Former South Carolina football coach Will Muschamp agreed to a lesser buyout than his contract called for, but the payment arrangements came out in his favor. Muschamp agreed to lower his buyout, which was scheduled to be paid out over the life of his contract, in favor of one lump sum.

According to Steve Berkowitz of USA Today on his Twitter account, the fired Gamecocks head coach agreed to be paid $12.9 million on or before December 31, 2020. He was due to be paid $15.3 million over the life of the contract, which was paid monthly through December 31, 2024. Berkowitz tweeted that the arrangement is “a complete compromise of matters involving disputed issues of law and fact.”

Assuming that the school has paid out that lump sum, which was due just over three weeks ago, the South Carolina athletics department will no longer owe Muschamp any money.

Muschamp’s buyout became an even bigger topic of conversation in December when it was revealed that all parties never signed an addendum to his contract in January 2020 that would have eliminated the escalator clause in his deal. Had that addendum been signed, the school would have owed Muschamp approximately $3 million less than the $15.3 million figure.

The reason the contract went unsigned was because Muschamp requested to remove the escalator clause to get former running backs coach Thomas Brown more money in his contract. Brown, however, left shortly after the agreement was made and the documents were never signed.

Muschamp was fired after seven games this season with his team sitting at a 2-5 record. The Gamecocks finished the season 2-8 with three straight losses under interim head coach Mike Bobo.

Muschamp finished his career at South Carolina with a 28-30 overall record with the Gamecocks and a 17-22 mark in the Southeastern Conference.

A defensive-minded coach who built his career on being a coordinator on that side of the football for LSU, Auburn and Texas, Muschamp oversaw a defense this year allowing 464.4 yards per game, which was 12th in the SEC at the time of his firing, and 36.7 points per game, which is one spot from the bottom in the league.

South Carolina had three coaches leave after the hiring of new head coach Shane Beamer and the trio – including Bobo, defensive line coach Tracy Rocker and offensive line coach Will Friend – owed the school in total $250,000.