With all of the talk seemingly surrounding either coaches being fired or being “gently” “nudged” into the old coach’s home, there are at least two Div. 1-A coaches who are the recipients of contract extensions.
The first we noted earlier this afternoon, with Gary Patterson getting a long-term extension that was first reported by ESPNDallas.com and later confirmed by the school.
[Editor’s Note: the school just announced in a release that a press conference involving Patterson and the TCU football program will take place Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. CT.]
Now comes word from South Carolina that their head coach will be on the receiving end of his own extension.
According to a press release issued by the school this afternoon, school President Harris Pastides and Athletics Director Eric Hyman will recommend a one-year contract extension for head football coach Steve Spurrier to the University’s Board of Trustees.
“Coach Spurrier is committed to coaching at the University of South Carolina and building our footballprogram by recruiting the top student-athletes,” said Dr. Pastides, “and the University is committed to him. Itis important for the incoming freshmen to know that Coach Spurrier will be here throughout their collegiatecareers. The extension, which will give Coach Spurrier a four-year contract, provides that assurance. We arelooking forward to building on the positive momentum and successful recruiting classes that have beendelivered under Coach Spurrier’s direction.”
“The future of Gamecock Football is exceptionally bright,” said Hyman said in a statement. “Coach Spurrier has built a solidfoundation, created stability and a winning program. As a University and an Athletics Department, we want torecognize the job that Coach Spurrier and his excellent staff are doing at South Carolina.”
Spurrier, who is 35-27 and been been bowl-eligible in each of his five years in Columbia, is currently signed through the 2012 season, so the extension would keep him with the Gamecocks through 2013.
“I appreciate our administration in believing in what we are doing here at South Carolina,” said coachSpurrier. “We believe we have some big years coming in the near future. We have the best group of playershere now or on the way here next year since I’ve been at Carolina and our staff is looking forward to coachingthem over the next four years.”