College Football 2015: 4 Coaches to Replace Steve Spurrier

At the end of the regular season, it was hard trying to figure out which direction South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier would toward with regard to returning for another season in Columbia.

In December, the man who helped make the Gamecocks a yearly contender (except for this past season) in the SEC East said he would be coming back for another season, but for how long the 69-year old “ball coach” wants to remain there is not known as of now.

Spurrier always gives the standard “five years” when a reporter throws that question his way. Now, it seems he is leaning more towards this season, maybe one or two more, and then retiring to Crescent Beach, Florida with his wife, Jerri.

"Everything's on go, and I'm full speed ahead," Spurrier told ESPN.com. "When you've done it as long as I have and have some of the disappointing losses we did this year, a lot of stuff runs through your mind. But in the long run, this is the best thing for me to do. They seem to want me here.

"Now, if they didn't want me here, it would be time to move on. But we've got a good recruiting class coming in, and it's still a really good situation."

After a third straight 11-2 season in 2013, South Carolina was ranked ninth in the 2014 preseason Associated Press Top 25 and expected to win the SEC East, but the Gamecocks finished 3-5 in the division. Despite that, they are bowl eligible at 6-6 and await their game assignment.

Should this be his last season in the SEC and at South Carolina, whoever replaces the legend and Hall of Fame coach has some pretty huge shoes to fill. Here are four names to keep an eye on as a replacement.