COLUMBIA, S.C. -- One day after saying he expected changes to his coaching staff, South Carolina football coach Lou Holtz fired at least three assistants, which includes a coordinator, sources close to the situation said Monday.
More alterations within the staff could be on the way, which may include changes in job titles and duties, those sources added.
Defensive coordinator Chris Cosh was relieved of his duties after the Gamecocks defense yielded a record-setting 63 points in an embarrassing loss to Clemson Saturday. Also fired were quarterbacks coach Todd Fitch and offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo.
A fourth assistant, defensive backs coach John Gutekunst, has been reassigned, Columbia, S.C., TV stations WIS and WLTX reported.
Coaches and school administrators had no comment Monday night.
All three coaches who were fired were part of the original staff Holtz put together after joining South Carolina in 1999.
The shakeup doesn't come as a surprise. On Sunday, Holtz said he expected it.
"There will be changes after this year, I'm sure," Holtz said. "I couldn't say what they are at the present time or anything else along that line because I haven't made any decisions along that line. But there's always coaching changes after a year like this."
When contacted, several players said they were not aware of the firings and that Holtz did not mention it at a team meeting Monday afternoon.
Cosh, 44, just completed his first year as defensive coordinator after taking for Charlie Strong, who left last year to take the same position with the Florida Gators. Prior to taking over the duties as defensive coordinator, Cosh was the coached the South Carolina linebackers for four years.
What was an improvement defensively from Strong's system to Cosh's quickly went downhill.
In USC's final six games, it allowed an average of 36 points and 463 yards per game as the Gamecocks finished 5-7 for the second consecutive year.
Prior to joining USC, Cosh served one-year stints as defensive coordinator at Michigan State under current LSU coach Nick Saban in 1998 and at Illinois under coach Lou Tepper in 1996.
DeGuglielmo, 35, and Fitch, 39, each served as assistant coaches under Gamecocks offensive coordinator Skip Holtz during his tenure as the head coach at Connecticut.
Fitch served as offensive coordinator and DeGuglielmo worked with the offensive line for the Huskies.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1670882
More alterations within the staff could be on the way, which may include changes in job titles and duties, those sources added.
Defensive coordinator Chris Cosh was relieved of his duties after the Gamecocks defense yielded a record-setting 63 points in an embarrassing loss to Clemson Saturday. Also fired were quarterbacks coach Todd Fitch and offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo.
A fourth assistant, defensive backs coach John Gutekunst, has been reassigned, Columbia, S.C., TV stations WIS and WLTX reported.
Coaches and school administrators had no comment Monday night.
All three coaches who were fired were part of the original staff Holtz put together after joining South Carolina in 1999.
The shakeup doesn't come as a surprise. On Sunday, Holtz said he expected it.
"There will be changes after this year, I'm sure," Holtz said. "I couldn't say what they are at the present time or anything else along that line because I haven't made any decisions along that line. But there's always coaching changes after a year like this."
When contacted, several players said they were not aware of the firings and that Holtz did not mention it at a team meeting Monday afternoon.
Cosh, 44, just completed his first year as defensive coordinator after taking for Charlie Strong, who left last year to take the same position with the Florida Gators. Prior to taking over the duties as defensive coordinator, Cosh was the coached the South Carolina linebackers for four years.
What was an improvement defensively from Strong's system to Cosh's quickly went downhill.
In USC's final six games, it allowed an average of 36 points and 463 yards per game as the Gamecocks finished 5-7 for the second consecutive year.
Prior to joining USC, Cosh served one-year stints as defensive coordinator at Michigan State under current LSU coach Nick Saban in 1998 and at Illinois under coach Lou Tepper in 1996.
DeGuglielmo, 35, and Fitch, 39, each served as assistant coaches under Gamecocks offensive coordinator Skip Holtz during his tenure as the head coach at Connecticut.
Fitch served as offensive coordinator and DeGuglielmo worked with the offensive line for the Huskies.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1670882
