The top things South Carolina is looking for in Ray Tanner’s replacement as athletics director

South Carolina President Michael Amiridis wants to be clear.

Yes, athletics director Ray Tanner is soon transitioning into a new role. But that will only happen after South Carolina finds his replacement — and, according to Amiridis, that search won’t get going until the end of November.

Amiridis has a few months before he has to dive head first into finding a new AD, a few months before he begins interviewing candidates and deciding who will be the next person to lead the Gamecocks’ athletics programs.

But Amiridis already seems to have a checklist for what he wants in South Carolina’s next AD. The top trait he’s seeking? Experience.

“I have always preferred record (over) promise,” Amiridis said. “I want somebody who is experienced. He is, or she is, in this position, and there is a strong framework.”

That would seem to rule out any internal candidates and perhaps even eliminate Coastal Carolina athletics director Chance Miller, who worked at South Carolina for 11 years and was long thought of as a possible Tanner replacement before taking the CCU job in June.

Also on Amiridis’ priority list, especially with revenue-sharing likely coming to college athletics in 2025, is an athletic director who — like Tanner — garners respect in the college athletics community.

The other stipulation for Amiridis will be much tougher to come by: Someone who will be as committed to the Gamecocks as Tanner was. Unless women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley wants to transition to athletic director, though, Amiridis might not find some who fits that goal.

This will be the first major athletic director hire Amiridis has made. Before being named South Carolina president in early 2022, Amiridis served as chancellor for the University of Illinois Chicago — a Horizon-League school without football. When Amiridis arrived at South Carolina, he retained Tanner, who had been the Gamecocks AD for nearly a decade at that point.

As far as the search process itself, everything from a Friday press conference indicated that this hire will be Amiridis’ decision.

“I will not be directly involved in that capacity,” Tanner said of helping pick the next AD. “Should I be able to provide some background, I will certainly do that. But I don’t anticipate being involved in (choosing) the replacement.”

Added Amiridis: “The decision is going to be mine and approved by the board of trustees.”