Buddy Pough needs four wins to become the all-time winningest coach at South Carolina State.
Pough enters his 18th season sitting on 125 victories. Former head coach Willie Jeffries, who won 128 games in two stops in Orangeburg, hopes Pough breaks the record in week four. For Jeffries, he wants his record to not only be broken, but smashed. He has had his day in the sun with seven MEAC championships on his resume. In 2001, Jeffries handed the keys to the Bulldog program to Pough, one of his former players who was an All-MEAC offensive lineman at S.C. State.
For Jeffries, he considers Pough a son and that relationship is why the legendary coach is ecstatic that it's Pough who will eventually inherit that title as the program's all-time wins leader.
"All parents want their children to do better than they did . Buddy is one of mine," Jeffries said.
"I'm pulling for him. He has another year, maybe more years. We don't know."
Jeffries was alluding to the recent situation involving Pough where it seemed that 2018 was going to be his last year. But the S.C. State administration extended the contract of the popular Pough through this year and Jeffries says the connection Pough has to the school extends beyond his job as the head football coach. He is essentially an ambassador for the school and remains one of the most well-known figures in the Southeast.
"He does everything at this school," Jeffries said.
"He goes to the tennis matches, basketball - men and women. track. Everywhere you go when we're having an affair on campus, Buddy is there. So, Buddy is well deserving and being from Neeses about eight miles out on Highway number 4, he is home grown."