Wofford head coach Mike Ayers watches from the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college football game against South Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017 in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina defeated Wofford 31-10. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)Wofford’s Mike Ayers announced his retirement Wednesday afternoon after 30 seasons as the Terriers’ head football coach.
Ayers had 218 victories in 33 years as a head coach, having spent his first three at East Tennessee State. He moved back to Wofford – where he served as a defensive coordinator from 1980 to 1982 – in 1988, leading the Terriers to a 207-139-1 record. That included five Southern Conference championships and eight Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearances – six this decade, including this season when his final team finished 10-3 and won the SoCon before falling 42-10 to North Dakota State in the FCS quarterfinals.
He was the 2003 Eddie Robinson coach of the year, given to the best coach in the FCS.
“I’m very blessed to have had the position of head football coach for 30 years,” an emotional Ayers said Wednesday. “Today is a bittersweet day. I still love the game, still love my guys, but it’s time for us to go a different road.”
Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Wade Lang will serve as the interim coach.