Boo Major, South Carolina’s longest-tenured head coach, is retiring

The longest tenured coaching at the University of South Carolina is hanging it up.

Gamecocks equestrian coach Boo Major is retiring after 26 seasons, the school announced on Thursday.

Major was the longest-tenured head coach in South Carolina athletics after former track & field head coach Curtis Frye retired in June. She was the longest-tenured women’s sports coach, too.

“I have mixed emotions about retiring,” Major said in a school release. “On one hand I’m excited to do some things I have put off for 26 years. On the other hand, I am sad to be stepping back from a job that taught me so much about myself and others. I will miss the student-athletes the most and watching them develop during their time in college. It has been so rewarding. I hope to continue to help the equestrian program through fundraising and any ‘behind the scenes’ they’ll let me do. I am so appreciative of our wonderful staff (past and present) who have done amazing things over the years.”

“I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this program. It will be bright! As always, thanks to Ray Tanner, Eric Hyman and Mike McGee for giving me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. What a ride!”

With Major’s retirement, that means USC women’s soccer coach Shelley Smith is the longest tenured coach at the school. Smith just wrapped up her 24th season in the fall.

Major led the Gamecocks to three National Collegiate Equestrian Association championships (2005, 2007, 2015), three consecutive NCEA Hunter Seat National Championships (2005, 2006, 2007), one Southern Equestrian Championship (2012), and two Southeastern Conference Championships (2013, 2014).

Major was the first USC head coach to win back-to-back SEC Championships and was. the first Gamecocks coach to win three national championships. Dawn Staley tied that mark this year, leading the Gamecocks women’s basketball team to their third national title.

Major also coached USC’s Kristen Terebesi, who became the first and only rider in NCEA history to win two individual National Championships (in the Flat and Fences events) in a single season.

The Gamecocks were a No. 7 seed at this year’s NCEA tournament and lost to Southern Methodist in the first round.

“Boo Major is truly a great Gamecock and exemplifies the spirit of the Garnet and Black,” USC athletic director Ray Tanner said in a release. “She has a passion and love for Carolina, a desire to win in the arena and a commitment to use intercollegiate athletics to develop young women into champions. I congratulate Coach Major on a fantastic career and wish her the best in retirement.”

Major, a USC graduate, became the second coach in program history in 1988, replacing Janet Brown. At the helm, she has seen the program and the sport continued to grow. She wore her NCEA Championship ring every meet and still told funny stories from previous seasons on bus or plane rides to different competitions.

“This turned into the most ideal job I could ever ask for,” Major told The State in 2023. “So, it’s been a journey but I don’t regret any of it.”