One of the most memorable quarterbacks in South Carolina Gamecocks history has reportedly passed away.
Phil Petty, a three-year starter for the program under head coach Lou Holtz, was 43 years old.
Longtime South Carolina beat writer John Whittle was the first to report the news.
Petty led South Carolina on the biggest season-to-season turnaround in NCAA history. After the team went 0-11 in 1999, he took over as a full-time starter for the Gamecocks in 2000 — leading the program to an 8-4 record and an Outback Bowl victory over Ohio State. The team returned to the Outback Bowl again the following season and took down the Buckeyes in a postseason rematch.
Petty finished his collegiate career with 5,656 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. He finished his senior season as a finalist for the Johnny Unitas award in 2001 behind 1,926 passing yards and 12 touchdowns.
The legendary Gamecocks QB still holds the No. 7 position on the program’s all-time passing yards list.
After a one-year stint as an undrafted free agent in the NFL, Petty turned his attention to coaching. He took a job as a graduate assistant for South Carolina before joining ECU as the quarterbacks coach in 2004. He recently accepted a job as co-offensive coordinator at Gray Collegiate under his close friend and former teammate Adam Holmes.
Our thoughts go out to the Petty family and the South Carolina community during this difficult time.