Pough’s career at South Carolina State started long before he first picked up a coaching position. Pough played for the team from 1971 - 1974 as an offensive lineman. Even as a player he proved to be a winner as he was a senior member of the school’s first conference championship winning team.
That was just the beginning of his journey.
In 1979 Pough became an assistant coach for South Carolina State. He served in the position until 1988, ending his assistant coaching job with four consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships.
Pough finally took over as the head coach of his alma mater in 2002 and has held the position for over 20 seasons. Along with his impressive tenure comes an impressive resume. Pough holds an overall 146 - 88 record, eight MEAC championships and three MEAC Coach of the Year awards.
A winning record and championships aren’t all Pough has. His legacy is in the dozens of players' lives he’s transformed by helping them go pro like Shaquille Leonard and Javon Hargrave.
Oliver “Buddy” Pough has already cemented himself as one of the best HBCU football coaches of all time but his story doesn't end there. With over 20 years under his belt, who knows what he can accomplish with 20 more.