Coaches - Recruits - Men's Rugby at the University of South Carolina

Welcome to the home of the Men's Rugby Football Club at the University of South Carolina.
An elite member of USA Rugby Collegiate Division One.

Scholarships will be available for the 2010/11 season. Info. TBA.

USC Men's Rugby is proud to boast it has one of the largest and finest collegiate coaching staffs in the country, and the only former professional serving as a head coach in the South. All of our coaches are accredited with USA Rugby, and hail from widely diverse backgrounds spanning three continents. As our mission became to field 3 fully competitive sides in 2008, our developmental Palmetto ('C') side has its own coaching staff, with special attention paid towards player retention and development. It is part of USC's coaching philosophy that everyone who wants to play should be able to, an important factor behind USC becoming the nation's third largest rugby club.

Head Coach - Premier (A/B) Sides: Geoff Mason
	USA Rugby Coaching Accreditation: Level II E-Mail

A native of Australia, Geoff Mason played rugby league and rugby for 35 years, beginning at age 7. A success on the field, he played in the New South Wales Rugby League competition for Sydney University, Newtown and Penrith in the 1970's as a prop and second row and represented Newcastle against New Zealand in 1978. From there, he emigrated to the US in 1980 and was Player/Coach at USC from 1981-1985. He also played for Olde Grey 1986-1990 where he represented Combined South and East in the National All-Star Championships. Afterwards, he coached USC from 1992-1994 where the club reached the South Final Four.

Since Coach Mason's return to USC in the spring of 2004, USC has risen to new heights and returned to national prominence. Taking over a previously under-achieving Division II team, Coach Mason quickly helped the team reach the USA Rugby South Division II playoffs in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Building on this success, coupled with increased performance on the organization level, the club moved to the South's prestigious Division I competition - an honor bestowed upon only 7 collegiate clubs in USA Rugby South, where the club's A and B-side teams both placed 4th of 7 in their first year of Division I play.

Coach Mason holds both Level I and Level II Coaching Accreditation and several other coaching certifications from USA Rugby.

Head Coach - Palmetto (C) Side: Mark Morris
	USA Rugby Coaching Accreditation: Level II USA Rugby Referee Accreditation: Level I E-Mail

A Native of Columbia, Coach Mark Morris is an '81 graduate of USC and a former member of the '77-'81 USC Rugby Club after a brief couple of years playing football for USC. Coach Morris holds both Level I and Level II Coaching Accreditation and several other coaching certifications from USA Rugby.

Coach Morris joined several of his Spring Valley High School football teammates playing on the USC Rugby Club after USC football, and fell in love with the game of rugby. Coach Morris has also been the Head Coach of the Spring Valley High School Rugby Club for the past 3 years, and the club is the defending 2008 SC State Champions.

While at USC, Coach Morris played several positions, but found his home at No. 7. He also had the pleasure of playing with the present USC head coach, Geoff Mason, when Coach Mason joined the club in 1981. Coach Morris held several club offices while on the team and was voted team captain during the '79 and '80 seasons and finished as Club President '80-'81.

Coach Morris also was honored by being selected to the Palmetto Select Side all the years he competed at USC, and also was selected to the USA South Select Side in 1978 and 1979. During his career after college, Coach Morris played every position based on the needs of his new clubs, Charleston RFC, Myrtle Beach RFC, Atlanta Renegades RFC and, finally, returning to play for Columbia Olde Grey.

Coach Morris brings a vast rugby background and knowledge to the club as he develops the newer players and rookies to move up to Division I A/B sides in hopes of growing the USC Rugby Club into a consistent top contender in Division I rugby. Aside from rugby, Coach Morris is currently the Operations Manager for AAAA's Flooring America, a local floor covering company that been in business in Columbia since 1976.

Assistant Coach / Forwards Coach: Neil Richards
	USA Rugby Coaching Accreditation: Level I E-Mail

A native of England, Neil Richards played rugby through his early years and well into college. He has played in a number of positions in the backs, however, like Coach Morris, Coach Richards focused the majority of his playing career at No.7.

Now a resident of the United States, Coach Richards is not only working to transform the USC Men’s pack into a dominant force in the South, but he also serves as the forwards coach of the Chapin High School Rugby Club which just finished a very successful inaugural season, going as far as the USA Rugby South High School Playoffs in Nashville, Tennessee.

Assistant Coach / Backs Coach: Ken McCarthy
	USA Rugby Coaching Accreditation: Level I E-Mail

A native of Australia, Ken McCarthy brings a vast experience of back play from youth, to collegiate, to men's club rugby in his coaching. While in Australia, Coach McCarthy played most of his rugby for the University of New England and the Vikings Club in Wollongong. He found his home at Inside Center and Fullback for the New England, Illawarra and Riverina regions, as well as for NSW Country and Australian Universities.

Now a citizen of the United States, Coach McCarthy not only works diligently to develop USC’s skills in both the 7’s and the 15’s game, but he also serves alongside Coach Richards as the backs coach for the Chapin High School Rugby Club.

Assistant Coach / Palmetto Side: John Bayard
	USA Rugby Coaching Accreditation: Level I E-Mail

John Bayard has lived most of his life in the Southeast, making his home in Columbia for the past twenty-four years. He began his rugby playing career in 1973 as an original member of the Charleston RFC. Three years later found him in Augusta, Georgia playing for the Medical College of Georgia Mad Dogs (now Augusta RFC). Following a year playing for Colorado Springs, he returned to Augusta for several more seasons. Coach Bayard has played several positions but ultimately found his place at flanker.

This past spring, Coach Bayard joined Coach Morris and Coach Shropshire as an assistant for the Spring Valley High School Rugby Club. Now at USC, he looks forward to continue working with them in preparing USC’s newer players make their transition to Division I.

Assistant Coach / Palmetto Side: Jed Shropshire
	USA Rugby Coaching Accreditation: Level II USA Rugby Referee Accreditation: Level I E-Mail

An adopted South Carolinian since 1985, Jed Shropshire matriculated at the University of Texas. He then settled in the Northern Virginia/DC area where he began his rugby career with the Maryland Old Boys (now Maryland Exiles). After a few seasons with ‘MOB’, he played for George Mason RFC and then was a founding member of Northern Virginia RFC. Primarily a back row player (#8 and wing forward), he played games in every position except hooker. He played back in the old days when there weren’t any subs and teams played two full seasons per year. In his 13 playing years, he was proud to play with and against several USA Eagles and two USA Eagles captains.

During his playing days, Coach Shropshire also coached Mount Vernon High School Rugby for 2 years, leading them to a 15-1 record in the second year and an unofficial claim to HS East Coast Champions. Many of those players went on to college and club careers.

After arriving in Columbia, Coach Shropshire had been away from rugby, though last year he joined Coach Morris as an assistant for the Spring Valley High School Rugby Club. Now at USC, Coach Shropshire looks to continue working with Coach Morris in preparing USC’s newer players for their transition to Division I.

A native of Pensylvania, Leif Hoagland played collegiate rugby for Penn State for several years. Primarily a loose head prop, he occasionally played tight head and lock when needed. During his days at Penn State, the club made it to the national tournament each year, with appearances at the Final Four in both '94 & '95. Following his undergraduate studies, Coach Hoagland moved to South Carolina in 1996 to pursue his Masters in Chiropractic. In 2002, Coach Hoagland, along with his wife, Sharon, opened the Richland Chiropractic Center, which they continue to operate to this day.

Still possessing a love for the sport after more than 13 years, Coach Hoagland joined the Spring Valley High School Rugby Club as an assistant coach for the 2009 season. Working primarily with the forwards, Coach Hoagland assisted head coach Mark Morris and the team in claiming their third Multi-School State Championship in as many years.

Beginning in the spring of 2010, Coach Hoagland will be joining the coaching staff at USC to serve in the newly formed position of Strength & Conditioning Coach. With an extensive background in competitive power lifting, both as a competitor and as a training partner for several national champions, Coach Hoagland will be overseeing the health and fitness regiments of one of the nation's largest and fastest growing clubs.

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