One Gamecocks football assistant officially leaving, another reportedly moving on
South Carolina football defensive line coach John Scott Jr. is officially leaving for a job at Penn State, while running backs coach Thomas Brown is reportedly joining the NFL’s the Los Angeles Rams.
PSU announced Saturday evening the hiring of Scott.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic first reported Brown’s move, while The Big Spur had the news of both departures.
Brown’s move comes after a season where he gave a boost to South Carolina’s running back room, which saw four of the top five tailbacks average at least 5 yards a carry. He was also key in recruiting MarShawn Lloyd, a four-star back and one of the top players in USC’s class of 2020. Earlier this offseason, he was rewarded with a raise from $300,000 to $500,000, as head coach Will Muschamp sacrificed his annual raise to pay Brown more.
Brown previously coached at Miami, Georgia and Wisconsin, as well as Marshall and Chattanooga. He is considered a rising star in the profession after a collegiate playing career at Georgia and three years in the NFL.
Scott oversaw the Gamecocks’ defensive line, including Javon Kinlaw, who enjoyed an All-American senior season and has risen up NFL draft boards to be considered a likely first-round pick. The Gamecocks ranked 10th in the SEC in yards allowed per rush and 11th in sacks per game.
Before he came to South Carolina, Scott spent two seasons at Arkansas, also coaching defensive linemen. Prior to that, he spent two years in the NFL, with the New York Jets, after stops at Texas Tech, Georgia Southern, Missouri State, Norfolk State and Western Carolina, all for three seasons or fewer.
Scott and Brown’s departures mean yet more coaching staff moves in an offseason full of them for South Carolina — immediately after the end of a disappointing 4-8 season, Muschamp demoted offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon and let go quarterbacks coach Dan Werner.
To fill both those positions, Muschamp hired former Colorado State head coach and Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. One of Bobo’s former assistants, Joe Cox, followed him to USC to become the Gamecocks’ tight end coach. As a result, last year’s tight ends coach, Bobby Bentley, shifted to the quarterbacks room, and assistant Kyle Krantz was demoted to an off-field role.
Then special teams coordinator/linebackers coach Coleman Hutzler left to become co-defensive coordinator at Texas, and Krantz was re-promoted to special teams coordinator/assistant defensive backs coach, while Muschamp himself shifted from his usual role coaching the secondary to oversee the inside linebackers.
Off the field, strength and conditioning coach Jeff Dillman was also let go after the season ended and replaced by Paul Jackson, who held the same role at Ole Miss.
This story was originally published February 8, 2020 at 3:02 PM.
