Tue, Sep. 05, 2006THIS TIME IT truly is not about the money.
That is not to diminish the $250,000 Steve Spurrier has pledged to the South Carolina athletics department over the next five years. It is just that there is much more to Spurrier’s latest donation to help improve facilities throughout the department.
Spurrier’s generosity has much more to do with his commitment to being at USC. No other college is likely to woo Spurrier away, not Florida, not Notre Dame, not Southern California. The prospect of an NFL team ever calling him again is slim and slimmer.
“Hopefully, it shows I’m going to be here for quite awhile,” Spurrier says. “I’m committed to trying my best to make us a big-time football program. Everybody wants to be big time, but there is a certain way you have to go about making it happen.
“I’m just trying to set an example.”
The examples are many as Spurrier embarks on his second season at USC.
Believing that USC could better spend its money elsewhere, Spurrier might have been the first coach in college football history to negotiate a lower salary when he was hired.
USC offered an annual salary of $1.5 million, and Spurrier settled on $1.25 million. He earmarked the $250,000 difference to be split evenly among his nine full-time assistant coaches.
At many schools, the head football coach operates on an island, seldom seen on campus or at other athletic events. Not so with Spurrier, who along with his wife, Jerri, have long been advocates of women’s athletics.
Spurrier donated $20,000 to $25,000 annually to the women’s athletics department in his 12 years at Florida. He attends nearly every home USC women’s basketball game and even showed up while on vacation this past season to watch the team play at Florida.
Upon learning that the track and field program could use financial support, Spurrier wrote a check a year ago to Curtis Frye’s program for $25,000.
When Spurrier’s “Cock ’N Fire” wine was marketed for the first time a year ago, he partnered with men’s golf coach Puggy Blackmon. The proceeds, which amounted to $85,000, went to Blackmon’s program. Spurrier said he considering pushing all future proceeds from wine sales toward the general athletics’ facilities fund.
Unfortunately for the athletics department, even Spurrier’s name could not sell his combination hat and visor called “Spur’s Lid.”
As part of his contract, Spurrier gets the use of a luxury suite at Williams-Brice Stadium. Again this season, Spurrier returned the suite to the athletics department, which in turn sold it. Estimated value of the suite is $52,000 annually.
Spurrier also is allotted eight tickets each season between the 40-yard lines. He returns six of those tickets to the athletics department for sale. If you include what a Gamecock Club donation would cost to purchase those tickets, their value could exceed $10,000.
Spurrier is allowed year-round use of two complimentary cars, according to his contract. He uses only one, believing it is not proper for his wife to use the other.
Previous coaches have been offered the use of a university-owned house. Spurrier built a million-dollar home in an exclusive Elgin development. It was one more way of showing the school, athletics department and its fans that he has established residency in Columbia, and he plans to stay awhile.
When Spurrier left Florida and eventually took the head coaching job with Washington in the NFL, he no doubt was looking for another challenge. He wanted to test his skills at the highest level of football.
Spurrier also admits that money played a part in that decision. Who could blame him for jumping at a $5 million a year contract? But when he returned to college coaching, Spurrier said it had nothing to do with money.
At USC, he keeps proving that with each donation to the athletics department. With each donation Spurrier also shows he aims to stay awhile.
