Men's basketball assistant reunites with Gottfried in Raleigh
South Carolina's men's basketball team saw another departure made official Thursday, but this one came from its coaching ranks.
Assistant coach Orlando Early will leave the program and reunite with former colleague and new N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried after just one season on staff for the Gamecocks.
"I'm leaving South Carolina because this is an opportunity for my family and me that I can't pass up," Early said in a release. "Mark Gottfried and I are longtime friends and have a very close relationship. When I left Alabama, I left to take a head coaching position, but Mark and I have always talked about working together again in the future, and that opportunity has opened up for me at N.C. State."
Early served as Gottfried's assistant when he was the head coach of the Crimson Tide from 2001 to 2005 before leaving to accept the head coaching position at Louisiana-Monroe, which he held until deciding to leave for USC last offseason.
"Orlando was on my staff for four years at Alabama, and he is one of the best assistants I've ever had," Gottfried said in a release. "He played a vital role during our most successful years, including our run to the Elite Eight in 2004. He's been a successful head coach — he was the coach of the year in the Sun Belt Conference. He's also a tremendous recruiter and will have a great relationship with our players. I'm very excited to have him join us here at N.C. State."
USC coach Darrin Horn expressed support for Early and his decision.
"I appreciate coach Early and the effort he put into South Carolina basketball and wish he and his family the best at N.C. State," Horn said in a release. "When you have good, experienced people on your staff, there is always a chance they will move on."
The USC program has been much-maligned lately. Two players — Ramon Galloway and Stephen Spinella — have announced their intentions to transfer while Murphy Holloway, who transferred to USC from Ole Miss and sat out this season, intends to try and transfer back to Ole Miss. Additionally, Bruce Ellington, the team's point guard and leading scorer, has opted to join the football team and is expected to miss much of the first half of the coming basketball season. The issues have led many to question Horn and the direction of his program.
On his way to Raleigh, Early vouched for his now former boss.
"Coach Horn has the basketball program moving in the right direction," Early said. "Over the course of the last year, and more specifically over the course of the last several weeks, coach Horn has been an unbelievable leader for the staff and team."