Petty Named To Football Coaching Staff
December 09, 2004 | Football
Prior to his appointment at ECU, Petty served as a graduate assistant coach who worked primarily with the quarterbacks at South Carolina in 2004, helping the Gamecocks to a top 50 national rank in rushing offense (168.7 yards per game) while averaging 368.9 total yards per contest.
After completing a notable four-year playing career at South Carolina which ended in January, 2002, Petty was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Hammond High School in Columbia, S.C. during the 2003 season.
"Phil's an exceptionally bright and energetic young coach who I feel will do a great job in many facets of our program," said Holtz. "We are extremely fortunate that, because of his knowledge and experience on the offensive side of the ball, he gives us a lot of flexibility within our staff since he has the ability to coach a couple of different positions."
Petty was a three-year starter at quarterback under Holtz's tutelage at South Carolina where he developed into one of the winningest quarterbacks in recent Southeastern Conference history, leading the Gamecocks to 17 victories in his last 23 starts, including back-to-back Outback Bowl wins over Ohio State in 2001 (24-7) and 2002 (31-28). He garnered Outback Bowl MVP honors after a 227-yard, two touchdown passing performance against the Buckeyes during the 2002 matchup.
He was a finalist for the prestigious Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as a senior while his leadership skills earned him a selection by his peers as South Carolina's team captain in 2001.
During his last two successful seasons, Petty completed 306-of-547 passes for 4,079 yards and 17 touchdowns while leading South Carolina to a combined 17-7 record in 2000 and 2001. He threw for 2,110 yards in 2000, helping the Gamecocks to an 8-4 mark which officially completed the greatest single-season turnaround in NCAA Division I-A history after an 0-11 campaign in 1999.
Upon the completion of his collegiate career, Petty signed a free agent contract with the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League.
Petty earned his bachelor's degree in retail management from South Carolina in December, 2001.
Petty is the third official hire for the newly-appointed Holtz, joining defensive line coach Donnie Thompson and offensive line coach Steve Shankweiler on the Pirates' staff.
