South Carolina Gamecocks football under Steve Spurrier
| South Carolina Gamecocks | |
|---|---|
Spurrier in 2010 | |
| Athletic director | Mike McGee (2004–2005) Eric Hyman (2005–2012) Ray Tanner (2012–2015) |
| Head coach | Steve Spurrier 11th season, 86–49 (.637) |
| Stadium | Williams–Brice Stadium |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Division | Eastern Division |
| Bowl record | 5–4 (.556) |
| Division titles | 1 |
| Consensus All-Americans | 2 |
| Colors | Garnet and black |
Steve Spurrier, former national championship-winning head football coach at the University of Florida, served as the head coach of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks football team from November 23, 2004, until October 12, 2015. It was Spurrier's fifth tenure leading a football team, his second longest, and his third and final in college football. He served as South Carolina's 32nd head coach, as well as their second-longest-tenured head coach.
With a mantra of "Why not us?", Spurrier transformed a historically unsuccessful team into a more competitive program. The Gamecocks became, for the first time in program history, consistent bowl game contenders in the second half of the 2000s. South Carolina reached new heights in the early 2010s, achieving the program's first ever division title in 2010 and first ever eleven-win seasons in 2011, 2012, and 2013. The Gamecocks regressed the next two years, leading Spurrier to resign in 2015.
Finishing with a record of 86–49, Spurrier is the winningest coach in Gamecock football history. The .637 winning percentage is the highest of any coach who has led the Gamecocks for more than twenty games. South Carolina was nationally ranked in nearly every season, and was consecutively from September 2010 to September 2014. The Gamecocks went to nine bowl games and won five, both school records. They were 6–4 against archrival Clemson, including a school-record five straight wins. The 2010–2013 seasons marked the most successful era in program history. In that era, South Carolina had its only appearance in the SEC Championship Game, its only eleven-win seasons, its only top-ten finishes, and its only top-five finish. South Carolina became just the twelfth team in college football history to win eleven games in three straight seasons.
Coinciding with a period of heightened in-state high school football talent, Spurrier and his staff were considered skilled recruiters, bringing in players such as Eric Norwood, Melvin Ingram, Stephon Gilmore, Alshon Jeffery, Marcus Lattimore, Connor Shaw, and Jadeveon Clowney. The school's athletic finances improved, leading to its football facilities being upgraded. Spurrier's tenure was a turning point in the history of the program, with long-lasting changes in its traditions, resources, and expectations.