First look: Some names to consider as next coach hire at South Carolina after Muschamp
The University of South Carolina has entered the market for its 35th head football coach after Will Muschamp was fired Sunday evening.
“We will begin a search immediately to find the best head coach for Carolina football,” athletic director Ray Tanner said in a statement. “We have great facilities, a passionate fan base, a university that is committed to excellence in football and a support system that is second to none in developing student-athletes. We will be looking for someone with the energy, commitment and organizational skills that can move our program to a championship level.”
Pandemic finances will make this hire a tricky situation. A sitting Power 5 coach might be a tall task given that reality, and a Group of Five coach is an easier sell on that front. But the field of upcoming options should have some interesting names.
A few names worth considering:
———Group of Five head coaches———
Hugh Freeze, Liberty
This one has all sorts of pitfalls and risk factors. Freeze left Ole Miss in an NCAA bind, and was fired when it came out that he’d called escort services from his school cell phone. There’s been reporting the SEC brass would prefer to not see him back in the league, and the reputation of his offenses at Ole Miss might be a tad overstated. But he’s won everywhere he’s been, Lambuth, Arkansas State, Ole Miss and Liberty. His Ole Miss team had wild swings, but it did beat Alabama twice. It seems the perception of his issues has been washed away to some degree or another. If the USC administration is comfortable with that risk, it has the makings of something that could work.
Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina
The main drawback is that the 43-year-old hasn’t worked at any major-conference school. He coached an FBS team to a lot of success and has Coastal Carolina at 7-0 this season and ranked. His background at small schools suggests he knows how to do more with less, and his option-style offense is highly innovative. It would be a little nontraditional, but would also make sense.
Billy Napier, Louisiana
The former Clemson offensive coordinator played his college ball at Furman and has a strong reputation as an offensive coach and a recruiter. After being fired by Dabo Swinney, he resurrected his career, working for Nick Saban and Jim McElwain. Napier has gone 25-11 at Louisiana and has a nice blend of skills. He’d be an offensive hire, and deploys a scheme that could use the Gamecocks’ current set of tailbacks and quarterbacks.
Skip Holtz, Louisiana Tech
It almost happened once in the early 2000s, and while it’s not all that likely this time around, it’s an interesting name. Holtz built some solid offenses for his dad in Columbia and was the head coach in waiting at one point. He did well at East Carolina, bombed out at South Florida and has now led Louisiana Tech to winning seasons each of the past seven years. He usually builds good offenses, occasionally good defenses and has won six bowls in a row. He is on the older side at 56.
———Power 5 head coaches———
Neal Brown, West Virginia
Given the fact his buyout is $4 million, that might ice things right there. He does have a nice combination of factors. He built some gangbuster teams at Troy and has WVU starting to look more feisty after inheriting a not-great roster. He’s an Air Raid offense guy and has SEC experience. He has the feel of someone who can build something solid, which is an attractive option after the current staff struggled there.
Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
His buyout is an unknown, but he’s a coach who went to one of the least tradition-filled and lowest-resource programs in the country and got the team to four bowls in a row. He turned around Bowling Green, Fordham and Richmond, and the only notable blemish on the resume was a bad stint as offensive coordinator at Tennessee. He’d be giving up a lot of security coming south across the border, and Gamecocks fans would likely take issue with his history against Clemson (average score 40.8 to 11).
———Assistants———
Shane Beamer
The former South Carolina, Georgia and current Oklahoma assistant has never been a coordinator. He’s coached on both sides of the ball and has been considered a top-flight recruiter. He’s been associate head coach for Lincoln Riley and his father, Frank, so he could project as a coach who entrusts the play-calling to assistants and focuses on recruiting and management. He was born in Charleston back when his father was coaching at The Citadel.
This story was originally published November 15, 2020 at 7:55 PM with the headline "First look: Some names to consider as next coach hire at South Carolina after Muschamp."
