HOOVER, Ala. -- Steve Spurrier stood behind the podium at Southeastern Conference Media Days for a 23rd time Tuesday morning, but it was his first as a 70-year-old.
Spurrier sounded like someone who plans to preview an upcoming football season when he's 75.
"I breezed right through age 60 and breezed right through 65, and I'm going to try my best to breeze right on through 70," Spurrier said. "I can still remember just about everything, so mentally, I think I'm the same as I was.
"The number on your years is not what's important. It's whether you can function physically, emotionally and mentally to get your team ready to play."
Judging by South Carolina's 40-10 record the past four seasons, Spurrier still has fuel in his coaching tank, but this year has a slightly different feel. After three consecutive 11-2 finishes, the Gamecocks went 7-6 last season and are expected to be projected behind at least Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee in this year's SEC East race.
Spurrier has not named a starting quarterback, though Connor Mitch is considered the favorite, and he was forced to make some changes defensively after the Gamecocks allowed 30 or more points seven times last season. Jon Hoke, Spurrier's final defensive coordinator at Florida, was hired for the same role in Columbia.
"We've got a good team at South Carolina ready to go this year," Spurrier said. "We lost four out of five in the middle of last year, and it looked like we were definitely heading for a losing season. Then we won three of the last four and kind of got rejuvenated."
The Gamecocks closed last year in the Independence Bowl against Miami before fewer than 40,000 fans. It was a dreary afternoon in Shreveport, La., but Spurrier was anything but dampened after South Carolina triumphed 24-21.
"That meant a lot to him, and it meant a lot to everybody," junior receiver Pharoh Cooper said. "Being 7-6 looks a whole lot better than 6-7, because now we can say we're coming off another winning season."
Said Spurrier: "That was the most fired up all of us were, because we went from losers to winners."
Spurrier is the only coach in SEC history to compile the most victories at two league schools, having gone 122-27-1 at Florida and now 84-45 with South Carolina. He guided the Gators to six league championships in 12 seasons but is still seeking his first with the Gamecocks, who won the East in 2010 but fell 56-17 to Auburn n their lone SEC title-game trip.
To prove that his age isn't an issue, Spurrier pointed out that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is 69, Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski is 68 and Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton is 67.
So what's the secret to Spurrier's longevity?
"I forgot to get fired, and I'm not going to cheat," he said. "Those are about the only ways you lose your job. You get fired for losing, or you cheat and they go get somebody else. I've not done any of those to any extent, I guess."
South Carolina's 11th season under Spurrier contains one of the nation's most taxing schedules. The Gamecocks open the college football season Sept. 3 against North Carolina in Charlotte, and they also have out-of-conference tests against Clemson and Central Florida.
Spurrier believes the defensive changes this past winter could put his program back in the running for a top-10 ranking. Whether that happens or not, Spurrier certainly resembles someone still committed to coaching.
In his opinion, the alternatives don't sound very appealing.
"That retirement thing - I don't think I would be very good at it," Spurrier said. "I can go to the beach and stay four or five days, and I'm like, 'Hey, let's get on out of here.' None of us know how long we're going to be here. None of us know.
"All of us coaches hope to coach a long time."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.