Steve Spurrier was never shy about talking during his prolific career as the Florida football coach.
Now well into retirement, Spurrier still has no qualms about giving advice to coaches in today’s era. On Monday, Feb. 9, the former Gators and South Carolina coach had some advice for Clemson coach Dabo Swinney after Swinney accused Ole Miss and coach Pete Golding of tampering in the recruitment of linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
‘I thought by now, somebody would’ve told Dabo, ‘Dabo, there ain’t no rules anymore,” Spurrier said while laughing in a social media clip from The Post and Courier’s Jon Blau, from a Zoom call with media about Spurrier’s upcoming induction into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.
Spurrier’s comments allude to a Jan. 23 press conference where Swinney levied allegations of tampering against Golding and the Rebels, claiming that Golding reached out to Ferrelli after he had already signed with Clemson after transferring from California.
Ferrelli had already enrolled in spring semester classes and signed paperwork with the Tigers. In the past, that would have led to potential sanctions, as it was illegal under NCAA rules.
‘They’re still on the books, I guess, back there (at Clemson) about you can’t do it after this date or that date,’ Spurrier said. ‘… I don’t know if they’re going to ever enforce any rules now or not, but I think Dabo has learned now, he’s got to start paying his players just like everybody else is, or you’ll get left behind. … You can complain but I don’t know how good it’s going to do.’
Spurrier, 80, coached Florida from 1990 to 2001, winning six SEC championships and the 1996 national championship. He then coached the Gamecocks from 2005 to 2015, winning 86 games with the program.
In the Palmetto Bowl rivalry between Clemson and South Carolina, Spurrier owned a 5-2 record against Swinney, which included a five-game winning streak for Spurrier from 2009 to 2013.