Zeb Noland eyes spring ball, return to coaching side

Ten months ago, Zeb Noland was doing his best to make a smooth transition to the coaching world with the South Carolina football program after hanging up his pads for what he believed was the last time.

Noland’s job as South Carolina’s newest graduate assistant? Quite literally installing offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield’s offense into the Gamecocks’ computer system in order to print out the 2021 playbook.

Around four months later, Noland was suiting up in the Garnet and Black as the starting quarterback in the first game of the Shane Beamer era after being activated for his sixth year of eligibility midway through fall camp.

A national story at the time, Noland’s journey from quarterback to GA to quarterback for the Gamecocks is now well known.

“I think the first time it was a little harder going from player to coach because I didn’t know anything about the computer (system),” Noland said in an exclusive Garnet Trust interview presented by 360clean. “I was given a packet but I didn’t know how to do any of that stuff. Just learning the little things on film watching or making the cutups, that was hard for me, but when I came back to it, I had already known what to do.”

ALSO SEE: What we’re hearing on newly offered transfer portal wide receiver

The Oconee County High School graduate started six games this past season for Carolina and came off the bench to lead them to a victory in the waning seconds in a seventh against Vanderbilt.

Noland went 53 of 95 for 690 yards passing and seven touchdowns with one interception in his lone season with the Gamecocks.

For a kid from near Athens, Ga., having the opportunity to play in the SEC and help set the foundation in a program that won seven games this season after winning a combined four in the two years prior, gave him the closure on his playing career that he originally desired when he cut off the tape for the final time at North Dakota State a year earlier.

Now, as the Gamecocks get ready to start their second spring under Beamer, Noland is transitioning back from the locker room to the coaches’ offices.

Still a GA. And still working on those South Carolina football playbooks (but now also helping with the quarterbacks). Noland has experienced a much smoother shift this time around.

“It’s been enjoyable,” Noland said. ‘Obviously, I ran about every single play that’s in our playbook out of every formation we could have ran it out of between my time. I don’t have a hard time typing things in or like hearing a play and having to memorize it and type it in. Looking at a sheet, I know that stuff. So I really, that’s something that I have enjoyed.

“Daily, I come in, have coffee and eat breakfast with a lot of the guys, whatever we’ve got for that day or whatever Coach Satt or anybody needs, maybe a little cutup, maybe a little breakdown, trying to figure out where we can get better and just help them with that. Just sit in there and be all ears and listen. All of those coaches have been coaching for a long time and try to pick up some of the things that they’ve learned.”

South Carolina will kick off one of the most anticipated spring practices in some time next week with the first of 14 practices scheduled for Tuesday, March 15 leading up to April 16th’s Garnet and Black spring game.

A big part of Noland’s job has been to do anything needed to make sure the Gamecocks are logistically ready for practice to start next week.

“The month of February has been very enjoyable,” Noland said. “We’ve gotten to get back, get all the guys in here, get around the new guys, the early enrollees and the transfers as well. It’s just been a lot of fun around here. The buzz and hype is real. It is a good time and it’s fun to show up at work every day whether you’re a player or coach or support staff, everybody enjoys it. Leading up into spring break and going into spring ball, we’ve got a lot done and accomplished a lot. I’m very excited to be a part and to see where it goes.”

Discuss South Carolina football on The Insiders Forum!