South Carolina's Staff Able To Get Settled In Spite Of Pandemic

The Gamecock football staff has a number of new personnel who had to had to balance moving their families and navigating a pandemic.

It’s been an adjustment for families across the country as politicians nationwide have ordered everyone to stay home due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Many on South Carolina’s football staff had the added challenge of getting their families settled near Columbia, getting settled into their new jobs all while navigating a pandemic.

During a teleconference last week, USC head coach Will Muschamp said everyone was able to get situated before the stay home orders hit. This may have been possible thanks to the Gamecock’s early start to spring practice.

“Coach [Mike] Bobo and his wife and five children moved in I believe that Saturday before everything shut down on Sunday,” Muschamp said. “Rod Wilson and his wife and child are moved in. It was an easier transition for them, both of them went to South Carolina. Joe Cox and his wife, they moved out to Lexington and they were able to move in and make a pretty quick transition.”

In an interview with Sports Illustrated last week, Conner Shaw said communication has been key in meshing a staff with as many new members as they have.

“It is a little bit awkward timing because we have four or five new coaches to this staff so there’s been a little bit of turnover,” Shaw said. “We were able to spend a lot of time together in January through the first week of March for spring ball and putting in a new playbook for our offense. Now it’s just weekly zoom meetings, twice a week...it’s new for everybody so we’re just kind of figuring it out and staying positive with it.”

Muschamp echoed those sentiments and said in order for the personnel to continue to learn the players, they’ve been utilizing various forms of technology at their disposal as well as the SEC’s four hour a week allotment for team meetings.

 “Our coaches, by position, are talking to our players everyday whether it be by phone, Facetime, Zoom, whatever the case may be,” he said. “We’ll continue to build these relationships from a distance in a conference setting. Our staff talks daily as far as things we need to do to be successful.”

Muschamp has said they are preparing as though the season will start on time.

“Until somebody tells me differently we’re playing in the fall and I think it takes at least eight weeks minimal to get ready,” he said. “A month to get in shape and then a month of practice in order to prepare the right way and keep the student-athletes healthy.”