GTmorris1970
02-21-2006, 03:21 PM
Posted on Tue, Feb. 21, 2006
Lawing returns to coach ‘D’ line
By JOSEPH PERSONStaff Writer
Much has changed at USC and in greater Columbia in the seven years since Brad Lawing left.
Property values at Lake Murray have soared. USC built a sparkling Greek Village and the school has a new president, athletics director and football coach. It was the opportunity to work with Steve Spurrier that persuaded Lawing to return to USC, where he was an assistant coach from 1989-98.
Lawing’s hire completes the reorganization of Spurrier’s staff, which includes two other new coaches: running backs coach Robert Gillespie and tight ends coach Fred Chatham.
“I know the potential there at the University. In my opinion, they’ve got the right guy leading that program right now, and I want to be a part of that,” Lawing said Monday. “When South Carolina wins their first Southeastern Conference championship, I want to be on the field.”
Lawing received a two-year deal with a salary of $156,000 this year; the figure increases to $160,000 in 2007.
The 48-year-old Lawing spent the past three years as North Carolina’s defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. He worked at USC for the entire, five-year tenures of Sparky Woods and Brad Scott. His 10-year stint is the longest of any Gamecocks’ assistant since 1979, according to the program’s media guide.
In a decade with the Gamecocks, Lawing coached in one bowl game — a Carquest Bowl victory against West Virginia following the 1994 season. Spurrier matched that total in one year in Columbia.
Lawing, a 1979 graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) College, talked with Spurrier over the weekend in Myrtle Beach at the high school coaches’ clinic. The two had met once before — at a Citrus Bowl function in 2000 when Spurrier was at Florida and Lawing was at Michigan State.
“(Lawing) is an excellent coach, an excellent recruiter and a good person,” Spurrier said in a statement released by the school. “We think he will fit in extremely well here as he has in the past.”
Lawing coached the defensive line during his previous stop at USC, helping develop All-SEC linemen Eric Sullivan, Henry Taylor and Stacy Evans. As Scott’s recruiting coordinator, Lawing’s final three classes ranked in the top 25 nationally.
After four years at Michigan State, the Hickory, N.C., native went to Chapel Hill, where he helped the Tar Heels land back-to-back, top-20 recruiting classes in 2003 and ’04. The ’03 class was considered by most analysts to be among the best in the country.
Lawing said he planned to be a “good reference guide” to David Reaves, the 27-year-old Columbia native who was named USC’s recruiting coordinator this month.
Although he has a daughter at Clemson and a son at North Carolina, Lawing said both of his children consider Lexington their home. While he is sorry he never bought property on Lake Murray, Lawing is pleased to be returning to the Midlands.
“We were in Lexington for 10 years and in coaching that’s a long time to be in one place,” he said. “It’s probably the only place we’ve been where we got to know a lot of people outside of coaching.”
Reach Person at (803) 771-8496 or jperson@thestate.com.
LAWING FILE
AGE: 48
HOMETOWN: Hickory, N.C.
ALMA MATER: Lenoir-Rhyne, 1979
FAMILY: Wife, Laura; daughter, Susie; son, Will
EXPERIENCE: North Carolina 2003-05; Michigan State 1999-2002; USC 1989-98; Appalachian State 1983-88; Havelock (N.C.) High 1980-82.
Lawing returns to coach ‘D’ line
By JOSEPH PERSONStaff Writer
Much has changed at USC and in greater Columbia in the seven years since Brad Lawing left.
Property values at Lake Murray have soared. USC built a sparkling Greek Village and the school has a new president, athletics director and football coach. It was the opportunity to work with Steve Spurrier that persuaded Lawing to return to USC, where he was an assistant coach from 1989-98.
Lawing’s hire completes the reorganization of Spurrier’s staff, which includes two other new coaches: running backs coach Robert Gillespie and tight ends coach Fred Chatham.
“I know the potential there at the University. In my opinion, they’ve got the right guy leading that program right now, and I want to be a part of that,” Lawing said Monday. “When South Carolina wins their first Southeastern Conference championship, I want to be on the field.”
Lawing received a two-year deal with a salary of $156,000 this year; the figure increases to $160,000 in 2007.
The 48-year-old Lawing spent the past three years as North Carolina’s defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. He worked at USC for the entire, five-year tenures of Sparky Woods and Brad Scott. His 10-year stint is the longest of any Gamecocks’ assistant since 1979, according to the program’s media guide.
In a decade with the Gamecocks, Lawing coached in one bowl game — a Carquest Bowl victory against West Virginia following the 1994 season. Spurrier matched that total in one year in Columbia.
Lawing, a 1979 graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) College, talked with Spurrier over the weekend in Myrtle Beach at the high school coaches’ clinic. The two had met once before — at a Citrus Bowl function in 2000 when Spurrier was at Florida and Lawing was at Michigan State.
“(Lawing) is an excellent coach, an excellent recruiter and a good person,” Spurrier said in a statement released by the school. “We think he will fit in extremely well here as he has in the past.”
Lawing coached the defensive line during his previous stop at USC, helping develop All-SEC linemen Eric Sullivan, Henry Taylor and Stacy Evans. As Scott’s recruiting coordinator, Lawing’s final three classes ranked in the top 25 nationally.
After four years at Michigan State, the Hickory, N.C., native went to Chapel Hill, where he helped the Tar Heels land back-to-back, top-20 recruiting classes in 2003 and ’04. The ’03 class was considered by most analysts to be among the best in the country.
Lawing said he planned to be a “good reference guide” to David Reaves, the 27-year-old Columbia native who was named USC’s recruiting coordinator this month.
Although he has a daughter at Clemson and a son at North Carolina, Lawing said both of his children consider Lexington their home. While he is sorry he never bought property on Lake Murray, Lawing is pleased to be returning to the Midlands.
“We were in Lexington for 10 years and in coaching that’s a long time to be in one place,” he said. “It’s probably the only place we’ve been where we got to know a lot of people outside of coaching.”
Reach Person at (803) 771-8496 or jperson@thestate.com.
LAWING FILE
AGE: 48
HOMETOWN: Hickory, N.C.
ALMA MATER: Lenoir-Rhyne, 1979
FAMILY: Wife, Laura; daughter, Susie; son, Will
EXPERIENCE: North Carolina 2003-05; Michigan State 1999-2002; USC 1989-98; Appalachian State 1983-88; Havelock (N.C.) High 1980-82.