Five questions with Group Therapy owner, former Gamecock star Steve Taneyhill

Former Gamecock football great Steve Taneyhill is entering the business world after spending more than a decade coaching high school football. On June 30, he purchased the legendary Five Points bar Group Therapy.

Over the Fourth of July weekend, the Greene Street bar was closed for a minor face-lift: The deck was painted garnet and black. It received a thorough cleaning. And some Taneyhill, Gamecock and Pittsburgh sports paraphernalia went up on the walls.

“It’s also going to be a Steelers bar,” Taneyhill said. “I’m from Pennsylvania and I’m a Steelers fan. It’s my bar and that’s what I want to do.

“We’ll also have the Panthers game on. Sell Iron City beer. I want to make it fun and get people in there”

But the former quarterback reiterated that Group is not becoming a full-fledged sports bar.

“Its going to have sports on when its time,” he said. “But it’s still Group; it’s still a college bar.”

The bar is now back open Tuesday through Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. On Sunday, it will be open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. During football season, the bar will open at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays

“We might stay open later,” Taneyhill said of Group, which is known for late nights. “We’ve got a few weeks until school starts to fiddle around to see how to do it.”

Last week, The State newspaper posed five questions to the newly minted businessman:

Why did you give up coaching?

I needed a change. The politics and all the behind-the-scenes stuff has worn me down. It’s a lot of fun from August to December, but it’s draining the other five or six months.

What do you want the bar to be in five years?

Obviously, I want it to be successful. I want it to be a place people come back to. It’s the oldest bar in Five Points and I want people to always come back. And I want it to be a fun place to go no matter what age group.

Who will you rely on for guidance as you transition into business owner?

I spent two months and met with 20 people about running a small business. Former bar owners. One of my friends has four Huddle Houses. (Former owner) Scott (Fleming) has agreed to help me through the process. And all my contacts at Carolina. I have a lot of people I can call and get advice. There is always someone out there that knows more than you and I have lots of contacts. My sister Debbie (Taneyhill, former head womens basketball coach at George Mason University, now in real estate) told me running a company is just like being a head coach. It’s not just rolling in on Friday night and coaching a game.

How will the experience of coaching high school football help – or hurt – you run a business, especially a bar?

It will definitely help. Being a head football coach is being the CEO of a giant organization. Ordering equipment. Raising money. Saving money. Dealing with assistant coaches, which are now your employees. Producing a good product that people like.

Will Clemson fans be welcome in Steve Taneyhill's Group Therapy?

Sure! I’ll always be a Gamecock. But as a coach I couldn’t show favoritism – wherever a kid wanted to go to school that’s what we did. (The bar) is two blocks from campus and I’m a Gamecock. But I have a lot of friends who are Clemson supporters and they are more than welcome.

This story was originally published July 9, 2016 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Five questions with Group Therapy owner, former Gamecock star Steve Taneyhill."