South Carolina DB coach Torrian Gray reportedly receives promotion
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South Carolina defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Torrian Gray is being promoted to co-defensive coordinator for the 2026 season, according to a report on Friday afternoon by On3’s Wes Mitchell and Chris Clark.
Gray’s promotion was expected to become official at Friday’s board of trustees meeting, according to the On3 report.
There isn’t just a promotion in line for Gray on the football field though. In addition to becoming co-defensive coordinator, Gray will be getting a raise, according to the On3 report. His deal at South Carolina will be amended and include a raise to $1 million for the 2 years that are remaining on his contract in Columbia.
Gray’s buyout that he would owe to South Carolina if he left the program during that time has also increased along with his salary. If Gray leaves Columbia between now and next July, he would owe the school $2 million. The amount that Gray would owe South Carolina would decrease to $500,000 between next July and the end of the calendar 2026 year. The owed buyout would decrease again to $300,000 if Gray left South Carolina during any point in 2027.
The 2026 season will be Gray’s 6th at South Carolina. He got the defensive backs coach’s job in Columbia in January 2021, then earned the extra responsibility of being the defensive passing game coordinator in January of this year, and after 1 season of carrying those tasks Gray has earned this latest promotion to co-defensive coordinator.
Gray has extensive experience as a secondary coach, coaching defensive backs for a whopping 26 years, which includes 22 years at the college level and 4 in the NFL.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
