Hendrick leaves SCSU for South Florida
By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer Tuesday, March 04, 20088 comment(s) | Default | Large
For the third time in four years, South Carolina State will be seeking a new defensive coordinator.
Defensive coordinator John Hendrick, who arrived at SCSU following a five-year stint as Benedict head football coach, has been hired as the new defensive tackles coach at South Florida. The University of Pittsburgh graduate, who was a former All-Big East Defensive Lineman, joins a fledgling Football Bowl Subdivision program which made great strides last season in reaching as high as number two in the Bowl Championship Series rankings.
The move also reunites Hendrick with South Florida head coach Jim Leavitt, whom he worked with for two seasons at Kansas State in 1991-92. Hired to replace Tom Evangelista last March, Hendrick led a group which ranked second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in points allowed (19.6 points per game) and total defense. Previously, he was a defensive assistant at a Mississippi State which led the nation in total defense in the mid-1990s.
"Sometimes when you hire these guys, really good guys, they’re really in demand," SCSU head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough said. "When these Football Bowl Subdivision schools come after you and they really want you, they really make an offer you sometimes can’t refuse. I think John enjoyed his time here, but they just made him an offer he couldn’t refuse."
Hendrick’s departure creates a third vacancy on Pough’s coaching staff. He declined to renew quarterbacks coach Jonathan Pry’s contract following the season and wide receivers coach Tony Elliott accepted an offer to coach at Furman University two weeks ago.
Pough said he hopes to fill those vacancies in time for the start of spring practice March 24 and is not worried about the potential of losing them down the road.
"We’ll continue to hire top notch guys, guys that other people want," Pough said. "As long as that happens, we have either got to do one or two things. We’ve got to step up to the plate and try to find ways to keep them or expect that they’ll continue to be lured away. But I think you get the best out of them while they’re here and just continue to hire great people."
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fhsmct wrote on Mar 8, 2008 2:56 PM:
Please elaborate! "
GOT2KNOW wrote on Mar 7, 2008 10:49 AM:
fhsmct wrote on Mar 6, 2008 5:37 AM:
Plain and simple: so called major schools can and often do pay their asst coaches more than we can afford to pay our head coaches.
That's simply the reality of the profession: a better offer comes along, you take it.
I love SCSU and wish we could retain staff long term BUT, it says something about the caliber of staff we're getting when they are in such demand . . . "
rthomp wrote on Mar 5, 2008 9:27 AM:
Pitbull wrote on Mar 4, 2008 10:22 AM:
bosshogg wrote on Mar 4, 2008 4:24 AM:
Bmore#1 wrote on Mar 3, 2008 7:33 PM:
reddawg wrote on Mar 3, 2008 7:09 PM: