Pough Named to Succeed Jeffries at S.C. State

Orangeburg, SC - South Carolina State will introduce its new head football coach at an 11 a.m. press conference, today (Tuesday) at the Bulldog Lounge of the Kirkland W. Green Student Center on the campus.

Oliver "Buddy" Pough

Oliver "Buddy" Pough, a former all-conference tackle and assistant coach for the Bulldogs, has been chosen to succeed legendary head coach Willie Jeffries, who retired from the sidelines Nov. 24th after completing his 19th overall season as Bulldog head coach and his 29th as a college head coach, according to SCSU athletics director, Dr. Tim Autry.

Presently running backs coach at the University of South Carolina, Pough was selected Jeffries' successor from among three finalists, who emerged from a list of six candidates interviewed for the position. The other two finalists were Daryl McNeill, who has been offensive coordinator at S.C. State the last three seasons; and Rick Comegy, head coach and athletics director at Tuskegee (Ala.). Other candidates included Lawrence "L.C." Cole, head coach at Alabama State; Barney Chavous, former SCSU All-American and Denver Bronco defensive standout and coach; and Ben Blacknall, head coach at Delaware State and a long-time assistant for the Bulldogs.

In naming Pough to the position, Autry called the Orangeburg native a good fit for S.C. State and a coach that can continue the Bulldogs' return to prominence in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and I-AA football.

"The University is happy to land a coach of Coach Pough's caliber," said Autry. "We had a strong slate of candidates, so the decision (to name Pough) was not an easy one. However, Dr. Leroy Davis, our president, and I feel that we have chosen a coach that's a good fit for SCSU.

"Coach Pough is an alumnus of the University," continued Autry. "He played and coached at S.C. State during some of the football team's most productive years, and he has been a part of winning programs on both the high school and college level since leaving here. We feel that he knows the formula for winning, and that he will continue the successful note we ended this season on and eventually return us to prominence in our conference and Division I-AA.

"We all know he has some big shoes to fill in succeeding Coach Jeffries, a true Bulldog legend, however, we hope that all our constituents - to include players, students, faculty and staff, alumni and supporters - will rally behind Coach Pough and the university so we can attain the success that we once enjoyed."

Pough is expected to receive a five-year contract at an annual pay of $100,000, according to Autry. The terms of the agreement also include a courtesy car and television show.

An Orangeburg-Wilkinson graduate, Pough lettered four years at SCSU (1971-75) as an offensive tackle under Oree Banks and Jeffries and was an All-MEAC selection as a senior.

After earning his bachelor's from the university, he spent three seasons (1976-79) as an assistant football coach and baseball coach at O-W before returning to his alma mater when he was tabbed by SCSU head coach Bill Davis in 1979 to serve as offensive line coach and director of recruiting for the Bulldogs. Pough switched to the defense the following year and was elevated to defensive coordinator in 1981. During his eight-year tenure (1979-86) at SCSU, he helped the Bulldogs two four MEAC championships and two appearances in the I-AA playoffs.

After leaving SCSU, he returned to O-W as an assistant and later went on to successful tenures at Keenan High School in Columbia and Fairfield-Central in Fairfield. In 1996, he led the latter to a 15-0 record and state Class 3-A championship.

His success at Keenan and Fairfield-Central, which included three Coach of the Year honors, led to an offer from then-USC head coach Brad Scott to serve as assistant for the Gamecocks in 1997. When Lou Holtz took over at USC a year later, Pough stayed on as an assistant and has helped the Gamecocks to back-to-back Bowl appearances.

Pough, who also earned a master's at SCSU, is married to the former Josie Pough of Orangeburg and they are the parents of two sons - Oliver IV, a junior football player at The Citadel, and Lee Judson, a ninth grader at Ridge View High School in Columbia.

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