The Steve Spurrier Story
From Heisman to Head Ball Coach
Bill Chastain
Taylor Trade Publishing
October 1, 2002
Hardcover/256 pages
ISBN: 0-87833-316-9
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". . . an honest, no-punches-pulled biography . . ."

". . . winning the Heisman trophy in 1966"

". . . many admirers and a few vocal detractors."

We analyze their tactics constantly. We second-guess their decisions. We criticize them frequently. We love them when they win. We cast them off without a backward glance when they lose. One can’t help but take sides when it comes to debating the good and the bad of American football coaches. Sports writer Bill Chastain’s The Steve Spurrier Story is an honest, no-punches-pulled biography of a football coach many admire but more than a few love to hate. The “whys” of this grand love/hate affair are left to the reader, but Chastain fills us in on the pertinent details that brought Steve Spurrier to where he is today–the new coach of the Washington Redskins.

 

 

The youngest son of a preacher from Tennessee, Steve learned early how to compete. His natural athletic and leadership abilities served him well in both high school and college, winning him the Heisman trophy in 1966 while playing for the Gators of Florida. After a brief and disappointing career as a second-string quarterback in the pros, Spurrier discovered that his sharp mind and no-nonsense persona were better utilized in the field of coaching than on the playing field. After a short stint coaching the Tampa Bay Bandits in the ill-fated USFL, Spurrier brought Duke’s football program from the basement to the play-offs before a triumphant return to his beloved alma mater. His outspoken, blunt style of coaching led the UF Gators to seven SEC championships and a national title in 1996, bringing with it many admirers and a few vocal detractors.

What will history say regarding this complex, yet compelling and confident, man? As Chastain points out, “conventional wisdom and Spurrier have never intersected.” Whatever the verdict may be, it will be interesting finding out.
Reviewer: Cindy Appel