COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Steve Spurrier has agreed to return to college football at South Carolina should Gamecocks coach Lou Holtz retire, according to a published report.
An announcement regarding Spurrier, who won a national championship during his 12 seasons at Florida, is expected next week, The Tennessean of Nashville said Thursday.
South Carolina spokesman Kerry Tharp said the report was incorrect and that it was up to Holtz to decide if he wanted to return for a seventh season with the Gamecocks. "Let's let him make that assessment," Tharp told The Associated Press. "I can't comment on what people are speculating. I'd just as soon leave it at that."
Holtz has opened to the door to talk about his future several times the past few weeks. He has said he was worn out and tired from the season. He has said Spurrier would be a wonderful choice to succeed him.
Spurrier and Holtz are friends. Spurrier helped Holtz's wife, Beth, obtain an appointment with Florida's NCAA faculty advisor Dr. Nicholas Cassisi for treatment for her throat cancer. When Beth Holtz was in the university's surgical center for several weeks, Spurrier's wife, Jerri, checked on her several times to see what she needed.
"He didn't have to do any of that," Holtz said in 1999. "He's got a million other things on his mind. I was out of coaching."
The two coaches have remained close through the years.
When reports surfaced that the Gamecocks had contacted Spurrier, Holtz said the Ol' Ball Coach was someone South Carolina should pursue if there were a coaching vacancy.
Holtz has tried, without success, to keep the focus on Saturday's matchup with Clemson. Holtz has won only one of five meetings against the Tigers.
"I've talked to Steve," Holtz said earlier this week. "I don't want to go in that direction, but I have talked to him. We talked about how you cure a slice, his son, etc. Steve's a good friend of mine, as I said. All I want to talk about is Clemson, Clemson, Clemson. That's all. That's the only thing on my mind."
Spurrier, 59, took his first college head-coaching job at Duke, where he went 20-13-1 over three seasons. He took over at Florida in 1990 and began an amazing run at his alma mater. His teams won at least nine games each season and in 1996 went 12-1 on the way to the national championship.
Spurrier left after the 2001 season and went to the NFL's Washington Redskins. However, winning in the pros proved more difficult. Spurrier resigned after two seasons with a 12-20 record.
His name came up earlier this year when Florida let go of Ron Zook, who replaced Spurrier in 2002. But Spurrier pulled his name out of the running, saying coaching 12 years at one school was probably enough.
