situation, whether it’s a coach or a fantastic coordinator to move the needle in that capacity. But the other things we had (in Muschamp) with all the passion and dedication. You just want to find the right person with enthusiasm and you want the guys to have fun. It is much more fun when you are winning. ”
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, who will serve as interim coach until the end of the season, will be considered if he expresses interest in taking up the full-time position. Tanner said that no outside search firm was hired, although he did not rule it out. At the moment, it is Tanner leading the research with contributions from USC President Bob Caslen; no formal search committee has been formed.
Tanner said he wants to take the time to go through an adequate assessment of all candidates, but acknowledged a sense of urgency with the day of the early signing on December 16.
“In an ideal circumstance, I think that before (December 16) it would be what we would look for,” said Tanner. “I think there would be a lot of advantages to doing that, if it worked. We want to be in a hurry to do that, but we are not in a hurry. It is important that the right person is in place and I would like to do that. It presents some opportunities on the recruiting trail and to let our employees know exactly what they are dealing with in the future. It is a goal that I hope can be achieved, but sometimes you do not reach all of your goals. ”
More: What’s wrong with South Carolina’s defense and is it too late to fix?
Another factor for a quick hire is Tanner hopes that the NCAA will approve a single exemption that would allow the transfer of student-athletes without having to stay out for a season or worry about other obstructions to their eligibility.
Tanner’s affection for Muschamp was evident during his press conference; at times he was very cautious in his responses, which were often tinged with emotion. After being asked how the conversation went when he informed Muschamp that he was being dismissed, Tanner paused to compose himself a little before apologizing and answering the question.
“It was not an easy conversation because life is personal and, despite the circumstances, you have to deal with the position you are in,” said Tanner. “It was very honest and frank between us. It is more than football. Basically, the decision was made because of the victories. It wasn’t done because of his character or culture or anything. It was about financial results and that makes it very difficult. I would like the circumstances to be different, but we are both adult men and we have to deal with the reality we are in. ”
More: Five reports on South Carolina’s 59-42 defeat Saturday night in Mississippi
This reality is that Muschamp was looking like a great signing when he took on a tough program and, after going 6-7 on his debut in 2016, ended up 9-4 (including 5-3 at the Southeast Conference) in his second year. This included a 6-2 result crowned by a bowl victory over Michigan. Since that season, USC is 13-19 (9-14 in the SEC) and is only 3-10 in the last 13 games, including 2-5 this season.
Muschamp finished 28-30 overall and 17-22 in the SEC. Your purchase is listed by USA TODAY database of coaches like $ 13.475 million.
“It is an annualized contract that can be adjusted by mutual agreement,” said Tanner.
Tanner said he did not expect the acquisition price, combined with the financial restrictions brought about by COVID-19, to place any limits on the ability to pay the desired new coach a salary according to what the chosen candidate could demand.
“I hoped not, but those possibilities could exist,” said Tanner. “It would certainly have to be considered. We have some financial pressures on us with our current participation in football. It affected everyone, but at the end of the day our department operated financially safe for probably more than 15 years and the debt that we inherited because of COVID and now the change of football coach will fall on the athletics department. We will certainly have a way to try and the resources to do what we need to do going forward. ”
Tanner also said that there are no plans to purchase Muschamp and the financial concerns brought about by the pandemic to affect other athletic programs. He added that after the pandemic started causing problems in March, the university experienced budget cuts, including leave and salary cuts that could continue until next year.
“We certainly have to make adjustments, but the experience of a student-athlete does not want to be affected,” he said.
Tanner said he had already received some interest from third parties, but declined to comment on any possible candidates. He said it was not a requirement for a candidate to be a current coach and there are examples across the country where successful coaches only had experience as a coordinator or did not even rise to that level. Dabo Swinney of Clemson is the obvious example. He was promoted from interim coach to coach, although his highest level of training is wide receivers.
“I don’t think it’s a perfect science,” said Tanner of finding a winning coach. “It is a challenge. But we are not going to lose that character, integrity, work ethic, passion and student-athlete mentality. These remain the same. But a person who would inject a huge amount of enthusiasm and fun into the program is very important. You you want an experienced coach, maybe one who can win immediately, but who has the energy and enthusiasm for it. You want a team that excites our fan base. ”