COLUMBIA, S. wholesale jerseys .C. -- South Carolinas Steve Spurrier has received a one-year contract extension and a raise that will pay the coach $4 million annually. The university board of trustees approved a $700,000 raise and the extension Thursday. The deal ties Spurrier to the school through 2018. If the 68-year-old coach decides to retire, the trustees voted for a contract clause that would make Spurrier a special assistant to university President Harris Pastides and athletic director Ray Tanner. With the raise, Spurrier becomes one of the top 10 highest-paid college football coaches in the country. Spurriers nine assistant coaches also received raises that put their combined compensation at $3.3 million, up from the $2.7 the group earned this past season. All assistants were given new two-year contract agreements except for defensive co-ordinator Lorenzo Ward, who received a three-year deal. Also earning a raise was quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus, whose salary was frozen for a year after his arrest for urinating in public. Mangus salary increased $100,000 to $275,000. Ward will be the highest-paid assistant at $750,000, a $100,000 raise. The biggest boost came for offensive line coach Shawn Elliott, who saw his compensation rise from $305,000 to $430,000 next fall. Spurrier thanked Pastides, Tanner and the board for the new contracts and raises. "We all hope to coach here many more years and we still have some goals that have not been accomplished yet," he said. Spurrier led the Gamecocks to a third-straight 11-2 season. Before he arrived in 2004, South Carolina had only one 10-win season in history. "It was a fun year. I tell you what, our players found a way to win all these games," Spurrier said. "We didnt clobber a lot of people. These guys know how to play in the fourth quarter." Tanner said he talked with Spurrier about the new deals shortly after South Carolinas 31-17 victory over Clemson on Nov. 30 -- the Gamecocks record-setting fifth straight over their rivals. Spurrier was most concerned about making sure his assistants were adequately compensated, Tanner said. The coach talked about raises on his call-in show Wednesday night, saying Tanner "has done a super job of (saying), Hey, whats right and how can we aligned in the SEC competitive wise with coaches salaries? The president and from what I am hearing the Board of Trustees think that keeps us where we should be." It would also mean be the first time in Spurriers nine seasons the assistants he finished one season with all returned for the next one. Tanner, the two-time national championship baseball coach turned head administrator, said it was his thought to add the clause about Spurrier remaining with the school after he leaves as football coach. Spurrier told Tanner he has enjoyed living in Columbia and planned to stay when his time on the field was finished. The post-football position is based on Spurrier maintaining a residence in town and either Pastides or Tanner remaining in their current positions. Tanner stressed the special assistant spot was not an exit strategy for Spurrier, wholl be 73 should he stay for the length of the deal. "Age is just a number," Tanner said. Right now, leaving the field seems as far from Spurriers mind as possible. Spurrier has said he didnt plan on coaching into his 80s like Florida States Bobby Bowden and the late Joe Paterno at Penn State, and the Capital One Bowl victory over Wisconsin was his 300th game as a college coach. Still, the schools all-time wins leader said hes excited about the success the team has had the past few years and anxious to see what else they can achieve. "If you continue doing what you did in your 50s, then the age factor doesnt kick in," Spurrier said on his radio show. "It doesnt kick in until you dont know what you are doing. Hopefully, I still know what is happening out there." nfl jerseys china . Stephenson tweeted Wednesday that he was looking forward "to the next phase of my career and the wonderful opportunity to continue to grow as a player and as a person in Charlotte!" Terms of the deal werent disclosed by the Hornets on Friday, but reports earlier this week indicated that the 23-year-old Stephenson has signed a three-year, $27 million contract that includes a team option for the final season. jerseys from china . Brady Brassart scored twice for the Hitmen (8-3-1), who have won five of their past six contests, while Josh Thrower added an empty-net goal late in the third period. Ryan Pilon, Remi Laurencelle and Giorgio Estephan scored for the Hurricanes (2-10-1), who are last in the WHL standings.It appears the Montreal Alouettes will have their fourth different starter at quarterback this season when they host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday. General manager and head coach Jim Popp said on Wednesday that Troy Smith could and probably will be the teams starter on the weekend. Smith would join Anthony Calvillo, Josh Neiswander, and Tanner Marsh as quarterbacks to have started a game for Montreal this season. cheap jerseys. The former Heisman Trophy winner was signed earlier in the regular season and is 5-12 for 100 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, seeing action in three games so far. In other encouraging news, Calvillo - still recovering from a concussion suffered earlier this year - was at Als practice on Wednesday with the teams other injured players. ' ' ' |