Frank McGuire - Coaching at South Carolina

Coaching At South Carolina

Following his brief period in the NBA, McGuire became basketball coach at the University of South Carolina in 1964. The Gamecocks quickly achieved national prominence under McGuire. They went undefeated in the ACC in 1970, but were denied an NCAA berth when they lost the ACC championship game in double overtime to North Carolina State; in those days only one team per conference was guaranteed a bid. Their 25 wins that year are still a school record. They won the ACC tournament in 1971 – to this day, the only ACC tourney title won by a school from the state of South Carolina. The Gamecocks went independent after that season, and McGuire would then go on to take USC to three more NCAA Tournaments and two National Invitation Tournaments as an independent. He retired from coaching after the 1979-80 season. To this day, McGuire is far and away the winningest coach in Gamecocks history. The playing surface at the Gamecocks' former arena, Carolina Coliseum, is named Frank McGuire Arena in his honor. He is also an honorary brother of the Alpha Eta chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma at the University of South Carolina.