2019 Hall of Fame Inductee: Joe Grugan

There wasn’t much that Joe Grugan (1937-1941) didn’t do at the University of South Carolina during a lifetime on campus as a student-athlete, instructor, and coach. The multi-sport star is one of nine members of the 2019 class for the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Association of Lettermen.

Although Grugan passed away in 1979, his oldest son, Joseph Sloan Grugan, Jr., said the family is truly thrilled that their father is being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“It is absolutely outstanding!” Grugan said. “He would be so pleased. We think it’s so well-deserved, but I think we took it for granted all of the things he did. I’m 72 years old, I’m glad I’ve lived to see this happen! We’re thrilled and so happy for him.” 

Joe Grugan spent five different decades either playing, coaching or serving the University of South Carolina in an administrative role. He was a star running back in football from 1937-41 for coach Rex Enright. He was also a star pitcher and outfielder in baseball for coach “Catfish” Smith.

“I think the University meant the world to him,” Grugan said of his father. “He committed his life to the University. He went to high school south of Philadelphia. He originally thought if he stayed home and went to college, he’d go to Villanova, but someone from his high school had come to South Carolina a couple years ahead of dad graduating high school and encouraged him to come south. He came down in 1937 and tried out for the football team and the baseball team and made them both!”

“He taught every student that came through the door.”

The elder Grugan met his wife, Mildred Sloan of Columbia, while a student and the couple later had three children; Joe., Jr., Bill, and Jane. Following his military service during World War II, Grugan returned to South Carolina to coach physical education, which he did for 25 years.

“Every student that enrolled at South Carolina took phys-ed, so he taught every student that came through the door,” Grugan said.

He also resurrected the university’s intramural program, working as its director. Grugan also served as the head baseball coach (1957-63), tennis coach and golf coach, as well as assisting on the football and basketball staffs while at South Carolina.

“The University was his life,” Grugan said. “He spent so many years involved with it, until the day he died. He did a world of different things. I think he loved it all.

“In the summertime, when school wasn’t in session, they taught swimming to children of University faculty or were associated with it. In the afternoons, he had a little day camp for boys 6 to 12 years old. I think that ended around 1968 or ’69, but I still run into people that remember him for that. The University meant everything to him. It was his world.”

As the induction ceremony approaches on October 17, the Grugan family couldn’t be more proud of the honor bestowed on their father. His eldest son noted that in addition to Grugran’s children coming to campus, he anticipates some of the grandchildren and great grandchildren to be there as well. 

“We couldn’t be more pleased,” Grugan said. “It’s exciting! It’s hard to express how wonderful we all think it is.”

To read more about the 2019 Hall of Fame class, click here.