Caslen changes tune, says Tanner never asked FSU about buyout feedback
South Carolina’s athletic department has a choice to make in the next month about the future of its football team and the $19 million price tag that could come with ending the Will Muschamp era.
The school’s president, Robert Caslen, told the Florence Morning News in an interview Monday that Athletics Director Ray Tanner spoke to Florida State about how it managed the $17 million buyout for just-departed coach Willie Taggart. The president also said it would take a lot for a change to actually take place, according to the Morning News story.
“Our athletic director (Ray Tanner) has” talked to FSU, Caslen said during an interview with the Morning News. “And they’ve got a whole lot more money in their athletic endowment than we do. I know that, for a fact.
“Listen, for the record, (Will Muschamp) is my coach, period,” Caslen continued with the Morning News. “And he’ll remain my coach, just for the record. If you look at the athletic director’s statement (Saturday, supporting Muschamp before his team’s 30-6 loss to Texas A&M), that’s the same that I endorse.”
However, after his remarks were republished and shared across social media, Caslen on Monday night issued a statement through a university spokesman denying that Tanner had any contact with FSU about the matter.
“Let me set the record straight: Athletics Director Ray Tanner did not speak with anyone at Florida State University about coaching contracts,” Caslen’s statement read.
The statement did not explain why Caslen told the Morning News that Tanner had spoken with Florida State. And while Caslen told the Morning News that an earlier article from The Greenville News “twisted my words,” his statement on Monday night did not indicate that he felt he was misquoted in the latest report.
The Greenville News story quoted Caslen as saying that things would be assessed at the end of the season. Multiple members of the board of trustees have spoken on the subject as well, and Tanner issued a statement Friday saying Muschamp is the team’s coach “going forward.”
Caslen told the Florence Morning News several times that he backs Tanner’s statement. Tanner himself has been asked by multiple outlets if “going forward” means Muschamp will return in 2020, and he has said the statement “speaks for itself.”
Muschamp sits at 26-24 in his fourth season at USC — including 4-7 this season — with a final game against a Clemson team that should be favored by at least three scores. After a loss to Texas A&M, Muschamp spoke about feeling support from Caslen and Tanner and about his plans for the program moving forward.
“I plan on taking this program where it hasn’t really ever been before,” Muschamp said. “I really do plan on doing it.
“And it’s been a very frustrating experience, and I appreciate the support in a very trying time, but the support has never changed. That’s what’s frustrating for me, is we have this perception of what’s happening out there. The support has never changed from any of those three entities.”
Caslen oversaw a coaching change early in his tenure at Army, but that was a program that had won eight games total over the previous three seasons.
The Morning News asked Caslen if the Clemson game result could ultimately factor into any Muschamp decision.
“If we’re totally imploding and no one shows up, I’d say we’ll have a discussion,” Caslen said. “But there’s no desire intended to make a change.”
This story was originally published November 18, 2019 at 7:51 PM.
