Letters: Tanner to blame for Gamecock football woes

The Gamecocks football season has not gotten off to a great start, and no one has articulated the problem. It’s not Steve Spurrier, and it’s not the defense (although that’s shameful), and it’s not talent. It is the athletic director who should be taking the heat.

This is why you hire an athletic director who is skilled at building excellence. USC hired from within. Ray Tanner is a nice guy, and he did a lot for Gamecock baseball, but he is a mediocre athletic director who is not leading USC to improvement. The one major success we have now is women’s basketball, and Dawn Staley predates Ray Tanner’s tenure.

Ray Tanner’s predecessor never would have allowed the defensive coaching staff another year, let alone doubling down on what was a poor bet to begin with. When USC and South Carolina in general start committing to excellence and competence rather than favoring nice guys who’ve been around forever, they will start to reap the rewards of excellence and success.

This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 7:09 PM with the headline "Letters: Tanner to blame for Gamecock football woes."