Reports: Gators icon Steve Spurrier to retire; '66 Heisman winner led UF to national title in '96
Tuesday, October 13, 2015 | Football, Volleyball, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Former Gators head coach Steve Spurrier, who returned to his alma mater in 1990 and led the Gators to their first national championship in 1996, is retiring according to several major media outlets.
Sports Illustrated broke the news Monday night.
The 1966 Heisman Trophy winner, Spurrier finished his 12-year run at UF with a 122-27-1 record. He remains the school's all-time winningest coach.
Spurrier is in his 11th season as South Carolina's head coach and is one of two active FBS coaches to be the all-time winningest coach at two schools. Gary Pinkel (Toledo and Missouri) is the other.
The Gamecocks are off to a 2-4 start, 0-4 in the Southeastern Conference after Saturday's loss at LSU.
The 70-year-old Spurrier left Florida after the 2001 season and spent two seasons as head coach of the NFL's Washington Redskins. After going 12-20 in Washington, Spurrier returned to college football at South Carolina in 2005.
The Gamecocks won their first SEC East championship in 2010, clinching the division crown with a 36-14 victory over the Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, which Spurrier nicknamed “The Swamp” in 1992.
First-year Gators head coach Jim McElwain got to know Spurrier during a trip to ESPN in July that I was fortunate enough to be on. Here is the story I wrote that day.
As news of Spurrier's retirement started to spread on social media Monday night, reaction was swift.
Danny Wuerffel, who will be linked forever with Spurrier as the Gators' starting quarterback when Florida vaulted to the top of the college football world, sent out the following tweet:
Thanks @SC_HBC Spurrier for all you've done for college football...and for me. Your impact on me changed the trajectory of my life.
— Danny Wuerffel (@DannyWuerffel) October 13, 2015
Check out GatorZone.com on Tuesday for more coverage of Spurrier's retirement and his place in Florida football history.
