The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 14, 1979, Page Page 13, Image 13
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In one of the most insensitive actions in the history of this university,
USC's Board of Trustees have called for head basketball coach Frank
McGuire to step down from his coaching position and accept a public
relations job.
How can the Board have the indecency to hand down such a harsh
decree for a man who has done so much for this school? HoW" soon
people tend to forget the contributions that coach McGuire has made to
this university.
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university out of the depths of athletic obscurity and gave it national
fame and prominence that it had never before experienced.
It was McGuire who miraculously revived a once totally lackluster
basketball program. In January of 1970 his team was featured on the
cover of Sports Illustrated. This team came from the same basketball
program that only a few years before had trouble making the sports
section of The Gamecock.
When McGuire heard about the board's decision last week, he
responded with anger and obstinance. I certainly can't blame him. For
nearly 40 years, he has been a coach. He had dedicated his entire life to
basketball and now he is being requested to drop it all?like it was no big
deal.
The Board's insulting decision appears to be an effort to not allow
McGuire to retire with the stylish and graceful manner in which he has
customarily done things all his life.
GRANTED, MANY people have become disgruntled over the lack of
success that USC's basketball team has experienced in the past couple
of years. But McGuire cannot be blamed totally for this.
Part of the blame must hp thrown hnrlr nt RnarH if Tmctpoc
themselves. For the past two years, the Board has threatened to run
McGuire off. Naturally this has had an adverse effect of McGuire's
recruiting efforts. You cannot blame an athlete for not attending a
university when he's not sure who will be his coach.
Also, USC is no longer affiliated with a conference and it is becoming
increasingly difficult for an independent school to recruit "blue chip"
athletes. Conference schools have much more to offer a basketball
player in the way of competition and exposure. Consequently, there are
presently only a handful of independent schools with highly successful
oasKeiDaii programs.
IN ADDITION, a coach can no longer rely totally on a simple grant-inaid
to lure the top high school athletes. Recruiting is big business and
unfortunately it involves big money.
It is no secret that some conference schools have been able to shield
their recruiting practices behind their conference's administration.
Whereas an independent is all alone and very likely to get caught if it
undertakes even the slightest illegal recruiting practice.
In no way am I attempting to make excuses for McGuire. A man of
McGuire's undeniable success needs no excuses.
Let us put basketball aside for a moment and talk about McGuire the
man. In the truest sense of the word, McGuire is charismatic.
THE FIRST TIME I ever met McGuire, his genuine warmness and
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McGuire is a rugged individualist whose fiery Irish nature will not
allow him to back down from a fight. By no means is McGuire a wishywashy
person who can be manipulated like a puppet and I think the
Board of Trustees are going to find this out the hard way. McGuire has a
solid contract for five more years and he has every intention of fulfilling
that contract.
McGuire is a man of courage and determination?qualities which
have made him one of the best and most respected men in the world of
sports.
In regard to the relationship between McGuire and his players, the
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notorious as an "uncoachable athlete" refers to McGuire as his
"favorite coach."
But if I had to condense the character of coach McGuire into a single
word, there is only one word that is appropriate. That word is class.
Frank McGuire is pure class.
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO, this university was starving for an
athletic team that would bring it fame and national recognition. Frank
McGuire came to the rescue. Now we (students, faculty, alumni, and
friends) have a chance to return the favor.
We must stand behind the man that has stood behind us for so long and
not allow an ungrateful Board of Trustees to run McGuire off from a job
that he so dearly loves.
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Letter suppt
By Brett Frladlander M M
Sporta Editor
In a show of support for their coach, Frank
McGuire, the USC varsity basketball team has
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Trustees. It was the Board who last week voted to
dismiss McGuire as head coach effective at the end of
the 1979-80 basketball season.
In the letter, the team cites examples of men over
the age of 65 who have made meaningful contributions
to society. Included are references to
Depaul basketball coach Ray Meyer, who brought his
team to the NCAA final four before losing to Indiana
State in the National semi-finals; John Wooden, who
won a national championship with his UCLA
basketball team at the age of 66 and Paul "Bear"
Bryant, whose Alabama football squad won a
national championship last year.
Hprp is thp fpvt nf that lottor
To Whom It May Concern:
The Board of Trustees say |L
that age is the major factor flr/^UgV
in why they want Coach V
McGuire out. However, they A
have very little knowledge
about the subject of age.
Some of history's most
brilliant men have done mm
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age off 65. Thomas Edison, V
Sir Isaac Newton and Albert m m$r *
Einstein, to name just a few. W ,
Even in sports, age is off little | J
importance. Some examples I fy
are Ray Mover? Depaul. I
Bear Bryant?Alabama, and I ?.
John Wooden?UCLA. 1 iJPij
Fourteen years ago, coach 1 .. ,
McGuire came to South K 1
Carolina with expectations r< .
of building a major program
and gamina national I 'j
recognition. He gave this I ?J\J|
state its start in sports and pi
sports education. He i!*, ^
planted the seeds 14 years
ago?it has taken root and li^iMlllr,
now it is ready to harvest. |
Yet the Board is trying to |
stop him from seeing it
happen. liSf ^ ^
Forty miles on either side
of Columbia are probably the L v ^<
two best oiavers to ever Li
come out of this state. Clark
Bynum and Raymond Jones f
have already shown concern
about McGulre's departure. BHHHBHfi
They are interested in USC ||
because of coach McGuire. 11
An interesting note to p
coacn Mcuuires career at b
USC is that after he got the Ij
program going, he has never
gone more than two years IB
without going to a post (a^ig^
season tourney. He has also pllijpfc=.
had 12 winning seasons in a SfelPliiM
row at USC. HiiliiSiilii
A question people should
ask is: are they respected I
and looked up to by their
peers?Are they at the' top of
- their profession? Are thev Hp &NSl ^
the elite of their profession?
Interestingly enough, Frank
McQuire can say yes to all mthese
questions. I wonder pj
mow many uhioi uvopio uan t <
say they are In tne elite off sm
their profession or in some m
Hall of Fame. B ?
The ambiguity of the - A
whole situation is that men g&l
who sit behind desks say
Coach McGuire can't do the kj
job. However, these are men | ;
Ethat cannot distinguish m
between a watermelon and a H .
I basketball.
Why not ask the players m
m themselves If coach H
McQuire can do the job? Eg " A
They will tell you he can ana H ?
| they will tell you a lot more. gi
| They will tell you of his fair m
9 play and most of all of his m
I loyalty. This Is a quality ?g
I which seems to be lacking at H
A&KIA a vM lit* PUPl
lino uiiivoiony.
If the Board of Trustees I Thu
think that at age 65, coach m
McQuire Is washed up, then I
Sol Blatt is 19 years over the ||
hill and maybe the Board of ien
Trustees will stop listening 0/f?
to him. B
We don't know how many 30"
other people are behind 9 16"
coach McQuire, but we M
certainly are. signed: 14k
Oofrtok Scott I Not
1M1 . . Tom Wtmbush m
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H Mark Conr?uefl?m HMOMA - t
Kenny Reynolds mHoSOiwhIi
yrts McGuire
The Board has stated McGuire's age is a major
factor in their decision.
mi _ i _ * i ? -
i ne leam aiso voicea its concern over tne action
because of the effect it couid have on recruiting
future prospects. In the letter, two prospects were
named: Clark Bynum and Raymond Jones. These
youngsters, who live within 40 miles of Columbia,
have expressed their concern over the situation. Over
the past few years since the Board began taking
action against McGuire, the Gamecocks have lost
several big-name players to other schools. Syd
Green, Tony Bruin and Chuck Alexenias are iust a
few.
The team is convinced of McGuire's ability to
coach them and they have begun a public campaign
to keep him. They also say his integrity and love for
USC are important factors that have never been
discussed in connection with this case.
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