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 |
| Colors | Garnet and black |
| Bowl record | 5–4 (.556) |
| Conference division championships | |
| 1 | |
| Consensus All-Americans | 2 |
Steve Spurrier, former national champion at the University of Florida, served as the head coach of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks football team from November 2004 to October 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.
Spurrier oversaw several milestones for the program. The Gamecocks became, for the first time in program history, consistently bowl eligible in the second half of the 2000s. South Carolina reached greater success in the early 2010s: its 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 at 86–49, Spurrier has the most wins in program history and the program's highest winning percentage of the modern era. The 2010–2013 seasons marked arguably the best era in program history: South Carolina made its only appearance in the SEC Championship Game, achieved its only eleven-win seasons and top-ten finishes, and 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 and football facilities improved. Spurrier's tenure was a turning point for the program, with long-lasting changes in its traditions, resources, and expectations.