Ray Tanner speaks out for Muschamp
ICYMI: @RayTannerSC joined @JayPhilips1075 and Tommy Moody this afternoon for an hour of The Halftime Showhttps://t.co/WFbkVP2MAW
— 107.5 The Game (@1075thegame) September 25, 2019
LISTEN TO 107.5 WITH TANNER: https://omny.fm/shows/halftime/9-25-ray-tanner-gamecocks-athletic-director
Ray Tanner is obviously not happy about South Carolina football’s 1-3 start to the season, but he remains steadfast in his support of coach Will Muschamp and his belief that Muschamp will be successful at USC.
Speaking in his monthly radio interview on 107.5 The Game in Columbia on Wednesday, Tanner told hosts Jay Philips and Tommy Moody that Muschamp continues to enjoy his full support and that the two speak “two to three times a week.”
“He has a busy schedule, and I make sure I try to respect that,” Tanner said. “If you think our fans feel bad, he’s the head coach. He feels really bad when he’s not getting the Ws he think he should get. Our conversations have been about keeping grinding and doing the things we are capable of doing, trying to get the right players out there.
“The experience he has in the Southeastern Conference and college football in general, some people will say, ‘He wasn’t successful at Florida.’ Well, he was coach of the year his second year and won 11 games. He had some success. I think he is going to have success here. I believe in him. I believe what they’re doing.
“I know what the building is like. A lot of people don’t know that, because practices are closed. They don’t know what’s inside the locker room or the culture of the program. There’s things they’re not going to know but going to talk about. I feel very good about his leadership in the program and the coaches he has. I believe progress certainly has been made and we’re going to be successful.”
Tanner added that he believes in Muschamp’s staff “as much as when they came here,” but acknowledged the frustrations of a fan base eager to see signs of progress in Year 4 under that staff.
“The bottom line is, the theme is, people care. It’s not that they don’t care or are just trying to be mean. They care, they want us to do well. That’s the way I look at it,” Tanner said. “And some have a different way of expressing themselves and some are very eloquent in the things that they say, but I always go back to, when you get criticized or people say things you don’t want to hear, what they’re telling you is, No. 1, they care.”
Specifically, Philips asked Tanner about Muschamp’s declaration in the preseason that this year’s squad was the best he’s had at South Carolina in light of the poor early results.
“I think he’s very honest. He doesn’t sugar coat anything. When coach Muschamp said this is his best team, I think that is the case,” Tanner said. “We have a little more depth than we’ve had in the past. Our athletes up front are better than they have been. Our expectations were that we would probably be 3-1 at this point or 2-2. That’s not where we are and people are disappointed. I understand that.”
But Tanner pushed back when asked if fans’ expectations and mood would improve if Muschamp made his practices more accessible and also cited former coach Steve Spurrier’s 28-22 record after four seasons at USC as a cause for patience.
Overall, Tanner said his approach with the embattled coach has been to be supportive, not demanding of better results.
“I’m not walking into his office, closing the door and saying this is unacceptable,” Tanner said. “I think it’s simple for me. We haven’t made enough plays. Are we good enough? We’re pretty good. We’re better than we have been since he’s been here, but we there have been a couple games already where we haven’t made enough plays in critical times.”
Ray Tanner is talking with @1075thegame until 3:30.
“I’m very fond of Will Muschamp, I’m very fond of his coaches. I believe in them now as much as I did when they came here. I take responsibility in any way anybody wants to dish it out.”
— David Cloninger (@DCPandC) September 25, 2019
Ray Tanner on 107.5: "We’re better than we have been since (Muschamp) has been here, but we’ve had a couple games where we haven’t made enough plays at critical times."
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) September 25, 2019
He’s delusional. He just said “fans don’t know the culture of this program”..... geez, Ray. I wonder why. And what is that culture? He’s in full excuse mode.
— Greg Dampier (@DampierDrums) September 25, 2019
More Ray Tanner on 107.5: "I think he is going to have success here. I believe in him. … I feel very good about his leadership in this program, and the coaches he has. I believe progress has been made, and we’re going to be successful."
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) September 25, 2019
ICYMI: @RayTannerSC joined @JayPhilips1075 and Tommy Moody this afternoon for an hour of The Halftime Showhttps://t.co/WFbkVP2MAW
— 107.5 The Game (@1075thegame) September 25, 2019
LISTEN TO 107.5 WITH TANNER: https://omny.fm/shows/halftime/9-25-ray-tanner-gamecocks-athletic-director
Ray Tanner is obviously not happy about South Carolina football’s 1-3 start to the season, but he remains steadfast in his support of coach Will Muschamp and his belief that Muschamp will be successful at USC.
Speaking in his monthly radio interview on 107.5 The Game in Columbia on Wednesday, Tanner told hosts Jay Philips and Tommy Moody that Muschamp continues to enjoy his full support and that the two speak “two to three times a week.”
“He has a busy schedule, and I make sure I try to respect that,” Tanner said. “If you think our fans feel bad, he’s the head coach. He feels really bad when he’s not getting the Ws he think he should get. Our conversations have been about keeping grinding and doing the things we are capable of doing, trying to get the right players out there.
“The experience he has in the Southeastern Conference and college football in general, some people will say, ‘He wasn’t successful at Florida.’ Well, he was coach of the year his second year and won 11 games. He had some success. I think he is going to have success here. I believe in him. I believe what they’re doing.
“I know what the building is like. A lot of people don’t know that, because practices are closed. They don’t know what’s inside the locker room or the culture of the program. There’s things they’re not going to know but going to talk about. I feel very good about his leadership in the program and the coaches he has. I believe progress certainly has been made and we’re going to be successful.”
Tanner added that he believes in Muschamp’s staff “as much as when they came here,” but acknowledged the frustrations of a fan base eager to see signs of progress in Year 4 under that staff.
“The bottom line is, the theme is, people care. It’s not that they don’t care or are just trying to be mean. They care, they want us to do well. That’s the way I look at it,” Tanner said. “And some have a different way of expressing themselves and some are very eloquent in the things that they say, but I always go back to, when you get criticized or people say things you don’t want to hear, what they’re telling you is, No. 1, they care.”
Specifically, Philips asked Tanner about Muschamp’s declaration in the preseason that this year’s squad was the best he’s had at South Carolina in light of the poor early results.
“I think he’s very honest. He doesn’t sugar coat anything. When coach Muschamp said this is his best team, I think that is the case,” Tanner said. “We have a little more depth than we’ve had in the past. Our athletes up front are better than they have been. Our expectations were that we would probably be 3-1 at this point or 2-2. That’s not where we are and people are disappointed. I understand that.”
But Tanner pushed back when asked if fans’ expectations and mood would improve if Muschamp made his practices more accessible and also cited former coach Steve Spurrier’s 28-22 record after four seasons at USC as a cause for patience.
Overall, Tanner said his approach with the embattled coach has been to be supportive, not demanding of better results.
“I’m not walking into his office, closing the door and saying this is unacceptable,” Tanner said. “I think it’s simple for me. We haven’t made enough plays. Are we good enough? We’re pretty good. We’re better than we have been since he’s been here, but we there have been a couple games already where we haven’t made enough plays in critical times.”
Ray Tanner is talking with @1075thegame until 3:30.
“I’m very fond of Will Muschamp, I’m very fond of his coaches. I believe in them now as much as I did when they came here. I take responsibility in any way anybody wants to dish it out.”
— David Cloninger (@DCPandC) September 25, 2019
Ray Tanner on 107.5: "We’re better than we have been since (Muschamp) has been here, but we’ve had a couple games where we haven’t made enough plays at critical times."
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) September 25, 2019
He’s delusional. He just said “fans don’t know the culture of this program”..... geez, Ray. I wonder why. And what is that culture? He’s in full excuse mode.
— Greg Dampier (@DampierDrums) September 25, 2019
More Ray Tanner on 107.5: "I think he is going to have success here. I believe in him. … I feel very good about his leadership in this program, and the coaches he has. I believe progress has been made, and we’re going to be successful."
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) September 25, 2019
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) that gave Mizzou another TD?