Dec. 2, 2003

Columbia, S.C. – The University of South Carolina officially announced Tuesday that assistant football coaches Chris Cosh, Dave DeGuglielmo, Todd Fitch, and John Gutekunst will not be retained for the 2004 season. Cosh served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, while DeGuglielmo coached the offensive line, Fitch worked with the quarterbacks and Gutekunst coached the defensive backs.

“We are in the process of evaluating this football program from top to bottom,” said head coach Lou Holtz. “With an evaluation like this, there often times are changes that go along with it. Difficult decisions have to be made. I appreciate the effort and service provided by these coaches.

“The manner in which this season ended was unacceptable,” continued Coach Holtz. “We are excited about the young talent base we have on this football team and we are working as hard as we possibly can to continue to recruit the caliber of student-athlete it takes to compete for a championship. Our resolve to develop the high level program that this University and our loyal fans deserve is greater than ever.”

Coach Holtz said that there is no firm timetable on hiring new assistants, as several of the potential candidates are with teams that are preparing for bowl games or working in professional football.