Former South Carolina assistant accepts new coaching job in Palmetto State

A former South Carolina football assistant coach is on the move.

According to a release from Coastal Carolina University, Everette Sands will be the new running backs coach for the Chanticleers. Sands, who worked as the running backs coach for the Gamecocks from 2012-2015 under head coach Steve Spurrier, will coach in his hometown of Conway, South Carolina.

He moved over from his alma mater, The Citadel, where he was an All-American running back in the early 1990s.

Sands has made other collegiate coaching stops at Catawba, Texas-San Antonio, NC State, Ohio, and Elon. He also spent time in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks. His move to Coastal Carolina represents his sixth collegiate coaching gig in the Palmetto State, as he coached three stints at The Citadel, one at USC, and another at Coastal. He also spent a year coaching at the high school level at Sea Island Academy on Johns Island, South Carolina.

With the Chanticleers, Sands will reunite with AD Chance Miller. Miller was the former senior deputy athletics director at the University of South Carolina and worked in the compliance office at USC when Sands was on staff.

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During his time in Columbia, Sands helped coach familiar names like Marcus Lattimore, Mike Davis, Kenny Miles, and Brandon Wilds. Both Lattimore and Davis earned All-SEC honors, and prior to the former’s knee injury in 2012, he was on a clear path to All-American honors.

2013 was the most productive overall rushing year for the Gamecocks under Sands. That season saw Carolina average just under 200 yards per game on the ground. By himself, Davis went for nearly 130 yards of offense per game and scored 11 touchdowns.

Sands was the fourth running backs coach hired by Steve Spurrier, following Madre Hill, Robert Gillespie, and Jay Graham.

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