May 12, 2008

Former University of South Carolina standout Mike Boynton, Jr. will join Darrin Horn’s first staff in Columbia as an assistant men’s basketball coach, it was announced today. Boynton joins Scott Cherry and Cypheus Bunton as the full-time assistant coaches on the Gamecock staff.

“After being on the job for a month and having the opportunity to recruit the area, it became apparent to me that we needed someone in our final opening that shares the same passion and vision for the South Carolina basketball program that I do,” said Horn. “No one could bring more love and passion for the Gamecocks than Michael. He not only played here, but he has recruited the state and truly wants to be part of our program. He was a key player here the last time the program was where we wanted it to be – in the NCAA tournament.”

Boynton, Jr., spent the last year as an associate head coach at Wofford University under head coach Mike Young after spending the previous two years (2005-07) as an assistant coach at Coastal Carolina under Buzz Peterson. Prior to his stint at Coastal Carolina, he spent the 2004-05 season as graduate manager at Furman University.

“I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to rejoin the Gamecock basketball community under Coach Horn and help bring the program back to where it was when I was a player,” said Boynton. “The new coaching staff and I share the same vision for the future of the program and I am excited about being part of the team. I want to thank Coach Horn for the opportunity to bring me back home to a university that has done so much for me in helping build my character and instilling in me so many positive things. I also want to thank the fans and the university for being so supportive of me, not only as a player, but throughout my coaching career.”

In four seasons at South Carolina (2000-04), Boynton played in 125 career games, which ranks fourth all-time. He also finished in the top ten in career three pointers made (129) and three pointers attempted (364). In a single season, he ranks in the top ten in starts and minutes played. During his senior season, he led the Gamecocks to the NCAA Tournament appearance, starting 32 games and averaging 9.9 points and a team-high 3.5 assists per game.

He graduated from South Carolina with a degree in African-American studies. Boynton was also awarded the Southeastern Conference’s Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship for his community service work.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Boynton attended Bishop Laughlin High School, where he earned first team All-New York City honors after leading his team to a 24-4 mark and a berth in the city semifinals. He averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game, including setting the single-game school record for assists with 16. He also holds the school’s career assists mark.