WRAL Sports Fan

Hyman candid on UNC, staying at South Carolina

By Erin Summers
Sep 22, 2011

South Carolina athletic director Eric Hyman joined 107.5 The Game in Columbia for his weekly radio hit Thursday, and this week the subject turned to North Carolina.

The University of North Carolina made it known this week that Hyman was their target to replace current AD Dick Baddour, but Hyman made a statement Wednesday that he was staying at South Carolina.

"I was honored that there was interest from the University of North Carolina," Hyman said on The Game, "but quite frankly I was never planning on leaving the University of South Carolina." 

Hyman cited that there is more work to be done at SC, he enjoys the people that he works with and his loyalty lies there.

"You have a soft spot for the university where you went to school. But the people who are not in the business really don’t understand this, ...I loved the education I received I enjoyed my experience there, but since I’ve left there I’ve competed against them an awful lot," Hyman said. "It takes great amount of satisfaction if you’re in the business, you really enjoy being able to have success against your alma mater because you know a lot of people there."

But it wasn't just his opinion that he took into account.

"I worked at NC State for Todd Turner and when we worked at NC State, my children hate the University of North Carolina because they're Wolfpack," Hyman said. "They grew up a Wolfpack, my wife and I are North Carolina, it was really strange and when they heard some of the issues about North Carolina come up on the radar screen they were both the biggest advocate to stay at South Carolina. At that age in their development, they grew up with NC State folks and they love NC State and they can’t stand North Carolina it’s just crazy.