So much for no coaching carousel this year.
South Carolina on Sunday became the first Power 5 school to make a coaching change, dismissing Will Muschamp after the team fell to 2-5. Despite the financial toll of the pandemic and Muschamp's remaining guarantee of around $13.2 million, South Carolina felt the time had come to make a move. Muschamp went 28-30 in four-plus seasons with the Gamecocks, peaking with a 9-4 mark in 2017, the only time his team finished higher than fourth in the SEC East.
This is a tough job, despite being in the more navigable SEC division. Other than a three-year stretch under Steve Spurrier from 2011 to 2013, when South Carolina went 33-6 with three AP Top 10 finishes, the program hasn't sustained high-level success. Since 1961, only three South Carolina coaches finished with winning records. The Gamecocks' only division title came in 2010 under Spurrier, and their only conference title came in 1969 as a member of the ACC. A $50 million football operations center, which opened in 2019, showed increased investment in a program that faces an uphill climb in the well-resourced SEC.
Being first to market brings advantages, and South Carolina will have a strong candidate pool to replace Muschamp, especially at the top. A subplot is how much influence athletic director Ray Tanner has with the hire, given his own uncertain future. But university president Bob Caslen endorsed Tanner in Sunday's announcement of Muschamp's dismissal.
The goal with these candidate lists is to be thorough, but South Carolina might not get beyond the first three or four names. Let's take a look.
Tier 1
Liberty coach Hugh Freeze
A Power 5 school will give Freeze another chance, most likely in the SEC. Does South Carolina want to be the one? Freeze led Ole Miss to two New Year's Six bowl games and twice beat Nick Saban's Alabama squads. He knows the SEC recruiting landscape and can have South Carolina more competitive in that area. Freeze also has thrived at Liberty, which is 16-5 under his watch and ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll. His history of quarterback development and offensive prowess would be appealing, especially after a defense-oriented coach like Muschamp. Freeze, 51, is the hire who would immediately get the attention of Kirby Smart and Dan Mullen in the SEC East.
The question is whether the negative elements of Freeze's past -- serious recruiting violations and a resignation which stemmed from calls to an escort service while at Ole Miss-- prevent South Carolina from truly pursuing him. Freeze recently received a new contract from Liberty, which pays him well, but not enough to stop a return to the SEC.
Louisiana coach Billy Napier
Napier is one of the hottest coaches in the Group of 5 ranks, and his connections to the state of South Carolina make him a natural target for this search. He played quarterback at Furman (Greenville, South Carolina), spent two years as a graduate assistant at Clemson, landed his first full-time coaching opportunity at South Carolina State and later served as Clemson's offensive coordinator. The son of a Georgia high school coach, Napier knows the Southeast extremely well and has spent all but two years of his career in the region.
His first head-coaching opportunity has been a huge success: Two division titles, a team-record 11 wins in 2019, and a 7-1 start to this season that includes an opening win at Iowa State, and a No. 23 AP ranking. Napier, 41, didn't want to get involved with Mississippi State's vacancy last year but had more interest in Baylor. He can afford to be picky but could be tempted by an SEC East gig in very familiar territory.
Tier 2
Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott: Many in the coaching carousel injury discuss Elliott with a mix of praise and bewilderment that he hasn't pursued more vacancies. Young offensive play-callers with multiple national championship rings aren't supposed to stick around this long as assistants. He's very content at Clemson and, unlike many of his peers, appears in no rush to become a head coach. But if South Carolina can get past the rivalry thing, it would be smart to gauge Elliott's interest. The 40-year-old has spent his entire career in the state, first at Furman and South Carolina State before joining the staff at his alma mater in 2011. Elliott also would be the first Black coach in South Carolina history.
Army coach Jeff Monken: Besides being an excellent coach with a 40-20 record since 2016, Monken has a key connection at South Carolina. Caslen served as Army's superintendent when Army hired Monken, and he watched Monken build the program into a consistent winner. Like every successful academy coach, Monken is hurt by the triple-option system and the connotation it carries (never mind the winning). But he also is open to different schemes and wants a shot to prove himself as college football's highest level. Monken, 53, has some regional ties after guiding Georgia Southern to a 38-16 record, two conference titles and three FCS playoff semifinal appearances. He also spent two years as a Georgia Tech assistant.
Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian: No coordinator has improved his stock more for a head-coaching return than Sarkisian has the past two seasons. He has orchestrated record-setting Alabama offenses with multiple quarterbacks in Tua Tagovailoa and now Mac Jones. The lingering doubts about Freeze aren't there nearly as much with Sarkisian, whose alcohol problems led to his departure from USC. The 46-year-old will be a Power 5 head coach again soon. He turned down Colorado in February. South Carolina isn't an ideal fit, but Sarkisian could be tempted to stay in the SEC after spending three of the past seasons in the league.
Don't forget about ...
Charlotte coach Will Healy: The 35-year-old is undoubtedly a coach on the rise, and he should soon secure his first Power 5 opportunity. He engineered a remarkable turnaround at FCS Austin Peay, and last fall led Charlotte to its first bowl game. South Carolina ultimately might want more experience, and while Healy has been a head coach since 2016, Charlotte is his first FBS job. If Healy gets an interview, he should wow the South Carolina decision-makers. A key would be staff composition, as Healy would need assistants who understand the SEC recruiting landscape.
Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell: The rest of college football is getting to know Chadwell, who has guided Coastal Carolina to a 7-0 start and the highest AP Poll ranking (15) for any Sun Belt team in league history. But he's no stranger to those in this state, where he has spent all but five years of a 21-year career. Chadwell, 43, first became a head coach at Division II North Greenville, and led FCS Charleston Southern to consecutive Big South titles and playoff appearances. South Carolina would represent a major jump for Chadwell, who never has coached in the Power 5. But he has a great eye for under-the-radar talent and knows the region extremely well.
Oklahoma assistant head coach Shane Beamer: What Beamer lacks in head-coaching experience, he makes up for with knowledge of the South Carolina program, the SEC and the region. The son of Hall of Fame Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer has worked at four SEC programs, including a four-year stint as a South Carolina assistant from 2007 to 2010. Beamer, 43, has coached offense, defense and special teams. He also served as recruiting coordinator at both South Carolina and Mississippi State. He's worth a closer look.
Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz: He might not be on South Carolina's radar immediately, but depending how the initial search goes, could soon work his way into contention. Holtz, 56, has been very solid as a Group of 5 head coach, recording 14 winning seasons out of the past 20. He's 60-39 at Louisiana Tech with three division titles and six consecutive bowl wins, and twice won Conference USA championships at East Carolina. Holtz also spent six seasons (1999-2004) as an offensive assistant at South Carolina when his father, Lou, coached the Gamecocks.
Nevada coach Jay Norvell: This one's a little out there, but hear me out. Norvell, 57, is capitalizing on a long-overdue head-coaching opportunity at Nevada, where he's 19-11 (4-0 this year) since the start of the 2018 season. He has coached in the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12, and spent time at high-level programs like Texas, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. Norvell also brings NFL experience from the Colts and Raiders. His lack of ties to the SEC and the state are a concern, but if South Carolina is thinking outside the box, he merits consideration.
Florida offensive coordinator Brian Johnson: He's very young (33) and lacks head-coaching experience, but Johnson knows the SEC and quarterback development. He already has held offensive coordinator jobs at three FBS programs, including Florida, which ranks fourth nationally in passing, third in adjusted QBR and sixth in scoring this season. Johnson's time with Mullen at both Mississippi State and Florida, working with record-setting quarterbacks like Dak Prescott and now Kyle Trask, sets him up well to soon take the next step.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton: Hamilton wasn't initially on my radar, but further examination of his background shows he's an interesting candidate. He grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and played high school ball for Tom Knotts, who has won 12 state championships between North Carolina and South Carolina and now coaches at Dutch Fork High just northwest of Columbia. Hamilton, 46, has recruited nationally as an assistant at both Michigan and Stanford, and brings extensive experience with quarterbacks, most recently Chargers star rookie Justin Herbert. He briefly served as head coach of the XFL's DC Defenders but makes sense for a program that could use a proven quarterback developer with NFL experience.
Recommendation: Hugh Freeze
Freeze and Napier both would be strong choices for a South Carolina program looking to upgrade recruiting and on-field play. While Freeze's past is a concern, he undoubtedly will get another chance in the SEC. Is South Carolina willing to pass on Freeze and see him eventually land at another league school like Tennessee or Auburn? South Carolina is the type of school that needs elite-level quarterback play to keep pace with Florida and Georgia in the SEC East, or at least be in the middle of the division. Freeze's history with quarterbacks, offenses and overall recruiting makes him a very appealing candidate.