Buddy Pough returning as SC State football coach
Buddy Ball is coming for South Carolina State football.
The school announced Tuesday that longtime football coach Buddy Pough will return for his 18th season. Pough’s return was up in the air since his season-ending press conference Nov. 28.
S.C. State Athletic Director Stacy Danley said at a press conference Tuesday that contract negotiations between Pough and the school are still on going but Pough has accepted the offer to come back.
“I look forward to being the guy in charge of this program for years to come,” Pough said Tuesday. “If we had won that last game we would probably be as high as we’ve ever been considering where we’d come from. We are at a crossroads of sorts with the program and we’ve got to figure out where we are headed and I’ll tell you, I think we’re heading in a good, positive direction and I’m looking forward to seeing what these young men can do as we head into the spring.
“I’ll let the powers that be determine for how long and how much. I don’t get into those particulars. The big thing I want to know is do we have the pieces in place to have the opportunity to be successful. That’s what I’m more concerned about at this point.”
Another season gives Pough a chance to break the school’s all-time records for victories held by Hall of Fame coach Willie Jeffries. Pough, a former all-conference lineman at S.C. State, is 125-70 and needs four wins to break Jeffries’ mark.
But Pough said breaking Jeffries’ record is somewhat of a factor in coming back but getting to coach longer is the main reason.
“I care so much about coach Jeffries that I don’t know if I deserve to be ahead of him,” Pough said in November. “Even if I win more games than Willie Jeffries, I don’t think there will be ever a guy that can replace Willie Jeffries in hearts and lives of South Carolina State folks.”
The Bulldogs started out 1-5 this season but won five of their last six games. Pough said he was invigorated by his young players and the way things finished at the end of the season to give him optimism.
Under Pough, S.C. State has won two outright Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles (2008, 2009) and shared four others (2004, 2010, 2013, 2014). The Bulldogs made four trips to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013.
This story was originally published January 8, 2019 at 4:23 PM.