Gators, Tide battling for Boise coordinator

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Florida hasn’t had very many big SEC wins the past two seasons on the field, but they may have just earned a significant one off of it.  Maybe.

Rumors came to light earlier Friday that Florida and Alabama were competing for the services of Boise State offensive coordinator Brent Pease.  According to the Idaho Statesman, Pease has decided to leave the Broncos and is considering job offers from Florida and Alabama.  The Statesman writes that Florida is considered the favorite to land Pease.

Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun subsequently tweeted that it “[l]ooks like Brent Pease [is the] new Florida OC“, although UF head coach Will Muschamp texted Dooley “nothing done” on the coordinator front shortly thereafter.

None of the schools involved in the Pease speculation have announced or confirmed any move/hiring.

If the reports are accurate, this would actually mark the second time Pease has left Boise in a little over a year.  In late December of 2010, Pease, then BSU’s wide receivers coach, was hired as Indiana’s coordinator.  Less than two weeks later, after OC Bryan Harsin left for the same job at Texas, Pease left the Hoosiers to come back to the Broncos as the coordinator.

The 47-year-old Pease has been a member of Chris Petersen‘s coaching staff since 2006, and has previously been a coordinator at Baylor and Kentucky.   The Statesman notes that receivers coach Robert Prince is expected to replace Pease.

UPDATED 4:49 p.m. ET: According to Dooley, Pease is in Gainesville today speaking with Muschamp, and will head to Tuscaloosa on Tuesday — the day after the BcS title game — to speak to Nick Saban.

South Carolina gives AD Tanner raise, two-year extension

Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
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COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner received a two-year contract extension that ties him to the school through June 2026.

Tanner, 64, is a two-time College World Series champion as the Gamecocks’ baseball coach who moved to leading the athletic department in July 2012.

The new deal was approved by the school’s board of trustees Friday and replaces Tanner’s old agreement that was set to expire in June 2024. Tanner will receive a raise of more than $153,000 per season, increasing his total compensation to $1.175 million.

Tanner has had his ups and downs leading the department. He took over when football coach Steve Spurrier was in the middle of three straight 11-2 seasons with players like defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney and receiver Alshon Jeffrey.

Tanner’s hire to replace Spurrier, Will Muschamp, lasted less than five seasons before he was let go in the middle of 2020. Muschamp’s replacement, current coach Shane Beamer, has had back-to-back winning seasons and been to a bowl game his first two yeas.

Tanner has also overseen the rise of women’s basketball under coach Dawn Staley, who signed a seven-year contract before the 2021-22 season worth $22.4 million. Staley and the Gamecocks won the national title last April and are favorites to repeat this season.

Michigan RB Blake Corum says he’ll be back by fall camp

Junfu Han/USA TODAY NETWORK
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan All-America running back Blake Corum said his surgically repaired left knee has gotten strong enough that he’s been cleared to run on an anti-gravity treadmill next week.

Corum said that he is “100%” sure he will play in the season-opening game on Sept. 2 against East Carolina

Corum tore a meniscus and sprained a ligament in his left knee against Illinois on Nov. 19. After playing sparingly against Ohio State, he sat out when the Wolverines won the Big Ten title and advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Instead of entering the NFL draft, Corum decided to stay in school for his senior year.

“Feeling great all-around mentally, physically spiritually,” Corum told The Associated Press.

The 5-foot-8, 210-pound Corum ran for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns last season and had 952 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2021.

“I’ll be back definitely by fall camp,” he said. “I plan on doing everything in the summer workouts, depending on on what doctor says. He told me I shouldn’t be cutting until maybe June. I’m taking my time, but I will be ready by the season.”

Corum will be watching when his teammates face each each other in the Maize and Blue spring game on April 1 at Michigan Stadium.