South Carolina doesn't intend to name a permanent head coach prior to season's end, but the search appears to be focused on three coaching figures.
According to ESPN's Travis Haney, the Gamecocks are drawn to Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, Houston coach Tom Herman, and Memphis coach Justin Fuente.
"Those names don't come as a surprise; that trio has been at the forefront of any mention of the job since (Steve) Spurrier stepped down a week ago," Haney said.
Both Smart and Herman are Broyles Award winners, winning in 2009 and 2014, respectively. Smart is in his ninth season with the Crimson Tide, and seventh as the defensive coordinator.
Herman is in his first season with Houston, and his team is still undefeated.
Fuente was hired to lead the Tigers in 2012 and reversed years of losing into a top-25 ranking in 2015.
The Tigers are 19-3 under Fuente in the last two seasons, a remarkable feat given how bad the program was for so long. He was also an offensive assistant at TCU prior to joining Memphis.
