To Dwell Among the Rafters

The USC athletics department is getting better at honoring its past. What's next?

“One of the priorities for our department is recognizing and honoring the great accomplishments in our history. We have so much to celebrate, and we will continue to honor our great players, coaches and teams.” - Ray Tanner, USC Director of Athletics

Retired jerseys hang alongside championship banners in the Colonial Life Arena. Photo by Travis Bell/Sideline Carolina

For years, the University of South Carolina athletics department recognized its past in ways both haphazard and inconsistent. USC displayed a proclivity over the decades for chasing shiny objects in the form of big name coaches and administrators, most of whom had little connection to the school or state, and even less motivation to recognize the players, coaches or teams who came before them.

They were individuals who meant well, who put every effort into the job, and who all made significant contributions in their own way. But they largely had no feel for or much desire to learn the history and traditions of the institution they helped lead.

Paul Dietzel, who served as USC’s athletics director and head football coach from 1966 to 1974, boasted a flair for marketing and a national championship resume from his 1958 LSU squad. One of his first actions upon taking the helm at Carolina in 1966 was to change the Gamecock logo. There is some speculation that he even crafted his initials among the tail feathers. If you focus, you can make it out.

The “Dietzel Gamecock” logo, in use between 1966-1974

A couple of years later in another seemingly unilateral move, Dietzel changed the fight song, famously discarding a pretty darn great one already in place in lieu of a tune from a fair-to-middling Broadway musical, How Now, Dow Jones. Dietzel rewrote the lyrics to Step to the Rear, cumbersomely rechristened it “The Fighting Gamecocks Lead the Way,” and coordinated with USC Band director James Pritchard to introduce it during a home game versus Virginia Tech on November 16, 1968, highlighting an otherwise forgettable 17-6 Gamecock loss.

Dietzel initially did not want word getting out that the song was his idea or that he had penned the lyrics so as not to cause objection to its playing at men’s basketball games. Such were the often prickly dynamics between Deitzel and legendary USC basketball coach Frank McGuire.

By December of 1974, the swaggering Jim Carlen replaced Dietzel as head football coach, and a year later he would assume the athletics director role as well. Carlen had the logo changed once again, keeping Dietzel’s gamecock, but removing the “Scholarship-Leadership” banner and adding the now famous “Block C”.

These things may seem small now. The logo changes were arguably not worth making a fuss over in the days before mass marketing and television elevated these things into the national consciousness. It’s also arguable the logo updates of ‘66 and ‘75 marked improvements over what was there before. After all, who can imagine Carolina athletics without the Block C Gamecock logo? And thankfully, the USC Marching Band still plays a stirring rendition of “Old Carolina Fight Song” during their pre-game ceremonies, so some of the old still lingers.

But sometimes small changes can morph into big ones. In 1971, Dietzel was the driving force behind USC’s exit from the Atlantic Coast Conference, a conference it helped found in 1953. That conference exit led to a twenty-year sojourn through the wilderness of independent status, and resulted ultimately in the downfall of a proud men’s basketball program.

That’s a story for another time. But it further illustrates the chaos which can ensue when the whims of a single individual are allowed to override the traditions and culture of an entire institution.

Amid the cults of personality, administrative infighting, and general instability which in many ways defined the decades of the 1970’s and 80’s, the recognition of our greatest athletes predictably lacked process and consistently.

All-American guard John Roche’s number 11 was retired following the 1970-71 basketball season, just a few months before South Carolina officially exited the ACC, marking only the fourth retired number in school history. Roche joined football’s Steve “The Cadillac” Wadiak (1952), and Mike Johnson (1966), and basketball’s Grady Wallace (1957).

Over the next two decades, the University would retire six additional numbers, including football’s George Rogers (1977-80) and Sterling Sharpe (1983; 1985-87); men’s basketball’s Kevin Joyce (1971-73) and Alex English (1972-75); and women’s basketball’s Sheila Foster (1979-82) and Martha Parker (1986-89).

After USC entered the Southeastern Conference on July 1, 1990, inconsistency with regard to the recognition of athletes continued. During the first two decades of SEC membership, only two athletes were recognized with retired numbers, in men’s basketball’s B.J. McKie (1994-97); and women’s basketball’s Shannon Johnson (1993-96).

While all of those athletes were deserving, were others from those eras passed over? And who from the more recent era (2010 to present day) is next in line for this recognition?¹

A new era, a different leader, and a time to look back

On March 6, 2019, the USC athletics department announced the retirement of four additional jerseys across four programs, including softball’s Trinity Johnson (1995-97), men’s track & field’s Terrance Trammell (1998-00), women’s track & field’s Miki Barber (1999-03), and baseball’s Earl Bass (1972-75).

As significantly, a list of criteria for future recognitions was announced, bringing consistency to the process of future recognitions. A former student athlete must have attained at least one of the following achievements for jersey retirement consideration:

• University record holder

• Consensus All-American

• Consensus National Player of the Year

• Olympic medalist while at USC

• All-SEC 1st or 2nd team for three years

• Conference Player of the Year

• Team MVP of a national championship team

• Post-season MVP, leading to a national championship

Beyond the listed criteria, a five-year waiting period beginning at the conclusion of the student-athlete’s final season was established. Other considerations involved whether the nominee is a graduate or at least in good standing academically. Other process-related items were established, including the various machinations of selection and review committees.

It was a tremendous step forward in bringing long-overdue consistency to the recognition process. It was an effort spearheaded by longtime athletics director and former national championship baseball coach Ray Tanner. Tanner himself had been recognized with a retired jersey shortly after he left the diamond to lead the entire athletics department in 2012. His #1 jersey was enshrined in ceremonies prior to opening day of the 2013 season despite Tanner’s own reservations to the recognition.

Though Tanner had no connections to USC prior to being named head baseball coach in 1997 (the Benson, North Carolina native played and coached at North Carolina State prior to coming to USC), he had been at the University as a coach and administrator for over two decades at the time of the 2019 criteria announcement.

As baseball coach, Tanner consistently displayed an appreciation bordering on reverence for the program’s past. He continually shared credit for the monumental success of his program with former coaches Bobby Richardson and June Raines. In his role of athletics director his appreciation took on a wider lens and led him to bring uniformity and intentionality to the process of recognition.

Since 2019, Clint Mathis (1994-97) of men’s soccer, former softball coach Joyce Compton (1997-2010), Dawn Ellerbee of women’s track & field, and football’s Jadeveon Clowney (2011-13) have had their jerseys retired.

Who’s next?

I’ll take a look at likely candidates from football and men’s basketball, though there are certainly other deserving athletes from USC’s nineteen other varsity sports. All of the individuals proposed check at least one of the boxes noted in the criteria laid out by the university in 2019.

Football:

• Todd Ellis: USC’s prolific four-year starter from 1986-89 is the program’s all-time passing yardage leader with 9,953 yards. Ellis’ 24 wins is second in program history.

• Steve Tanneyhill: Carolina’s flamboyant quarterback from 1992-95 owns several program records, including career completions (753), and passing touchdowns in a season (29), and career (62). Tanneyhill also has the distinctions of leading the Gamecocks to their first-ever SEC win on October 17, 1992 versus Mississippi State, and he led Carolina to its first-ever bowl win versus West Virginia in the 1995 Carquest Bowl.

• Connor Shaw: USC’s most consistent passer, Shaw owns USC records for best completion percentages in a game, a season and a career. Shaw completed 65.5% of his passes between 2010-13. He is perhaps best remembered for his undefeated home record as a starter between 2011-13, his 3-0 record versus Clemson during those same seasons, and his stirring 20 of 21 performance at #5 Missouri in 2013.

• Marcus Lattimore: Arguably the program’s most beloved player of the SEC era, Lattmore owns the career record for rushing touchdowns (38). In a brilliant career cut short by injuries, Lattimore accomplished that feat in less than three full seasons. When healthy, Lattimore’s dominance was unparalleled. His 38 career rushing touchdowns eclipsed 1980 Heisman winner George Rogers’ previous program-best 31. This, despite almost four hundred fewer carries.

Men’s Basketball:

• Tom Owens: Quite simply, this recognition is more than fifty years overdue. Owens, Frank McGuire’s great big-man compliment to John Roche from 1968-71, holds the career record for rebounds per game (13.3), and is one of only three players in program history to have scored over 1,000 points and secured at least 1,000 rebounds. Reports have indicated that USC has made attempts to get Owens on campus to complete the long-overdue recognition over the years, but for reasons known only to him, he has refused to cooperate. Whatever his reasoning, the recognition should go forward. His exploits deserve recognition and it is time for the university to do the right thing, whether Owens decides to participate or not.

• Devon Downey: From 2007-10, the Gamecocks’ sharp-shooting guard electrified crowds with his quickness and skill. He was a three-time first-team All-SEC selection, and holds the program record for career steals (277), and steals per game (2.94). He also holds the season records for steals as well (103 and 3.21 per game average) set in 2008. Downey also led the Gamecocks to a program-first-ever defeat of a number one team, when USC beat Kentucky in Columbia on January 26, 2010.

• Sindarious Thornwell: The heart and soul of Carolina’s magical Final Four team in 2017, Thorwell owns career records for games started (132) and minutes played (4,207), and is third-leading scorer in program history (1,941), behind only B.J. McKie and Alex English.

• Jimmy Foster: Long the black sheep of USC basketball, Foster’s impact on the program is undeniable and deserves recognition. He owns program records for career field goal percentage (.596), and season field goal percentage (.611 in 1983). His senior and sophomore campaigns (1984 and ‘82) are also sixth and eighth best respectively, making him the only player with multiple entries in the top ten for that category. Like Owens, Foster is one of only three Gamecocks with at least 1,000 points and rebounds in program history (Alex English is the other). Foster’s off-court antics might well keep him from enshrinement in the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame, and perhaps deservedly so. However the university can, and in my opinion should, recognize him within the basketball arena.

Among Carolina’s deserving legends from other sports, women’s basketball’s A’ja Wilson springs immediately to mind, and she will be eligible for such a recognition this year. Look for her jersey enshrinement early in the 2023-24 season. Aliyah Boston will undoubtably follow in five years time. Arguably Zia Cooke, Tiffany Mitchell, Alaina Coates, Aleighsha Welch and LaKeisha Sutton have earned the recognition as well, all stalwarts in Carolina’s most successful program. Staley herself will no doubt earn some type of recognition when she hangs up her coaches’ whistle. “Dawn Staley Court” has a certain ring to it.

Baseball’s Hank Small should join his teammate Earl Bass along the outfield wall at Founder’s park, as should some of the greats of Tanner’s College World Series championship teams, such as Michael Roth and Jackie Bradley, Jr. I would submit former coaches Bobby Richardson and June Raines earned recognition as well.

Mark Berson, who founded the USC men’s soccer program in 1978 and led the Gamecocks to twenty two NCAA tournament appearances while winning 511 games over forty three seasons will no doubt be recognized in the near future. Similarly, women’s soccer coach Shelley Smith, who has led the Gamecocks since 2001, winning six SEC championships and achieving seven Sweet Sixteen appearances during that span will be certainly be recognized down the road.

“We have so much to celebrate, and we will continue to honor our great players, coaches and teams,” Tanner said in 2019.

Indeed, let the celebrations begin.

(April 24, 2023 update - The South Carolina athletics department announced the retirement of Kip Bouknight’s #14 jersey (baseball), which will take place in ceremonies at Founder’s Field this Friday, April 30. Bouknight is the winningest pitcher in Gamecock history with a 45-12 record, and also leads the program in strikeouts, with 457. Bouknight was named the Golden Spikes Award winner following the 2000 season, which is awarded to the top amateur baseball player in the country. Bouknight compiled a 17-1 record that season, leading the Gamecocks to a 55-10 season.)

Resources:

• Gamecocks Announce Four Jersey Retirements - Gamecocksonline.com - March 6, 2019.

• David Cloninger, South Carolina to ramp up jersey retirements, Post and Courier, February 24, 2018.

1. The university no longer retires numbers, only jerseys, which serves to recognize the athlete while keeping the number in circulation for future use.