COLUMBIA, S.C. — Steve Spurrier has compiled, since his first job at Duke in 1980, lists of ideas and philosophies that make sense to him.



Until the end of his coaching career, he regularly consulted a typed list of more than 30 pointers Blue Devils head coach Red Wilson handed out to that 1980 Blue Devils coaching staff (Spurrier was offensive coordinator). Spurrier since has kept similarly typed notes from the suggestions of people as varied as former UCLA head basketball coach John Wooden and ancient Hunnic king Atilla the Hun on any subject he believes corresponds with winning.



He was thinking a lot, particularly, about Atilla in 2015 when he walked away from South Carolina’s football team midway through the season.



“Let me talk about the word quit,” Spurrier said midway through a two-hour conversation.



Spurrier coached the Gamecocks for 10 1/2 seasons. Those years included the best stretch in the school’s football...