Report reveals details of Will Muschamp’s South Carolina buyout settlement
By SDS Staff
Published:
Will Muschamp had a rough 2020 losing his job as South Carolina head coach, but he was paid handsomely before ringing in the New Year.
Multiple reporters, including Greg Hadley of The State, have obtained records detailing Muschamp’s buyout settlement with South Carolina. Hadley reports that the documents show that Muschamp and South Carolina negotiated a $12.9 million buyout on Dec. 30. The settlement dictated that Muschamp received the buyout via a lump sum payment no later than Dec. 31, 2020.
While the $12.9 million payment to Muschamp might be hard to swallow for Gamecocks fans, the settlement did save the program more than $2 million. Muschamp was on contract to make $15.3 million through the 2024 season.
Muschamp arrived at South Carolina in 2016 from Auburn, where he was the defensive coordinator in 2015 after being fired from Florida as head coach. During Muschamp’s tenure, the Gamecocks went 28-30, including a 6-13 mark in his last one-plus seasons (2019 and ’20). Muschamp was fired on Nov. 15, 2020, when South Carolina was 2-5 with three games remaining on the Gamecocks’ schedule.
South Carolina’s best season under Muschamp was in 2017 when the Gamecocks went 9-4, including a victory in the Outback Bowl, the only postseason win in Muschamp’s tenure.
South Carolina hired Shane Beamer as the new head football coach on Dec. 6, 2020.
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
