A former Conway Tiger is now a part of Steve Spurrier's staff at South Carolina. Everette Sands, who played for Chuck Jordan at Conway High, is the new Gamecocks running backs coach. Sands was an All-American running back at the Citadel. He is the Bulldogs second all time leading rusher and a member of the Citadel Hall of Fame. Sands spent one season as the running backs coach at NC State before coming to Columbia to work with the Gamecocks running backs. Sands replaces Jay Graham, who left USC to return to his alma mater at Tennessee.
Here's the press release from USC Sports
EVERETTE SANDS HIRED AS RUNNING BACKS COACH
Head Coach Steve Spurrier Completes Coaching Staff
COLUMBIA, S.C. (January 16, 2012) – University of South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier has filled the final vacancy on his coaching staff, naming Everette Sands as the running backs coach, it was announced today. Sands is the third coach hired in the last week at South Carolina, joining special teams coordinator Joe Robinson and linebackers coach Kirk Botkin.
“We are pleased to announce Everette Sands as our running backs coach,” said Coach Spurrier. He’s from Conway, was a running back at The Citadel and has been in coaching for several years. He will do an outstanding job with our running backs. He will also assist Coach Robinson with our special teams, as will several of the other coaches.”
Sands come to South Carolina after spending the 2011 campaign coaching the running backs at NC State, his 16th year in the profession. In his lone season with the Wolfpack, his backs logged four individual 100+ yard performances for the first time since 2007.
Sands is very familiar with the Palmetto State, having logged two stints at The Citadel, first from 1999-2000 and again from 2005-10. During his second stint at the Charleston school, he coached three running backs who were named to the Southern Conference All-freshman team and had one back break the school’s single-season and single-game records for touchdowns. Between his stints at The Citadel, Sands coached the offensive backs at Ohio University.
Born July 28, 1971 in Conway, S.C., Sands earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from The Citadel in 1993. He earned four letters as a running back for the Bulldogs collecting All-Southern Conference honors in all four years. He ranks second all-time in school history with 3,926 rushing yards and with 204 points and 34 touchdowns. He garnered All-America accolades as a junior when he led The Citadel to a conference title and number one final ranking with 1,449 yards and 12 touchdowns. He served as a team captain in 1993 and was inducted into The Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. His first coaching position came at Elon from 1996-98.
Sands is married to the former Yvette Newton and the couple has two sons, Everette III “Tre” and Josiah, and one daughter, Sierra.
