Former Gamecock, NFL player lands in-state coaching position
The Oceanside Collegiate Academy football program had already added one former Gamecock in KC Crosby this offseason. Now the Sharks have added another South Carolina player to the mix.
The school announced Willie Offord, who spent five years with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, will join them as a defensive coordinator. Offord played for Lou Holtz and was a third-round draft pick in 2002.
With the Gamecocks, he was part of the end of the Brad Scott era and the resurgence with Holtz. In his last two years, Offord played linebacker for a pair of defenses that allowed 15.1 and 19.2 points per game.
After making 78 tackles and seven starts in his pro career, he embarked on a lengthy coaching career. He’s had stops across the southeast, including Newberry College, his alma mater, Palatka, and most recently coaching at North Marion High School in Florida, where his team went 19-6 the past two seasons with a state finals appearance.
Oceanside is going through transition after going 12-1 on the field last year and having to forfeit four games. Former coach Chad Grier left to coach Charlotte power Providence Day, and Call, former coach of Summerville, took over.
