Now more than ever, Steve Spurrier believes he can win an SEC championship in Columbia, the South Carolina coach says.
Gamecocks officials obviously want to give him that chance. Yesterday, they rewarded Spurrier with a new contract through 2012 and a $500,000 raise to $1.75 million a year.
Spurrier said it was appropriate to get this deal done on the day Florida beat Arkansas in the SEC championship game.
“That was always my favorite game and now I want to see if we can get our South Carolina team there,” Spurrier said in a telephone interview. “With the way we finished, I feel really good about where we are headed.”
The deal puts an end to speculation that Spurrier was headed to Alabama, which he said was off base.
“Seems like there was something in the papers every day,” he said. “I'm glad we were able to put an end to that.”
Spurrier said Athletic Director Eric Hyman came to him earlier this year and told the coach his salary needed to be adjusted to put him in line with his SEC counterparts. Spurrier's previous salary of $1.257 million ranked in the bottom half of the league.
“We sat down and did it in about 15 minutes,” Spurrier said. “There were no agents involved. It was pretty simple.”
South Carolina (7-5) beat Clemson 31-28 in last week's regular-season finale and is expected to receive an invitation today to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. The Gamecocks dropped close games to Auburn (24-17), Tennessee (31-24), Arkansas (26-20) and Florida (17-16).
More coaching talk
With Spurrier out of the running, Alabama was reportedly set to turn its interest to West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez.
But Rodriguez squashed a Birmingham News report he'd interview with Crimson Tide officials this weekend, going on statewide West Virginia radio Friday night to say he hoped to coach the Mountaineers “for the rest of my career – if they'll have me.”
“That's what I'm planning on doing,” Rodriguez said on the Statewide Sportsline show. “I don't plan on calling or talking to anybody this week. I don't plan on talking to anybody next week. I don't plan on doing anything but everything I can for West Virginia football. That's the end of the story.”
The Crimson Tide players were able to take a breather from the rampant rumors, returning to the practice field yesterday for the first time in two weeks.
“When you're out here working, you don't think about it,” said interim coach Joe Kines, the Tide's defensive coordinator. “It's just like a drowning man and you're fighting and fighting and all of a sudden you come up above water. You get to suck in some air.
“There's nobody rumoring out here.”
The Tide learns its bowl destination today., followed at some point by the announcement of a replacement for the fired Mike Shula.
Athletic Director Mal Moore said in a statement Friday evening he had not contacted any college coach who hasn't completed his regular season. That would include Navy's Paul Johnson, Louisville's Bobby Petrino and Wake Forest's Jim Grobe – all high on Alabama's list, according to a university source.
FIU goes winless
Omar Haugabook threw two touchdown passes as Troy defeated Florida International at Miami 26-13 to win the Sun Belt Conference and a bowl berth.
The victory gave Troy its first Sun Belt Conference title and a berth to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 22. where the Trojans will play the Rice Owls (Conference USA).
Troy (7-5, 6-1 Sun Belt) got its second bowl berth since moving to Division I in 2001.
FIU (0-12, 0-7 SBC) finished the year, along with Duke, as one of two winless NCAA Division I teams in a season overshadowed by a brawl against Miami.
FIU head coach Don Strock coached his last game for the Golden Panthers, finishing his five-year career at FIU with a 15-41 record. He announced on Nov. 15 he would not return.
