Started By
Message
0
Posted on 5/11/13 at 10:37 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
quote:
They didn't want him back.
Some of this on both sides.
He built a monster at UF. Just like LSU, when a fan-base tastes true greatness they are hard to please.
Spurrier was smart to avoid all that.
This post was edited on 5/11/13 at 10:37 pm
Posted on 5/11/13 at 10:47 pm to harmonics
We were busy stealing Meyer away from Notre Dame. 
Posted on 5/11/13 at 10:51 pm to USMC Gators
When Meyer was at Florida the media was saying ND was his "dream job". Once he left and the OSU job came open suddenly that was his dream job.
Posted on 5/11/13 at 11:13 pm to BIG DADDY 73
Here are the facts.
It was Foley .... it was the President of UF and two of the big boosters.
When Spurrier was told he would need to submit his resume, he told them, "my resume is in trophy case."
When he got to SC he was asked, "Why South Carolina, no one can win here?" And he said, and I was in The Zone sitting five feet away from him with Ainsley Earhardt right beside me, he said, "Why not us?" "Why not us?"
Then he went on to explain that we are a sleeping giant waiting to awake. He said he wanted to coach again in the SEC East (which we all assumed that he meant he not only wanted to coach against Tennessee and Georgia again, but possibly and more importantly Florida as well). He went on to say that, "he liked doing firsts and there are a lot of firsts to do here at South Carolina." (He has since kept a list of all the "firsts" he has accomplished and made it clear there are still plenty more "firsts" to accomplish.
But what we did not expect him to do was fall in love with South Carolina like he has. To donate all the money, time and effort that he has donated. To settle down here and go to St Augustine less and less. He sold his house in Florida, bought another one up here on the beach. Now owns his home in Columbia. Has six or seven grandchildren born here. His family is all here now. He constantly reminds of us his childhood years, some of which were spent here in SC when his dad was a Preacher here ... so he has roots here in a way, ties that bind.
Spurrier has made very very few, maybe one, openly bad decision in his life ... and even that mistake made him seven million dollars.
So he knew what he was doing and why he was doing it and he is getting it done.
Another thing. He set the bar so high at Florida ... well, you can never go home. Would have been the worst thing for him. Whereas, South Carolina gave him a new challenge. That's what men like him need to survive. When they run out of things to do, of challenges, they die.
Lastly, but not leastly, Spurrier got a call from Lou Holtz and during the course of their conversation Spurrier asked Lou, "what will it take to win up there?"
Holtz said, "You Steve, they need you."
(Spurrier had, years earlier, helped Holtz get his wife Beth into the UF Medical Center Cancer Unit to see some highly regarded specialists and they had been friends every since. Holtz already had his house in Orlando ... there was that connection and that helped.)
So Spurrier followed Holtz ... the rest will, one day, be history and I suspect it will be well remembered not only by Gamecock fans, but by most good SEC fans and other fans around the country as well. It has been a marriage made in Heaven as far as most SC fans are concerned, and Spurrier and his wife and his family seem to agree.
Plus, someone mentioned Hootie Johnson ... yes, that may have had something to do with it as well. As well as Darla Moore, Bob McNair and the other SC billionaires that got involved and made calls.
A lot of credit goes to our AD at the time, Mike McGee. He was so well respected - if not for him we would not have hired Holtz or Spurrier.
It was Foley .... it was the President of UF and two of the big boosters.
When Spurrier was told he would need to submit his resume, he told them, "my resume is in trophy case."
When he got to SC he was asked, "Why South Carolina, no one can win here?" And he said, and I was in The Zone sitting five feet away from him with Ainsley Earhardt right beside me, he said, "Why not us?" "Why not us?"
Then he went on to explain that we are a sleeping giant waiting to awake. He said he wanted to coach again in the SEC East (which we all assumed that he meant he not only wanted to coach against Tennessee and Georgia again, but possibly and more importantly Florida as well). He went on to say that, "he liked doing firsts and there are a lot of firsts to do here at South Carolina." (He has since kept a list of all the "firsts" he has accomplished and made it clear there are still plenty more "firsts" to accomplish.
But what we did not expect him to do was fall in love with South Carolina like he has. To donate all the money, time and effort that he has donated. To settle down here and go to St Augustine less and less. He sold his house in Florida, bought another one up here on the beach. Now owns his home in Columbia. Has six or seven grandchildren born here. His family is all here now. He constantly reminds of us his childhood years, some of which were spent here in SC when his dad was a Preacher here ... so he has roots here in a way, ties that bind.
Spurrier has made very very few, maybe one, openly bad decision in his life ... and even that mistake made him seven million dollars.
So he knew what he was doing and why he was doing it and he is getting it done.
Another thing. He set the bar so high at Florida ... well, you can never go home. Would have been the worst thing for him. Whereas, South Carolina gave him a new challenge. That's what men like him need to survive. When they run out of things to do, of challenges, they die.
Lastly, but not leastly, Spurrier got a call from Lou Holtz and during the course of their conversation Spurrier asked Lou, "what will it take to win up there?"
Holtz said, "You Steve, they need you."
(Spurrier had, years earlier, helped Holtz get his wife Beth into the UF Medical Center Cancer Unit to see some highly regarded specialists and they had been friends every since. Holtz already had his house in Orlando ... there was that connection and that helped.)
So Spurrier followed Holtz ... the rest will, one day, be history and I suspect it will be well remembered not only by Gamecock fans, but by most good SEC fans and other fans around the country as well. It has been a marriage made in Heaven as far as most SC fans are concerned, and Spurrier and his wife and his family seem to agree.
Plus, someone mentioned Hootie Johnson ... yes, that may have had something to do with it as well. As well as Darla Moore, Bob McNair and the other SC billionaires that got involved and made calls.
A lot of credit goes to our AD at the time, Mike McGee. He was so well respected - if not for him we would not have hired Holtz or Spurrier.
Posted on 5/11/13 at 11:16 pm to mwlewis
quote:
Because the AD said he would have to go through the interview process and Spurrier said frick it.
Wow, I thought he wanted to try and build a program at a new school. Didn't he say that.lol.
Posted on 5/12/13 at 12:51 am to JuiceTerry
Can you say, "Greatest Pass-Catching Fullback of Our Era?"
he would have still broken hershel's record
Posted on 5/12/13 at 12:58 am to rowdyreptiles
Pretty sure Foley didn't like him as much because of how he left. He left pretty randomly when he bolted to the NFL, and put Foley in a bad spot, and that's why we ended up with the Zooker.
Foley made the right decision though. Highly doubt Spurrier would have had 2 NCs if even one if he returned. He never cared enough about defense, and didn't put effort into recruiting as he should have. Great offensive coach.
Foley made the right decision though. Highly doubt Spurrier would have had 2 NCs if even one if he returned. He never cared enough about defense, and didn't put effort into recruiting as he should have. Great offensive coach.
Posted on 5/12/13 at 1:02 am to harmonics
Have you seen the greens at Augusta and Hilton Head? 1.5 hours & 2.5 hours driving time respectively.
Posted on 5/12/13 at 1:03 am to dbt_Geaux_Tigers_196
quote:
Have you seen the greens at Augusta and Hilton Head? 1.5 hours & 2.5 hours driving time respectively.
/thread
Posted on 5/12/13 at 1:07 am to scrooster
quote:
scrooster
Thanks. That was a good run down.
Posted on 5/12/13 at 1:09 am to harmonics
Steve is living large right now. Adoring fans, respected by the profession...world class greens for a weekend jaunt. 
Posted on 5/12/13 at 1:39 am to scrooster
quote:
scrooster
Solid post. Good read as well.
Posted on 5/12/13 at 2:12 am to bgator85
quote:
We got new blood in the program who got incredibly sick and ran.
Updated
Posted on 5/12/13 at 2:14 am to Draconian Sanctions
quote:
Better question is how different would things be if Bertman had given Saban his old job back like he asked before he went to Bama.
Oh Lawd
Posted on 5/12/13 at 2:20 am to dbt_Geaux_Tigers_196
quote:
Have you seen the greens at Augusta and Hilton Head? 1.5 hours & 2.5 hours driving time respectively.
Nailed it.
Posted on 5/12/13 at 3:02 am to 2poop
It was NOT Foley our AD who asked for a resume from Spurrier...it was the brainfart of our president Machen....who of course just had Meyer as his head football coach and he was going to get him hell or high water.
Myself...I would have rather we got Spurrier after Zook was fired. Never a dull moment with Spurrier around and his barbs at rivals are legendary.
Oh...as for him being a Gamecock...he is now but if you cut his wrist you will find orange and blue blood pouring out.
Myself...I would have rather we got Spurrier after Zook was fired. Never a dull moment with Spurrier around and his barbs at rivals are legendary.
Oh...as for him being a Gamecock...he is now but if you cut his wrist you will find orange and blue blood pouring out.
Posted on 5/12/13 at 3:05 am to scrooster
Is that you Steve? Lol kidding. Very good post sir.
Posted on 5/12/13 at 4:49 am to scrooster
I believe the part about wanting to be in SEC east, after what Foley did.
Posted on 5/12/13 at 6:21 am to scrooster
quote:
He set the bar so high at Florida ... well, you can never go home. Would have been the worst thing for him.
Absolute truth. Expectations would have been through the roof.
Page 2 of 4
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News