Happy Birthday Coach Spurrier...

[GatorHunter]

SOS was born April 20, 1945 in Miami Beach, Florida....61 years old today...hope he has many many more. :celebrate

[GatorNation]

SOS was born April 20, 1945 in Miami Beach, Florida....61 years old today...hope he has many many more. :celebrate

...but at least one day a year I want him twisting in the wind.

:D

[scfan5338]

april 20th ay.

[UA2008]

Happy Birthday Coach! Yall have the best coach in the SEC.

[GatorHunter]

:eek: ....also Hitler's Birthday....

[TrueGCFan]

:eek: ....also Hitler's Birthday....

That is why God's had SOS born on this day...to set it strait. :laugh:

[WDavE]

Happy birthday to SOS!

Here is an article I read earlier from SOS and it would one of the many reasons that I like him...Whatever the truth is always comes out his mouth....

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greenvilleonline.com/apps...1002/rss02

There was a sense among the loyalists at the University of South Carolina's that the world was about to change when Steve Spurrier was hired to coach the football team and that hope was brought to life in Year 1.

The Gamecocks managed upsets of Tennessee and Florida on the way to a winning record in the Southeastern Conference and a bowl bid.

But when he came to Greenville Tuesday night on the second stop of his annual Gamecock Club tours, Spurrier talked about changes the fans may not have expected to hear.

"The fans who say, 'We hired Spurrier, now we're gonna' win,' it's just not like that," Spurrier said before addressing the folks at the Palmetto Exhibition Center. "They might be thinking this is going to be bowl game after bowl game, but people in football know we're not a great team; we have a long ways to go to get to where we want to be."

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When Lou Holtz coached the Gamecocks, these meetings were filled with talk about a bright future and always about the wonderful help the team got from fans, but Spurrier is making the rounds with a different approach.

"Our message to the fans is that we have to improve our facilities, and yes, that means money," he said. "I'm not talking about 98 percent of our fans who contribute loyally every year and do all they can, I'm talking about the 2 percent of the wealthy who can step up and really make a difference for us."

Spurrier wants renovated dorms, upgrades in the cafeteria, an improved training center over the one he said, "they've had around here for about 30 years," and he also wants an academic learning center, a serious, free-standing building for athletes rather than, "a little room they give us in the library."

Beyond that, the coach was not pleased with the turnout at the spring game when he said, "about 8,000 people showed up," down from approximately 35,000 the year before. He understands the weather was threatening, but he doesn't accept that as an excuse.

"We need to have the kind of place where people make plans to come out for the spring game, where it's one of the things you just do," he said. "Obviously, it isn't like that at South Carolina, but it is like that at Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and some other places."

Holtz used to say he wanted to build a football team the fans could be proud of. Spurrier seemed to be sending the message that the fans and the players need to do more.

In that regard, has his message to players been consistent with what he's telling fans on his Gamecock Club stops?

"Exactly," he said. "We expect our players to be first class, that means go to class, take school seriously, be first class citizens off the field and when you're on the field, whether it's a game or a practice, give it everything you have.

"The spring game?" he said, repeating a question. "Aww, it was disappointing; pathetic really in some areas. We have some good players, we just have a long ways to go, that's just the truth of it."

Think of the message as tough love, Spurrier style.

The fans have always been told they're the greatest, now they're hearing they have to do more to keep up with the best in the SEC.

On the field, stunning results like last year's upsets don't happen every season.

"I heard somebody say, 'Eight wins, minimum,'" Spurrier said, "but that's just crazy talk at this point. I'm hoping we can win more than we lose and it's not going to be easy to do that."

He was asked if he'd take last year's 5-3 record in the division right now.

"Probably, 5-3? Oh yeah," he said. "We'll be picked fourth in the division again and that's just the reality."

They changed coaches last year after cutting ties with Holtz, but the truth is the 2006 season will be the real transition year for a program that has eight scholarship seniors, three of them walk-ons or transfers who Spurrier awarded scholarships in the time since he's been there.

You won't find numbers like those at LSU, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia and the others who will battle for a conference championship.

"Hey," he said, "I'm optimistic, we're gonna' coach 'em and play hard and try to win some games, and believe me, when I think we can win a conference championship, I'm going to come up here and tell these people to get ready for it.

"Right now," he said, "we just need to be realistic."

Football coach Steve Spurrier signs the first autograph of the night for Stephanie Smith as The Gamecock Club met at the Palmetto Expo Center Tuesday night to celebrate University of South Carolina sports and to meet basketball coach Dave Odom and Spurrier.
OWEN RILEY JR./Staff