As many of the top college football programs around the nation are dealing with turnover at the head coaching position, South Carolina has found some security with Will Muschamp at the helm.
Heading into a highly coveted New Year’s Six Bowl — the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1 in Tampa, Fla. — against Michigan, the Gamecocks are reportedly close to a new deal with the head coach to keep him around for the foreseeable future.
According to Josh Kendall of The State, Muschamp is nearing a new six-year extension that is expected to raise his salary to between $3.4 million and $3.6 million annually.
“It’s obvious and clear that the trajectory of the program is moving upward as we have seen,” Chuck Allen, a former Gamecocks football player who has served on the BOT since 2008, said Tuesday. “When he was hired we had just won three games. Last year we won six. This year we won eight. That doesn’t mean we are where we want to be. We want to get back to top 10 finishes and being a true contender for the Eastern Division. That’s where we need to get to, but the progress is very clear.”
Since taking over for a Gamecocks program that won just three games in 2015, Muschamp has turned things around in a huge way. He’s 14-11 in two seasons, including a 8-4 record this season.
“It was a real challenge when he first arrived,” Allen said. “It was a real challenge to go out and win games at that point in time. He and that coaching staff between the coaching and recruiting have done an outstanding job in my judgment.”
Aside from Georgia, the SEC East is wide open heading into the 2018 season. Muschamp has the recruiting clout and coaching ability to continue turning the Gamecocks into a perennial contender. It’s really a no-brainer to extend his contract and keep the positive momentum going.