In reality, there were five reasons behind Don Gibb's resignation - Gena, Sarah, Emily, Hannah and Dylan.
After a trying season that saw a pair of Gamecocks dismissed from the team for streaking and a bottom-half finish in the SEC, Gibb was awarded a raise and two-year contract extension but turned it down to spend more time with his wife and four adopted children.
In addition to being a challenging year in the pool, it was a tough one personally for a coach who previously coached Florida State. “Ralph Crocker was my best friend,” Gibb said of the longtime Auburn assistant who passed away in January. Crocker’s battle with cancer and passing away prompted Gibb to evaluate the roles coaching and family played in his life.
Gibb described a commitment he and wife Gena had made to be good parents, but when pressed against the similarly-demanding rigors of Division I coaching, said “really, only one of us has done a great job [of parenting].” Coaching in the SEC he explained, “is a 24 x 7 job and if you don’t work hard at it, you’re going to get passed by.”
Free from the constant pressure to recruit, he plans spend time with his wife and four children, while also getting back to the basics of “why I got involved in coaching to begin with – to teach kids to appreciate and love swimming.”
In some ways, the story has come full-circle. A Florida native, Gibb explained that his relationship with South Carolina began over a quarter-century ago when he was recruited by then USC head coach (and current SMU women’s coach) Steve Collins. When is Father was diagnosed with cancer, Gibb opted to stay closer to home, attending Daytona Beach Community College before heading off for a successful career at Florida. After eight years as an assistant at Florida and Florida State, Gibb was named Seminole head coach in 1999. “The challenge of making USC a consistent competitor at the NCAA level” in the premier swimming conference is what brought Gibb to Columbia.
Any regrets? Not from Gibb and not from the department. “We didn’t accomplish all of our goals, but we created a great situation for whoever comes in.” Under his leadership, the South Carolina women rose as high as 11th in the nation while the men were consistent top-twenty finishers. Owing in part to the 9th-best recruiting class in the country, the new USC coach will inherit a, “ready-made program.”
Val Sheley, South Carolina’s Senior Associate Athletic Director added, "We are sorry to be losing Don and his family but this is a wonderful opportunity for them to return to their native Florida. Don is a family man and this job will allow him to continue to coach quality young athletes while providing more time for his family. We thank him for all he has done for our program and wish them well."