Jeff Crane was brought in by the South Carolina Gamecocks to take over as senior deputy athletic director, following the departure of Chance Miller.
Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal, USA/ USA/ Memphis Jeff Crane, the new senior deputy athletics director for the South Carolina Gamecocks, served as the temporary AD.
Chance Miller, the #2 man in the University of South Carolina athletic department, departed earlier this summer to take a position as AD at Coastal Carolina. Ray Tanner’s new right-hand man was hired by the South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday.
The University of South Carolina stated on Thursday morning that Jeff Crane has been appointed as the school’s new senior deputy athletics director, following reports that started to surface on Thursday night.
Crane had been the University of Memphis’ assistant athletics director since 2019 and served as the school’s acting athletics director. He had held a number of positions in the South Carolina
Gamecocks’ athletic department prior to joining the Memphis Tigers. From 2006 till 2019, Crane was employed by the University of South Carolina. Executive associate athletics director was his most recent position with the Gamecocks. He was formerly employed by TCU and USC-Upstate in the sports departments.
Crane had a significant role in the “stadium project” that Memphis planned, which included enhancements to the athletic facilities behind the scenes, additional businesses in the surrounding region, and significant repairs to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, home of the Tigers. Crane’s influence might be very helpful as USC works towards its ambitions since, as most South Carolina Gamecocks fans know, Carolina is in the very early stages of a similar project in Columbia, one that is still in the planning and funds-generating stage.
Williams-Brice Stadium and Colonial Life Arena renovations are part of the University of South Carolina’s “stadium project,” and possibly even more, a possible business district close to downtown Columbia is in the works. There have been suggestions for potential business enterprises that investors may seek to fund for the project, ranging from golf courses to restaurants to hotels. Whatever is done, Jeff Crane will undoubtedly play a significant role in it.
