Spurrier explains joining Florida as an ambassador and consultant

Columbia has been his home since 2005, but when the invitation to return to another home arrived, Steve Spurrier couldn’t say no.

“Florida’s my alma mater, and we have a beach place about an hour from there,” Spurrier said on Friday. “I’m looking forward to getting back.”

South Carolina’s winningest coach has agreed to take a role with the Florida athletic department, the Gators announced on Friday. He will be an ambassador and consultant, a similar role to one he took at USC.

Spurrier confirmed the switch to The State. He met with athletic director Ray Tanner on Friday.

“I talked to coach Tanner a little bit earlier,” Spurrier said. “I basically resigned today. I am not employed by the University of South Carolina. I will be employed by Florida today or tomorrow.”

Spurrier signed a contract in 2013 to serve as an ambassador for the Gamecocks after leaving coaching. After resigning in the middle of the 2015 season, he began his new role in January, earning $100,000 per year.

Spurrier’s role was to talk to boosters, occasionally meet with Tanner and “shake a few hands,” he told The State in February. He’ll have a similar role with the Gators.

“We sort of talked about it for a while, last week or so,” Spurrier said of the Gators’ approach. “(Coach Jim McElwain), a year or so ago, said he was waiting for coach Spurrier to retire so he could help us out a little bit. It was sort of his idea.

“I won’t coach, but I’ll sit in the meeting room, talk a little ball. Get some of the former players to come back, talk to the Gator boosters, hang around a little bit.”

USC President Harris Pastides and Tanner expressed their appreciation for Spurrier in statements on Friday. “Steve will always be a Gamecock fan, he’s made that clear,” Pastides said. “He elevated our football program to a new level and we will forever be grateful. I believe we got the best that the Head Ball Coach had to give.”

Spurrier soared past USC’s previous career wins mark (64) with 86 wins, claiming the Gamecocks’ only SEC division championship and setting a program-high of 11 wins in 2011. He followed with back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2012 and 2013 before falling to 7-6 in 2014.

Spurrier never had a full losing season at USC and took the Gamecocks to nine bowl games in his 10 full years. USC has named its new indoor practice facility after Spurrier and his wife, Jerri.

“We got a bunch of records, school records, which were really fun. That’s one of my favorite things to do as a coach, is to get a lot of ‘first time in school history’ records,” Spurrier said. “I’ve been very fortunate at Florida, and at South Carolina. There were a lot of school records waiting to happen. Hopefully coach (Will) Muschamp can set a lot of those, too.”

The Spurriers will eventually sell their Columbia home, Spurrier said, but in the meantime he and Jerri will be back and forth a bit. The Spurriers’ youngest son, Scott, is an analyst on Muschamp’s staff.

Spurrier thanked USC for its support and promised he would pull for the Gamecocks in every game but one.

USC visits Florida on Nov. 12. Florida Field was renamed Steve Spurrier-Florida Field in June, with the unveiling set for the Gators’ season-opener on Sept. 3.

Follow on Twitter at @DCTheState

This story was originally published July 29, 2016 at 10:26 AM with the headline "Spurrier explains joining Florida as an ambassador and consultant."