ESPN's 'Stanford Steve' and Rece Davis share thoughts on Ray Tanner stepping down
With the announcement of South Carolina’s athletics director Ray Tanner stepping down, there are many questions roaming through Columbia. With ESPN’s “College GameDay” in town, “Stanford Steve” Coughlin and Rece Davis shared their thoughts on what a new AD could mean for South Carolina athletics.
Tanner and South Carolina have built a legacy across multiple sports. The opportunity to be the new AD will be one many are interested in.
“You got a dynasty in the women’s basketball program, you had a great year with the men’s basketball program, and then you have a young exuberant Coach (Shane) Beamer that’s coached at the biggest levels. So I look at it as an opportunity,” Coughlin said.
Being an AD in the SEC is a tall order but a task that comes with great reward. There are many benefits to the position as far as support and funding.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Coughlin said. “You’re in the best conference in the country and you have all the goods you need as far as funding and all that. It looks as incising a job as there is out there.”
[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Akron football game]
As South Carolina searches for the right fit, Davis said many have already expressed interest in the position to him behind closed doors.
“He’s a legend here obviously with the championship that he won in baseball, the leadership he’s given,” Davis said on Tanner. “Won’t give any names but a couple of people have reached out, ‘Hey, what do you know about that? I’d like to have that job.’ So it’s an attractive job in athletics, for sure.”
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For Davis, the positives outweigh the negatives when it comes to being South Carolina’s AD. As NIL continues to change college athletics, providing opportunities is crucial to athlete success.
“You have a revenue stream you know is going to continue,” Davis said. “You’re going to have to be in the game in terms of providing NIL opportunities for players. If they have that in line I can’t find too many negatives.
However, there are inconsistencies and concerns that Gamecock fans will look to see worked out as a result of Tanner leaving.
“The history that I mentioned earlier, the lack of consistency at the highest level,” Davis said. “If the athletic director can either identify why that is or identify the fact that this is a program that we expect to be consistently good occasionally great.”
