Carol Gwin Named Newest Head Coach for Gamecock Equestrian
COLUMBIA, SC – Carol Gwin has officially been named the newest Head Coach of South Carolina Equestrian, as announced by Athletics Director Ray Tanner on Wednesday.
“When talking to leaders in the equestrian community for our head coaching position, one name consistently came up – Carol Gwin,” said Tanner. “Her coaching skills, vision, leadership and recruiting abilities have led SMU to back-to-back National Championships these last two years. As a former Gamecock assistant, she is the perfect fit for our program.”
Gwin returns to South Carolina after serving as SMU’s head coach for the past 10 seasons. In her most recent year, Gwin led the Mustangs to the program’s second consecutive national title in 2024 to mark just the third time in NCEA history a team has gone back-to-back at Nationals. The Mustangs finished the season 12-4, including a perfect 7-0 home record and seven wins over ranked opponents in the regular season. SMU began and ended the year ranked No. 1 in the NCEA Dual Discipline Poll. Gwin was named the NCEA’s Dual Discipline Coach of the Year for the second year in a row and mentored five All-America selections. Under Gwin, SMU saw three riders earn six total NCEA Rider of the Month and three Rider of the Year honors, with six riders being named to the NCEA All-Championship Team and three Nationals MOP selections.
During her time at SMU, Gwin led the Mustangs to two NCEA National Championships in 2023 and 2024 and four conference titles. In addition, the Mustangs saw 47 All-American selections, and 10 NCEA Riders of the Year. Gwin was named the NCEA National Coach of the Year in 2023 and 2024 and the Conference Coach of the Year three times.
Before her time with Mustangs, Gwin served as an assistant coach for the Gamecocks for four seasons (2010-14). In that time, South Carolina earned back-to-back SEC Championships, and finished runner-up in the 2014 NCEA National Championship. She coached five student-athletes to eight All-SEC Team honors in her final two seasons, and Katherine Schmidt was named Most Outstanding Player at the 2014 NCEA National Championships in Fences, as well as Rider of the Year in the SEC under Gwin’s guidance. During her final two seasons, South Carolina’s Jumping Seat team went 27-7, including a perfect 18-0 mark during the 2013-2014 campaign.
“I am excited to return to the University of South Carolina and I’m very much looking forward to the journey ahead as we work to return this program to being an SEC and National Champion team,” Gwin said. “I want to thank Dr. Amiridis, Coach Tanner, Charles Waddell, and Clark Cox for giving me the opportunity to return to where my NCAA coaching career began 14 years ago. My husband, Shaun and I had so many wonderful memories from our time here when I was an assistant coach, and I’m grateful to the administration for believing in my vision and plan for the future of this great program. It’s no secret that South Carolina already has one of the top equestrian facilities in the country, and Coach Tanner and the University have built the ultimate championship-level experience for student-athletes in terms of academic support, health & wellness, and personal development opportunities. All of the pieces are in place for us today, and I’m excited about the opportunity ahead.”
Gwin is a graduate of Mary Washington College in Virginia after four years of competing in the Open division on the college’s IHSA team. She began her coaching career at Sweet Briar College for four years before setting up her own business at Walnut Spring Stables in Blacksburg, Va where she coached the Radford IHSA team. Gwin serves on the board for Curing Kids Cancer and is a USEF and USHJA member.
