LEESBURG, V.A. -- The Ol' Ball Coach zigged when he was expected to zag today when he announced that he won't be the new head coach at South Carolina after all.

"I've had a change of heart," Spurrier says in a written statement released to the press at 1PM ET. He gives no indication whether he has reconsidered returning to his alma mater, where he won six SEC titles and a national championship in 12 years.

Speculation is running rampant that this decision was based in large part by the announcement last week by Augusta National chariman Hootie Johnson that there were no plans to offer Spurrier membership to the home of the Masters. Johnson played fullback for the Gamecocks in the early 1950s, and Spurrier's love for golf is widely known. The melee at the end of Saturday's game between South Carolina and Clemson may have also played a factor.

Officials from South Carolina's athletic department refused to comment saying, "Coach [Lou] Holtz has only officially resigned this weekend. There will be a lengthy interview process in order to find a qualified replacement."

Spurrier's statement points a finger at the role the internet plays in helping coaching rumors get out of control. "I've seen where I'm supposed to be coaching four different teams next year. On these message boards, everyone knows someone who knows someone that told them what's going to happen. I don't even know where I'm going to be next year, how is my brother's mechanic supposed to know?"