Each week, I’ll be taking a look at the SEC Network’s programming and reviewing a show, or group of shows, giving my take on the network’s inaugural season.

For my second foray into reviewing the SEC Network’s programming, I chose to watch “The Believer.” It details the life of Steve Spurrier, where he came from and how he got to be where he is today. Spurrier is probably one of the most divisive coaches in recent history. He has long been known as a “love him or hate him” type of guy. I think if everyone watched this doc, they would walk away with a more positive view of the man. He certainly still has his moments, but it certainly humanizes him, making him feel more real, and less of a figure.

Spurrier came from humble beginnings, growing up in Johnson City, Tennessee as the son of a preacher. He was a multi-sport athlete excelling at every sport he played winning titles in football, basketball, and baseball. He almost never made it in football during high school, not getting to play much before the team switch to a passing offense. Once they switched their offense to pass heavy, Spurriers star was on the rise. He headed to Florida and made the school relevant for the first time in the program’s existence.

After a short time in the NFL, Spurrier moved on to coaching, and it didn’t take him long to make an impression. He started as the QB coach at Florida, but after one season, there was a coaching change and Spurrier was not retained. He was offered a job the following season at Georgia Tech, but history repeated itself and he was out of a job again after one season. The next year he moved on to Duke to the offensive coordinator and was given carte blanche to create whatever type of offense he wanted, and the beginnings of the Fun N’ Gun was born. At Duke his style was known as “Air Ball”, drawing chants from the crowd as Spurrier had Duke throwing the ball all over the field. He then moved on to become the youngest coach in professional football as the coach of the Tampa Bandits and was there for 3 seasons before the USFL dissolved. Duke came calling again and Spurrier headed back to become the Blue Devils head coach. He won the ACC title in 1989, one of his most impressive accomplishments. His Florida ties came back into play and the Head Ball Coach headed down to Gainesville to embark on one of the most memorable coaching stints in college football history. It was also when people began to notice his barbs and sarcasm more, because he was on a national stage. No doubt this is when he became one of the most hated coaches in the country, unless of course you were one of the people who loved him. After many years of success he tried out the NFL but tired of the inability to truly control the team. He left the NFL and headed back to the SEC to coach South Carolina, where he remains today.

His coaching life is interesting, but the most interesting thing is his personality and his coaching style. He has never been one of those coaches who stayed in the office till one in the morning, then was back in the office at 5 in the morning. Family has always been a huge part of his life, something that can be seen on the field with his two sons both on his staff. He’s been known to take some time off, even in-season. On one particular bye week he took his coaches to the beach for days, something that is unheard of through the coaching ranks.

He always told to his players to believe. Believe in yourself, your ability, and your teammates. He stressed that his players were as good as anyone else and if they got on the field and played well, they could beat anyone. One of the most impressive things is the amount of former players that keep in touch with him, and continue to speak highly of the coach. They not only continue to speak fondly of him, but everyone loves his wife, Jerri, just as much. She has been by his side since the beginning- the two got married in college- and was often around the team, getting to know the players, even bringing them cookies on their birthdays.

Hidden in all of his barbs is at least a grain of truth, so no matter how mad it made people, they never really were absurd. Even the people he targeted the most, like Phil Fulmer, speak highly of him today. It seems to be easy to hate him from afar, but once you get to know him, he become more likable, easier to get along with. He’ll never stop needling, never stop pushing people, pushing their buttons. But oftentimes his pushing people pushes them to get better. Whether they get better because of him, or to spite him, that much is harder to discern.

Spurrier always believed he was the best, and passed that belief on to his players. That was his style, supreme confidence all the way. He thought his 11 could beat any other 11 based on talent and coaching, a lot of the time he was right. His confidence even after all these years, remains at an all-time high. One of his greatest strengths is getting is players, his team, to buy into what he is doing, to get them to follow his lead, both in scheme, and the belief in winning.

Coaches are all competitive by nature, but non are more competitive than Spurrier. I fully expect he will continue to coach until something inside of him changes that belief in himself. Who knows when that will be, but as long as South Carolina is contending, we’ll be seeing the visor of the Head Ball Coach patrolling the sideline of Williams-Brice Stadium.