What others are saying about Spurrier

Rece Davis, ESPN anchor/College GameDay host:

“He’s taken two programs that had no history and given them some, particularly Florida. I remember when people used to say about Florida, ‘Boy if they could ever find the right coach they might could be good.’ He got there and all of a sudden they turned into a juggernaut.”

Todd Ellis, former USC QB:

“He’s a legend in college football, a Hall of Fame lock. He’s good for the game… He’s going to be missed for college football. He’s quotable on every level. He was deadly honest about every issue, and he led the country in college football in a lot of issues. He’s going to be sorely missed in that regard.”

Tommy Suggs, former USC QB:

“I think what he’s brought here is proving to everyone in America that it can be done here. I think he just let it slip a little bit, and he admitted that… I think we’ll have a lot of people looking at this job now that wouldn’t have looked at it five years ago just because of what he did here.”

Eric Hyman, Former USC AD:

“Seeing Coach Spurrier step away as Head Ball Coach at South Carolina was very emotional for me. He is unequivocally the best team player a coach can be in an athletic department. Folks think of iconic coaches as demanding and prima donnas, but he was none of that. He was so supportive of all the sports at Carolina.”

Greg Sankey, SEC commissioner:

“I have enjoyed watching him build the Gamecocks football program, visiting with him, and, typically, enjoying his quotes and insights. Steve leaves an indelible mark on the Southeastern Conference and on college football. He remains an intense competitor and I will miss Steve's honor and his candor.”

Chris Low, ESPN reporter:

“If you really want to know just how much he changed the culture here go back and look at South Carolina’s record against Clemson, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee in the years before he got there and look at them now. It’s night and day. The thing that he’s done more than anything else is he’s raised the expectations. He’s shown people that at South Carolina you can win big in football. It’s not a pipe dream.”

Shawn Elliott, USC interim head coach:

“Six years ago he hired me, and took a chance and brought me here to Carolina, and made some great memories… He’s a great man. He’s a wonderful football coach. I just want to lead, make him proud and win a ballgame for him.”