Steve Taneyhill, South Carolina football quarterback great, dies at 52

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(This is a breaking news story and was updated with new information)

COLUMBIA — Former South Carolina football legendary quarterback Steve Taneyhill has died at age 52, the Spartanburg County coroner's office confirmed to The Greenville News on Dec. 15.

The coroner's office could not confirm cause of death or date Taneyhill died.

South Carolina confirmed his death shortly after, writing "Taneyhill was known for his iconic mullet hair and his 'home run swing' after touchdown passes," in an email.

Taneyhill was a star for the Gamecocks from 1992-95 and led South Carolina to its first bowl game win in 1995 at the Carquest Bowl with a 24-21 victory over West Virginia.

Taneyhill was named Freshman of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 1992.

He is first in program history in attempts (58) and completions (39) in a single game, and is first in career completions with 753 and passing touchdowns with 62. He's second in passing yards in a game, with 473 against Mississippi State on Oct. 14, 1995, and career passing yards with 8,782.

In Taneyhill's four seasons, he went 753-for-1245 (60.5%) for 8,782 passing yards, 62 touchdowns with only 37 interceptions. He had eight total games with 300-plus passing yards and 22 games with over 200 passing yards.

Steve Taneyhill, South Carolina QB, dies at 52

Originally from Pennsylvania, Taneyhill got into coaching at the high school level in South Carolina after college.

He coached at Cambridge Academy in Greenwood, South Carolina, and Chesterfield High School where he won three consecutive state championships from 2007-09. He was also coach at Union High School for four seasons (2012-15).

He was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 2006 class.

Taneyhill owned two restaurants/bars in Columbia, Group Therapy and CB18 (18 a nod to his college jersey number). He also owned Prime Restaurant and Whiskey Lounge in Spartanburg which was open from 2022-24.

South Carolina TE coach Shawn Elliott reacts to Steve Taneyhill's death

Not long after the news broke, current South Carolina football tight ends coach Shawn Elliott posted a message on X in response to Taneyhill's death.

"All I know is I sure would’ve love to have had the chance to walk in a huddle with him. RIP my friend. You’ll be missed," Elliott wrote.

Stephen Garcia, Patrick DiMarco on Steve Taneyhill's passing

Former South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia and former fullback Patrick DiMarco posted a joint statement on social media regarding Taneyhill's death. The two are co-hosts of the Tailgate Talks podcast which spotlights different members of the Gamecocks community, including former and current players, and staff.

The post included a photo from their interview with Taneyhill in an episode filmed in August 2024.

"The Gamecock family is hurting today as we mourn the loss of Steve Taneyhill — a true Gamecock in every sense of the word. Steve didn’t just play the game, he poured his heart into it. Every snap, every hit, every moment, he gave everything he had to this program and to the Carolina faithful.

His love for the Gamecocks didn’t end when the pads came off — he continued to show up, give back, and pour into others with the same passion he played with. Steve represented grit, loyalty, and an unwavering pride in Garnet & Black. His spirit will forever echo through Williams-Brice Stadium, in the roar of the crowd, and in the hearts of everyone who loves this program. Rest easy, Steve. Thank you for giving us everything. Your legacy will never fade."

Neither played directly with Taneyhill, as Garcia was quarterback from 2007-11 and DiMarco played from 2007-10.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky‪@bylulukesin.bsky.social‬

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Steve Taneyhill dies at 52. South Carolina QB star led first bowl win

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