Spurrier: Reports on UNC's Blake not 'very surprising'

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Tuesday that he wasn't surprised about reports that NCAA investigators are looking into University of North Carolina assistant coach John Blake's connection with sports agent Gary Wichard.

"Let me just say this: When you've been in coaching as long as I have, we know the reputation of almost all the coaches out there that have been around a long time," Spurrier told The (Columbia) State newspaper. "So I guess what I would say is that article's not very surprising. That's about the least I should say about it. We all have a reputation, especially guys who've coached 20 years or so. It's hard to hide whatever your reputation is."

The NCAA is conducting investigations into allegations of impermissible contact between sports agents and college football players at several schools, including UNC and Spurrier's program. Last month, NCAA investigators interviewed an undisclosed number of players, including Tar Heel senior defensive tackle Marvin Austin and senior wide receiver Greg Little.

Investigators were back on UNC's campus last week.

South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders, son of (Raleigh) News & Observer metro columnist Barry Saunders, also has been interviewed by the NCAA.

Reached by telephone last week, Wichard said he would not comment about his relationship with Blake because he said Blake is involved in the investigation at UNC.

Wichard is a longtime acquaintance of Blake's.

-- Staff reports