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South Carolina will have a new face on the defensive side of the ball in 2015 as veteran coach Jon Hoke is set to join the USC staff, sources tell GamecockCentral.com, barring a large reversal in plans. Hoke's projected title at South Carolina is not known at this time, but the 58-year old is set to begin work as early as later this week in Columbia if all works out. A contract has not been signed, but should be discussed later this week.

The USC Board of Trustees will hold a called meeting at 3:00 pm. Thursday and a "Contractual Matter: Athletic Employment Agreement" is on the docket.

Steve Spurrier has said multiple times in recent weeks that he was looking to add a coach to the Carolina staff. Hoke has been a target since at least December, as GamecockCentral.com first mentioned Hoke's name in connection with a job in Columbia that month. On January 17, GamecockCentral.com called him the "top candidate" to become an addition to the Gamecock staff. Sources indicate Hoke also had other opportunities to join NFL staffs this offseason.

Hoke has worked for Spurrier before, serving as his defensive coordinator at Florida from 1999 until 2001 after Bob Stoops took the head coaching job at Oklahoma. During his offseason search on the defensive side of the ball, Spurrier zeroed in on Hoke, who he also pursued at USC after taking the head job in 2004 and again in 2007. This time around, Spurrier got his man.

Hoke has spent the past six seasons as the secondary coach for the NFL's Chicago Bears and prior to that served in the same capacity for the Houston Texans. At the college level Hoke has also been on staff at Dayton, NC State, Bowling Green, San Diego State, Kent State, and Missouri. The Ohio native has been in the mix for NFL defensive coordinator posts in the past as well. In January 2012, the Minnesota Vikings expressed interest in interviewing Hoke for its vacant defensive coordinator position but the Bears declined the request. A similar request by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was granted. The previous year, Hoke interviewed for the same position with the Philadelphia Eagles.

In Hoke's three seasons in Gainesville, the Gator defense never finished worse than 29th nationally in scoring defense. In 2001, the Gators ranked fifth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 14.1 points per game.