WhiteRabbit
November 30th, 2006, 12:35:19 AM
This is a cool article, I bolded my favorite parts of it ...
Amid reports that Steve Spurrier is one of Alabama's top targets for its coaching vacancy, USC officials are negotiating a new contract with the Gamecocks coach, multiple sources confirmed for The State on Wednesday.
Spurrier, who is 15-10 in two seasons at USC, signed a seven-year deal in November 2004 worth $1.25 million a year, plus incentives. There were six coaches in the SEC this season who made more than Spurrier, including Mike Shula, who was fired Monday after four seasons at Alabama.
The 61-year-old Spurrier turned down a richer contract when he succeeded Lou Holtz at USC two years ago. When former athletics director Mike McGee offered a $1.5 million annual deal, Spurrier told McGee to put the extra money toward assistant coaches' salaries and the Gamecocks' women's athletic programs.
It is uncertain what financial terms are being negotiated, but the SEC's top-paid coaches Auburn's Tommy Tuberville and Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer ? each make more than $2 million.
The new deal is expected to be finalized within a week or two, according to a source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The executive committee of the university's Board of Trustees must approve any contractual matter of $250,000 or more.
Spurrier declined to comment Wednesday when asked whether he expected to receive a raise. USC athletics director Eric Hyman also declined to comment, saying he does not talk about coaches' contracts.
Longtime USC Trustee Michael Mungo said he would be in favor of giving Spurrier more money.
"If the athletics director wanted to come in with a recommendation to raise his pay, I'd certainly vote for it," said Mungo, a member of the executive committee. "I think he would be worth more money because, obviously, we offered him more money than that (in 2004)."
Despite issuing a statement Monday saying that he had "no intention of leaving South Carolina," published and broadcast reports in Alabama continued to list Spurrier at the top of the Crimson Tide's list.
Reached by phone Wednesday while recruiting in Florida, Spurrier said he has tried to use the Alabama speculation to the Gamecocks' benefit.
"It's always flattering if somebody thinks that you're a good enough coach to go to one of those kind of programs. That's how we've been using it with our recruits," Spurrier said. "It's a compliment that maybe they think I'm a good enough coach to go to those places. So we're trying to turn it into a positive."
USC received oral commitments Wednesday from a pair of 6-foot-4 wide receivers: Jason Barnes of Charlotte and Joseph Hills of Bradenton, Fla.
Hills said Spurrier recently assured him that he would be back with the Gamecocks.
"He told me all that stuff is false. He's not going anywhere," Hills said. "He basically said that South Carolina felt like home to him, so he's going to stick around for quite some time."
Spurrier would neither confirm nor deny that he had been contacted by Alabama.
"I'm tired of talking about all that. Miami, Alabama, Tennessee," he said. "Let me tell you a good rumor. My high school job is open Science Hill High School (in Johnson City, Tenn.). And if things go real, real bad for me, I might have to consider that as a last alternative job."
Spurrier, who will become the first coach in school history to lead the Gamecocks to bowl games in each of his first two seasons, was linked to the Miami job two weeks ago before the school fired Larry Coker.
He shot down two Internet reports that claimed he was interested in Miami, saying he planned to remain at USC "for the next five, seven, eight years" and hoped to bring the school its first SEC title.
Mungo believes fans should take Spurrier at his word when he says he is not interested in Alabama.
"It doesn't matter if they offer him $5 million; I don't think he'd go," said Mungo, who, at age 78, is the longest-serving Trustee in USC history.
"This man has character. And he demands character from his players, which makes him a man of honor in my mind. And when he says he's going to be with us, I believe that."
http://www.gogamecocks.com/index.php/site/daily_article/usc_spurrier_discuss_new_contract/
Amid reports that Steve Spurrier is one of Alabama's top targets for its coaching vacancy, USC officials are negotiating a new contract with the Gamecocks coach, multiple sources confirmed for The State on Wednesday.
Spurrier, who is 15-10 in two seasons at USC, signed a seven-year deal in November 2004 worth $1.25 million a year, plus incentives. There were six coaches in the SEC this season who made more than Spurrier, including Mike Shula, who was fired Monday after four seasons at Alabama.
The 61-year-old Spurrier turned down a richer contract when he succeeded Lou Holtz at USC two years ago. When former athletics director Mike McGee offered a $1.5 million annual deal, Spurrier told McGee to put the extra money toward assistant coaches' salaries and the Gamecocks' women's athletic programs.
It is uncertain what financial terms are being negotiated, but the SEC's top-paid coaches Auburn's Tommy Tuberville and Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer ? each make more than $2 million.
The new deal is expected to be finalized within a week or two, according to a source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The executive committee of the university's Board of Trustees must approve any contractual matter of $250,000 or more.
Spurrier declined to comment Wednesday when asked whether he expected to receive a raise. USC athletics director Eric Hyman also declined to comment, saying he does not talk about coaches' contracts.
Longtime USC Trustee Michael Mungo said he would be in favor of giving Spurrier more money.
"If the athletics director wanted to come in with a recommendation to raise his pay, I'd certainly vote for it," said Mungo, a member of the executive committee. "I think he would be worth more money because, obviously, we offered him more money than that (in 2004)."
Despite issuing a statement Monday saying that he had "no intention of leaving South Carolina," published and broadcast reports in Alabama continued to list Spurrier at the top of the Crimson Tide's list.
Reached by phone Wednesday while recruiting in Florida, Spurrier said he has tried to use the Alabama speculation to the Gamecocks' benefit.
"It's always flattering if somebody thinks that you're a good enough coach to go to one of those kind of programs. That's how we've been using it with our recruits," Spurrier said. "It's a compliment that maybe they think I'm a good enough coach to go to those places. So we're trying to turn it into a positive."
USC received oral commitments Wednesday from a pair of 6-foot-4 wide receivers: Jason Barnes of Charlotte and Joseph Hills of Bradenton, Fla.
Hills said Spurrier recently assured him that he would be back with the Gamecocks.
"He told me all that stuff is false. He's not going anywhere," Hills said. "He basically said that South Carolina felt like home to him, so he's going to stick around for quite some time."
Spurrier would neither confirm nor deny that he had been contacted by Alabama.
"I'm tired of talking about all that. Miami, Alabama, Tennessee," he said. "Let me tell you a good rumor. My high school job is open Science Hill High School (in Johnson City, Tenn.). And if things go real, real bad for me, I might have to consider that as a last alternative job."
Spurrier, who will become the first coach in school history to lead the Gamecocks to bowl games in each of his first two seasons, was linked to the Miami job two weeks ago before the school fired Larry Coker.
He shot down two Internet reports that claimed he was interested in Miami, saying he planned to remain at USC "for the next five, seven, eight years" and hoped to bring the school its first SEC title.
Mungo believes fans should take Spurrier at his word when he says he is not interested in Alabama.
"It doesn't matter if they offer him $5 million; I don't think he'd go," said Mungo, who, at age 78, is the longest-serving Trustee in USC history.
"This man has character. And he demands character from his players, which makes him a man of honor in my mind. And when he says he's going to be with us, I believe that."
http://www.gogamecocks.com/index.php/site/daily_article/usc_spurrier_discuss_new_contract/