COLUMBIA, S.C. — When Lamont Paris was hired as South Carolina’s head basketball coach, his first hiring was Carey Rich as Special Assistant to the Head Coach.
A former South Carolina point guard in the early 90s, Rich was working for the City of Columbia Parks and Recreation while maintaining a connection with the basketball program in an unofficial capacity.
But the Columbia native who starred at C.A. Johnson High School jumped at the chance to join the program in an official capacity.
Rich’s job as special assistant to the head coach entails numerous responsibilities related to the program but it does not include actual coaching which is limited to the full-time assistant coaches.
This past Sunday, Carey was with the Gamecocks at Home Team BBQ for the NCAA Selection Show watch party and for Rich, this was the first time he experienced March Madness within an official role within the athletics department.
Known as “The Captain” after his days as a team captain for South Caroilna, Carey says seeing the Gamecocks earn a NCAA Tournament appearance and playing a role in that is a script that he would not have throught about writing 30 years ago when his playing career ended.