USC coach Spurrier retiring

COLUMBIA -- Steve Spurrier has retired as University of South Carolina's football coach.

Spurrier, 70, told the team during practice Monday night. Quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus is expected to be announced as interim coach on Tuesday.

The Gamecocks are 2-4 as they prepare to host Vanderbilt on Saturday. The team is 0-4 in Southeastern Conference play, the first time Spurrier has opened a season with four straight SEC defeats. He has never had a losing season at USC. He went 6-6 in 2007, his third season with the team.

Spurrier is the winningest coach in South Carolina history with an 86-49 record. He is 208-76-1 in the SEC and owns an overall college record of 228-89-2.

A source within the team said quarterback coach G.A. Mangus is the most likely candidate to serve as the interim coach, but said Tanner would name that person Tuesday morning.

Following three consecutive season of leading the Gamecocks to 11-2 records, the team fell to 7-6 last season. With the games against ranked opponents Florida, Texas A&M and Clemson remaining, along with road game against Tennessee, the odds of USC keeping Spurrier's streak of non-losing season alive appears difficult at best.

While Spurrier made liittle secret that his dream was to win a SEC Championship at USC, most Gamecock fans will remember him as the coach who defeated archrival Clemson five straight seasons. That streak ended in 2014 when the Tigers claimed a 35-17 win in Death Valley.

Spurrier is under contract through the 2018 season with a salary of approximately $4 million per season, excluding bonuses. When the school announced his contract extension in January 2014, it said that the contract included a clause that, should Spurrier retire, he would remain at the school as a special assistant to school president Dr. Harris Pastides and athletic director Ray Tanner.

Among the coaches that could be under consideration, although the school will probably do a national search are Texas coach Charlie Strong, who several as defensive coordinator at USC under Lou Holtz and Houston coach Tom Herman, who has led the team to a 6-0 mark in his first year at the school.

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, who played football for and graduated from USC, could also become a candidate although he appears to be content with the Spartans.

Retirement rumors began to circulate after the 2014 season. Spurrier was adamant in his intent to continue coaching for several season both while speaking at SEC Media Days and in a hastily called news conference in Columbia in late July.

He did not let on of his intentions during a Sunday afternoon teleconference the day after a 45-24 loss at LSU.

Spurrier began his college coaching career at Duke, where he posted a 20-13-1 record in three season. He then moved to his alma mater, Florida where he was 122-27-1 in 12 campaigns.

Following a two-year stint with the Washington Redskins, he took the USC job on Nov. 30, 2004.

Spurrier was also an outstanding player with Florida, winning a Heisman Trophy as quarterback.

Several Gamecock players have reacted on twitter with senior defensive end Gerald Dixon writing:

"Always will be a pleasure being (coached) by a legend."