Well, that was certainly an expensive leak.
South Carolina officially announced earlier Tuesday that quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus will be, as expected, fully reinstated to the football program Aug. 3 following an off-field incident last week. Mangus was charged with, in essence, public urination the weekend before last and was immediately suspended by the program.
And, while he will be suspended for just one week, it will prove to be a suspension that hits his bank account very hard. In addition to announcing his pending reinstatement, which will occur the same day as summer camp commences, the school revealed that Mangus will be docked and amount equaling one month of his annual salary. Additionally, the release states, the assistant will be ineligible for compensation increases or bonuses for a period of one year.
While the release doesn’t specify a dollar amount, the total hit could easily approach -- or exceed depending on how successful the Gamecocks are this season -- the $50,000 mark. Hey, when you gotta go you gotta go, even if it ends up costing you in the long run.
“We insist that those in the athletics department who work with our student-athletes on a daily basis are held to a higher standard of conduct,” said athletic director Eric Hyman in a statement. “G.A.’s lack of judgment did not reflect the character and integrity that we expect from our coaches.”
In addition to the monetary penalties, Mangus has also been placed on probation for the remainder of his contract with the school.
Oh, and for those who were curious and as reported yesterday, quarterback Stephen Garcia has been fully reinstated to the program as well.
“In the last four months, Stephen has done everything we’ve asked of him,” said head coach Steve Spurrier. “He has made a commitment to being a first-class student-athlete and we expect him to continue to be one throughout the rest of his Gamecock career.”
