It was announced on Friday that South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner will step down from his duties and assume a new role with the university as soon as his successor is found. The timing of his decision is either very suspicious or an unfortunate, poorly-planned coincidence in terms of optics.
Does this have something to do with a potential punishment for the football program?
As of right now, we don’t know.
However, news broke on Thursday afternoon that the Gamecocks’ former director of player personnel is accused of “serious violations of NCAA legislation” prior to his departure from the program on July 3. Taylor Edwards was told in June that his alleged behavior was “sufficient to justify termination.”
What is going on at South Carolina?
A lot of questions remain about what might’ve happened with the high-ranking football staffer and his bizarre, undiscussed resignation. He oversaw head coach Shane Beamer’s entire recruiting operation and served as the primary liaison between the program and South Carolina’s NIL collective, so the accusation of infractions that led to his ouster are rather suspicious.
If that wasn’t mysterious enough, the news of Tanner’s resignation was announced less than 24 hours after the report about Edwards. The 66-year-old will remain as AD until his replacement is in place and then transition to become “athletics director emeritus and senior advisor to the president, focusing on fundraising and community engagement.”
I’m humbled and honored that I have had the great fortune to be a part of this wonderful university and that will continue. For a while now, I have thought there’s going to come a time for Carolina to get a new athletics director, and the president and I have had those conversations. There was interest for me to remain at the university. I agreed to stay in a new role because of my passion for this university, this city and this state.
— Ray Tanner in a statement
These two things may not be related in any way, shape or form. Tanner’s decision to step away and Edwards’ alleged violations may not have any connection.
Either way, the perception of these two separate occurrences happening in such close proximity to each other is poor. Maybe Ray Tanner and South Carolina are getting out ahead of a potential NCAA investigation. Maybe it’s just bad timing.
If it is the latter, which it seems to be, the Gamecocks should’ve held Friday’s announcement for next week. The dots are going to be connected even if they don’t make a picture. Speculation is going to run wild.