COLUMBIA — South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier plans to retire, a source confirmed to FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman on Monday night.
Sports Illustrated was the first to report Spurrier’s plans, but no timetable was given. Gamecock Central, Rivals.com’s South Carolina site, reported that he informed the team Monday and that the move would be effective “immediately,” a detail also reported by The Associated Press.
While the school released no information Monday night, a news conference is reportedly set for Tuesday morning. Also on Tuesday, co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Shawn Elliott will be named interim head coach, a source told FOX Sports NFL insider Alex Marvez.
The Gamecocks are 2-4 overall and 0-4 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time in Spurrier’s 23 seasons coaching in the league at Florida and South Carolina.
Spurrier, in the middle of his 11th season at South Carolina, did not return messages from the AP seeking comment.
The coach’s weekly press conference is still scheduled to be held at noon Tuesday.
South Carolina freshman offensive lineman Christian Pellage said on Twitter, “What a crazy day… I am blessed to say I was coached by a legend. Best of luck to you Coach Spurrier. Stay cocky!”
Spurrier considered leaving last December after the Gamecocks went 6-6 in the regular season. But the team beat Miami in the Independence Bowl, a victory that seemed to re-energize him.
He said this summer he planned to coach two or three more years, then extended that to four or five years when several recruits who had committed to South Carolina backed away before signing day in February.
The high-water mark of Spurrier’s 11 seasons at South Carolina was from 2011-13. The Gamecocks went 11-2 each season, led by quarterback Connor Shaw and top NFL draft picks like defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, receiver Alshon Jeffery and running back Marcus Lattimore.
The Gamecocks have used three starting quarterbacks through the first half of this season, including former walk-on Perry Orth and true freshman in Lorenzo Nunez.
South Carolina plays at home against Vanderbilt (2-3, 0-2) on Saturday.
Spurrier is the winningest coach ever at South Carolina and Florida. During his tenure at Florida he led the Gators to six SEC titles and a national championship before leaving his alma mater to see what he could do in the NFL.
After two losing seasons with the Washington Redskins he returned to the SEC with South Carolina in 2005 and turned the perennially mediocre Gamecocks into championship contenders.
Spurrier, who was 35-21 with the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits from 1983-85, started his college head coaching career at Duke. He has a 228-89-2 career record with the Blue Devils, Gators and Gamecocks.
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