South Carolina Reportedly to Name Woods as Coach

Appalachian State Coach Sparky Woods, who guided the Mountaineers to back-to-back Southern Conference titles in 1986 and 1987, will be named the new football coach at South Carolina at a news conference today, sources said.

Woods held a team meeting Monday night to tell his players of his decision to leave the Boone, N.C., university for South Carolina. Earlier in the day, Woods met with his assistant coaches and athletic director Jim Garner to inform them of his decision, according to an unamed source.

Two other sources within the Appalachian State athletic department also confirmed that Woods would take the South Carolina job.

Woods is 38-19-2 in five seasons at Appalachian State. He will replace Joe Morrison, who died at the age of 51 of a heart attack Feb. 5 after playing racquetball.