Ellis Johnson worth the money to Spurrier, South Carolina

Now, South Carolina is ready to boost its payroll by handing assistant coach and defensive chief Ellis Johnson a comparable salary, which is expected to be a done deal today. Call it a reward or just keeping up with the Joneses, Johnson is well worth the bump. I’ve come across few coaches that know more about the defensive side of the game. Johnson, 58, can relate to players and is a tremendous teacher. And it’s shown on the football field in numbers. The former Citadel head coach and coordinator at Clemson, Alabama and Mississippi State has had the Gamecock ‘D’ ranked among the best in the SEC the last two years. At the end of 2009, USC sat third in total defense in the league behind Alabama and Florida, which happened to be No. 2 and No. 4, respectively. The Gamecocks finished 15th. In his short time, he’s helped recruit some pretty good football players, including cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who started every game as a true freshman and is already being touted as a potential Gamecock great… And Spurrier isn’t crazy. Johnson kind of fell into his lap a couple years ago and is allowing Spurrier to leave that side of the ball alone — something he couldn’t do under some of his former DCs. There’s nothing wrong with holding onto a good thing — no matter the cost. – Independent Mail

Florida Hires George Edwards as DC

Sources close to the Miami Dolphins confirmed Thursday night that inside linebackers coach George Edwards is leaving to take the defensive coordinator’s position at Florida. Edwards, an assistant at UF under Steve Spurrier in 1991, is the most tenured member of the Dolphins’ coaching staff, just completing his fifth season with the team. He has 11 years of NFL coaching experience, including one as a defensive coordinator. Edwards, 43, has previous NFL coaching stints with Cleveland, Washington and Dallas. He was the defensive coordinator for the Redskins under Spurrier in 2003. – Gainesville Sun

Mitch Rodrigue, JB Grimes among candidates for South Carolina OL job

Former Mississippi State offensive line coach J.B. Grimes, former Clemson assistant Ron West, currently the co-defensive coordinator at Tulsa, South Alabama tackles/tight ends coach Mitch Rodrigue has an excellent background in coaching, Syracuse offensive line coach Greg Adkins was the offensive line coach at Tennessee from 2006-08 under former head coach Phillip Fulmer and Vanderbilt’s Robbie Caldwell are among the candidates for the OL job at South Carolina. – TheBigSpur.com

Spurrier calling an audible

Steve Spurrier first talks about how South Carolina’s woes on offense this season have little to do with play-calling. He says the problems are related more to execution and blocking. Then Spurrier offers that he and his coaching staff likely will change play-calling duties beginning next season. It makes senses, he says, for quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus to call plays. So what to make of all this? My guess is Spurrier will not go the way of his predecessor, who threw his son in front of an 18-wheeler. Spurrier is doing the right thing by protecting his son Steve Spurrier Jr. from the heat fans have been applying during USC’s recent slide. That is why Spurrier often shoulders the blame when a botched play comes into question. When he first named his son the play-caller before the 2008 season, Spurrier said he would take responsibility for bad play-calls and Junior would get credit for good play-calls. For the most part, Spurrier has stuck to that philosophy, saying Monday, “I don’t need any credit if it’s a good play.” You might recall that the previous USC coach decided at the conclusion of the 2003 season that his son no longer would be the team’s offensive coordinator. To this day, Lou Holtz has not informed Skip Holtz of the demotion. Unlike with the Holtz family, Spurrier’s son still will be invited for Christmas dinner, no matter Junior’s duties next season. That’s because Spurrier believes Junior and Mangus have done an excellent job of relaying plays through him this season. – The State

Spurrier in over his head at South Carolina?

Before Spurrier’s inaugural season, The State polled writers and broadcasters from around the country for their predictions on USC’s prospects. Most expected a tough road but felt Spurrier would ultimately have success. But after losses at Tennessee and Arkansas, Spurrier has heard fans and talk-show hosts question his play-calling (or son Steve Jr.’s), his team’s talent, even his future at USC. Asked this week, “Is winning at South Carolina a harder job than you thought when you got here?” Spurrier addressed his coaching staff, mistakes in recruiting, the SEC, before concluding, “Hopefully we can get that going here in the next two or three years.” It’s a situation that leaves outside observers scratching their heads - or concluding perhaps the coach has bitten off more than he could chew at USC. – The State

Should Steve Spurrier Retire?

Never, ever thought I would say this, but now I can’t keep it in any longer. I want Steve Spurrier to retire. Hopefully before Saturday. Before Urban Meyer brings his boys from Spurrier’s old Florida into South Carolina and beats the ballcoach’s brains out yet again. Meyer’s team has scored more than half-a-hundred on Spurrier’s team in each of the last two seasons. And when the No. 1-ranked Gators play Spurrier’s sinking Gamecocks Saturday, you can expect more of the same. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want Spurrier to end up like his old nemesis Bobby Bowden — with fans grousing and grumbling and counting the days until a once-great coach finally quits. Except for Spurrier, it would be worse. Much worse. Do we really want to see one of the greatest coaches in Southeastern Conference history get tossed out by South Carolina? This would be like some two-bit radio deejay at a 50-watt radio station in Opelika telling Elvis his music just doesn’t resonate anymore. – Orlando Sentinel

“Strong” Name for Job Openings

Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong said his focus is the Florida defense, not head-coaching opportunities. The Memphis Commercial Appeal linked Strong, a Gators coordinator since 2003, to the Memphis job this week after Tommy West resigned. South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier said Strong should be a head coach soon. “I just have to work and continue to do this job right now,” Strong said. When asked how it feels that many peers root for his career ascension, Strong said  “that’s great, but we just have to wait for it to happen.” Coach Urban Meyer said he and Strong talked over the summer about handling potential job opportunities without interfering with team chemistry. – Orlando Sentinel

Should Spurrier take over play-calling duties?

Four games, 49 points and one looming question: Is it time for Steve Spurrier to take over all of South Carolina’s offensive play-calling again? That was the $1.75 million question on Gamecock message boards following Saturday’s 33-16 loss to Arkansas — the fourth consecutive game in which USC failed to break 17 points. This is not the lowest-scoring, four-game stretch during Spurrier’s five-year USC tenure. The Gamecocks managed a total of 37 points over the final three games of last season — lopsided losses to Florida, Clemson and Iowa — and the 7-3 opening win at N.C. State this year. But the inability to find the end zone consistently has prompted many fans to wonder whether the Gamecocks would be better off with Spurrier calling all the plays, as he did his first three seasons in Columbia. Since Spurrier began sharing play-calling duties with his son, receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr., before the 2008 season, the Gamecocks are scoring about 21 points a game. USC averaged 26 points in 2006 and ‘07. – Sun News

Time for Steve Spurrier to Retire?

The whispers are growing louder. A couple of more losses and they will become deafening. The talk is about how Steve Spurrier should step aside as South Carolina’s football coach. I am here to tell you folks that you are nuts. First of all, Spurrier is going nowhere. He remains as driven as ever to push USC to new heights. He also has the support of Eric Hyman, his athletics director, even though Hyman defers to his policy of not commenting on such matters during the season. So why all the talk about Spurrier resigning? Why all the chatter about how he needs to turn the reins over to a younger, more energetic coach? Why all the buzz about how the legendary coach can’t coach anymore? Here is what all that clamoring is about: USC and its fans long have failed to recognize a good thing when they see it. Having suffered through generations of hit-and-mostly-miss football, they naturally believe every new coach can be the instant solution to all of the program’s problems. They naturally are disappointed. So when Spurrier arrived in 2005, USC fans believed he could be a miracle worker. He was not… Telling a crowd that has waited more than 100 years for championship football to be more patient seems like an exercise in futility. Yet that is what USC needs, because the payoff is going to be great. If, after the 2011 season, Spurrier has not positioned his club to compete for an SEC East championship, then it might be time for him to step aside. Until then, the idea that Spurrier should retire or be fired is just plain nuts. – Charlotte Observer

Spurrier’s not so superior anymore

If he left the football field for the golf course today, Steve Spurrier would retire as one of the greatest coaches in SEC history. But you can trace his rise and slow return to earth by his performance against Alabama. Alabama 20, South Carolina 6 meant that Spurrier experienced two firsts: His first loss to Nick Saban and his first loss in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama’s victory also extended the program’s winning streak against its old nemesis to four. It started when Mike DuBose and company shocked Spurrier and Florida twice in 1999, first in the Swamp and later in the SEC Championship Game. It continued when Mike Shula and friends whipped Spurrier during his first season at South Carolina in 2005. And then came the ultimate indignity Saturday night, when the greatest offensive mind in SEC history couldn’t scheme his team into the end zone a single time. Spurrier started his SEC career with six wins in seven starts against Alabama. He’s now 6-5 against the Tide all-time. Maybe he should quit now, while he’s still ahead. – Birmingham News

Next Page »