South Carolina hires former NFL assistant to coach receivers

South Carolina has hired Limestone head football coach and former Chicago Bears wide receivers coach Mike Furrey as its new wide receivers coach.

The University’s Board of Trustee’s Governance Committee approved the hire during a teleconference Thursday morning.

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Furrey receives a two-year deal from South Carolina worth $425,000 per year plus incentives. The contract also features extensive buyouts. If Furrey leaves within the first 120 days, he owes the school $850,000. The buyout then drops to $350,000 for the rest of 2024 and then $250,000 for the rest of the length of the contract.

Furrey spoke to his team on Thursday morning and announced he was leaving and Limestone has already hired former NFL wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, according to a release from the school. The release noted that Furrey’s next steps would be announced soon.

GamecockCentral first mentioned Furrey’s name as one to watch to its subscribers on Tuesday morning.

Furrey was in his second stint as the head football coach at Limestone after spending four seasons as the wide receivers coach on Matt Nagy’s staff with the Chicago Bears.

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The eight-year NFL veteran joins the South Carolina staff as James Coley’s replacement. Coley was hired by the Gamecocks last month but left over the weekend to take the receivers coach position at Georgia.

When Coley was hired, Carolina moved wide receivers coach Justin Stepp to tight end coach but Stepp soon left to take the wide receivers coach job at Illinois.

Furrey played a combined eight years in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams, the Detroit Lions, the Cleveland Browns, and the team now known as the Washington Commanders. His best season as a professional came during the 2006 season with the Lions when he led the NFC with 98 receptions to go with 1,086 yards and seven touchdowns – his 98 catches that season set an NFL record for most receptions in a season after having none the previous year. 

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Furrey began his third overall season with Limestone in 2022 after previously serving as the head coach in 2016 and 2017, compiling a 9-12 combined record during his first two seasons with the Blue and Gold and a career coaching record of 16-16 over three collegiate seasons. 

Furrey was a three-time All-American while at the University of Northern Iowa after spending his freshman season as a walk-on at The Ohio State University. While with the Buckeyes, the team won the 1997 Rose Bowl with a 20-17 win over Arizona State. He was inducted into the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

With the addition of Furrey, the South Carolina coaching staff is once again complete.

SOUTH CAROLINA 2024 FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF
Shane Beamer, Head Coach (4th year; Virginia Tech, 1999)
Dowell Loggains, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach (2nd year; Arkansas, 2003)
Clayton White, Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers Coach (4th year; NC State, 2001)
Joe DeCamillis, Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator (1st year; Wyoming, 1988)
Shawn Elliott, Run Game Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach (1st year; Appalachian State, 1996)
Marquel Blackwell, Running Backs Coach (1st year; USF, 2002)
Mike Furrey, Wide Receivers Coach (1st year; Northern Iowa, 2000)
Torrian Gray, Defensive Backs Coach (4th year; Virginia Tech, 1999)
Sterling Lucas, Outside Linebackers/Defensive Ends Coach (3rd year; NC State, 2012)
Travian Robertson, Defensive Line Coach (2nd year; South Carolina, 2011)
Lonnie Teasley, Offensive Line Coach (2nd year; Winston-Salem State, 2008)

Mike Furrey Full Bio from Limestone University

Mike Furrey begins his second stint as the head football coach at Limestone University after spending four seasons as the wide receivers coach on Matt Nagy’s staff with the Chicago Bears. The eight-year NFL veteran begins his third overall season with the Saints in 2022 after previously serving as the head coach in 2016 and 2017, compiling a 9-12 combined record during his first two seasons with the Blue and Gold and a career coaching record of 16-16 over three collegiate seasons. 

Furrey became the second head coach in program history on May 11, 2016, and rejoined Limestone football on March 7, 2022. He remains the program leader in career wins.  

After two seasons on the sidelines with the Saints, including guiding the Blue and Gold to a fourth-place finish during the program’s inaugural campaign in the South Atlantic Conference, Furrey quickly helped lead the Bears to an NFC North title in 2018 and two postseason appearances in both 2018 and 2020. With Furrey on the staff, the Chicago Bears amassed a combined record of 34-31 over a four-year span.

Furrey served as the head coach at Kentucky Christian University for two seasons, and then as the wide receivers coach at Marshall University for three, before he took over a young Limestone program in 2016. He promptly guided the Saints to their best season in the team’s short history with a 5-6 overall mark, and then led the program as it transitioned to membership in the South Atlantic Conference the following year.

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In its first season in the SAC, Limestone compiled a 4-6 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the league standings. The 2017 Saints emulated the never-quit attitude of their head coach, winning three of its games in overtime before rallying from a large deficit to upset Newberry, 27-24, in the closing seconds. 

Under his leadership, Furrey mentored seven players named to the All-South Atlantic Conference Team in 2017 while then rookie running back Jerko’ya Patton was the SAC Offensive Freshman of the Year.

Furrey took over a Limestone program still in its infancy, and promptly guided the Blue and Gold to its best season in the short three-year history of the team. The Saints, who had combined for just four wins over the first two years of competition, finished with a 5-6 overall record during the 2016 campaign.

The Saints went an impressive 4-2 on the road during the 2016 season, including wins over Lenoir-Rhyne and Catawba, the defending South Atlantic Conference Champions. The offense made tremendous strides a year ago, but it was the defensive unit that shined the brightest during Furrey’s first season.

Limestone led NCAA Division II with eight defensive touchdowns while the defensive unit ranked eighth in the nation with 32 turnovers gained. Junior cornerback Joshua Simmons earned All-America honors and was a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award after leading the country with three defensive touchdowns and finishing second in the DII ranks with eight interceptions.  

During his tenure with the Marshall Thundering Herd, Furrey helped guide the program to three straight bowl wins and the 2014 Conference USA Championship. Marshall led Conference USA in scoring offense while ranking in the Top-5 nationally in total offense during the 2013 and 2014 campaigns.

Furrey was named the head coach of a struggling Kentucky Christian program in January 2011. He turned the program around as the team went from 0-11 in 2010 to 7-4 and a Top-25 ranking in 2012.

While at the helm of the Knights, he coached the Mid-South Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year, and a school-record 18 student-athletes were named to the Mid-South All-Conference Team. Furrey was also instrumental in raising funds to build a new stadium with a turf field at Kentucky Christian.

He played a combined eight years in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams, the Detroit Lions, the Cleveland Browns, and the team now known as the Washington Commanders. His best season as a professional came during the 2006 season with the Lions when he led the NFC with 98 receptions to go with 1,086 yards and seven touchdowns – his 98 catches that season set an NFL record for most receptions in a season after having none the previous year. He played on defense with the Rams the season before.   

Twice nominated for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award while with the Detroit Lions, Furrey was a finalist for the prestigious award during the 2009 season as a member of the Cleveland Browns. The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award honors a player’s volunteer and charitable work as well as his excellence on the field.

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Furrey won the 2009 JB Award, an accolade given to those who specialize in community service by then CBS studio host James Brown, and then was selected as the 2009 NFL Ed Block Courage Award recipient, an honor that highlights courage, compassion, commitment, and community service.

After signing with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2000, Furrey spent one season with the Las Vegas Outlaws in the XFL before playing two years with the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League. He would then sign with the St. Louis Rams in 2003, playing in 13 games during his rookie year. He helped guide the Rams to the NFC Divisional Round as a safety a year later.

Furrey was a three-time All-American while at the University of Northern Iowa after spending his freshman season as a walk-on at The Ohio State University. While with the Buckeyes, the team won the 1997 Rose Bowl with a 20-17 win over Arizona State. He was inducted into the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

In 2007, he founded the Mike Furrey Foundation and has since raised more than $500,000 to help improve the lives of those who are hurting, hungry, hopeful and/or homeless. He also served as the board president for Basket of Hope with former NFL coach Tony Dungy as the organization’s spokesperson.

Furrey graduated from UNI in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. He and his wife Koren are the proud parents of Makayla, Stone and Kanon. 

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