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5 candidates for South Carolina football coach if Will Muschamp is fired

By Brad Berreman

COLUMBIA, SC - NOVEMBER 02: Head coach Will Muschamp of the South Carolina Gamecocks prior to their game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Williams-Brice Stadium on November 2, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SC - NOVEMBER 02: Head coach Will Muschamp of the South Carolina Gamecocks prior to their game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Williams-Brice Stadium on November 2, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /
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Will Muschamp
COLUMBIA, SC – NOVEMBER 09: South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp looks on during the South Carolina Gamecocks game versus the Appalachian State Mountaineers on November 9, 2019 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC. (Photo by Mary Holt/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Losing to Appalachian State looks like the final black mark for Will Muschamp, so here are five candidates who could potentially replace him at South Carolina.

Since a 20-17 win over then-No. 3 Georgia on Oct. 12, the South Carolina Gamecocks have lost three of four games. That lone win came against a now 2-7 Vanderbilt squad, and Saturday night’s loss to Appalachian State has reignited the heat on head coach Will Muschamp.

That loss dropped South Carolina to 4-6 on the season, with games against Texas A&M and Clemson remaining to make bowl eligibility highly unlikely. Muschamp now has a 26-23 record as his fourth season as Gamecocks’ coach winds down, and while he has improved the talent level on the roster (as Florida fans surely remember and lament) getting the team to a higher level feels elusive at best or outright impossible at worst. Injuries to key players, including quarterback Jake Bentley early in the season, may give Muschamp a mulligan for this year.

Muschamp got a contract extension in December of 2018, through the 2024 season. Deserved or otherwise, it also boosted his buyout to $19 million if he’s fired this year. That payout would be reduced by whatever he would make at another job, but it’s surely a big factor in his status as South Carolina even considers making a change.

But let’s assume Muschamp will be fired. Here are five candidates to replace him as South Carolina’s football coach.

5. Brandon Streeter, Clemson quarterbacks coach

There’s comfort under the success umbrella at Clemson. But co-offensive coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott, as well as defensive coordinator Brent Venables, is worth mentioning for any head coaching opening that may be a fit. But I’m going a little further down Dabo Swinney‘s coaching staff, to quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter.

Streeter is something of a Clemson lifer, having played there before becoming a grad assistant and eventually a full-time assistant coach. Along with his duties as quarterbacks coach, where has had Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence and Kelly Bryant as pupils, Streeter also serves as recruiting coordinator at Clemson with credit for putting together classes that are routinely in the top-10 nationally.

South Carolina may have to go outside the box to find candidates to replace Muschamp. Streeter fits that bill, and it’s safe to assume he’d at least entertain the possibility of becoming a head coach. With Ryan Hilinski stepping in this year and likely to remain the starting quarterback for the Gamecocks next year,  Streeter’s experience coaching quarterbacks should advance his candidacy.

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