Eric Wolford receives raise from South Carolina

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

South Carolina offensive line coach Eric Wolford's pay has been bumped as a reward for the work he's done as the Gamecocks' offensive line coach.

During a Wednesday morning Board of Trustees teleconference, Wolford had his contract amended to include a raise to $700,000 per year. Wolford's previous contract, approved in January, paid him $600,000 per year and ran through December 31, 2019.

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“I think he plays a vital role in our program,” athletic director Ray Tanner said. “He’s great, a great recruiter, a great teacher and very respected by guys on the line and I think he’s the kind of coach you want in your program for as long as you can keep him.”

The new deal serves as a two-year extension and will now run through Dec. 2021 and was approved unanimously Wednesday morning at a Board of Trustees meeting.

Wolford has improved the play of his position group since his arrival last season, his second stint as the offensive line coach in Columbia.

The Gamecocks gave up 41 sacks in 2016, the year before Wolford's arrival, before cutting that number to 2019 in 2017 and 23 in 2018.

“Eric Wolford is certainly valued by coach Muschamp as part of his coaching staff and the players he coaches," Tanner said. "He’s a great teacher, recruiter and we certainly want him to remain part of our staff. That was important to us.”

He was also named a Rivals.com Top 25 recruiter after his work in the 2018 recruiting cycle, which included landing a trio of four-star prospects on the offensive line.