Back in December of last year, Maurice Drayton landed his first head coaching opportunity at The Citadel.
Accepting the job meant a return to the place he played previously, started his coaching career, and would go on to serve as both special teams coordinator and defensive coordinator during two previous stints with the program.
It was during his second return, where he had an opportunity to run the defense, that Drayton shared with Post and Courier that he began to think that he would some day like to lead the program.
He would leave The Citadel for an opportunities in the NFL, first with the Colts as special teams coordinator for two seasons, and then the Packers as an assistant special teams coach in 2018 before being elevated to special teams coordinator in 2021. He spent the 2022 season as an assistant special teams coach for the Raiders before returning to lead The Citadel.
Drayton accepted the job excited to lead the program into the future, but his phone rang a few weeks later with an enticing opportunity.
According to that Post and Courier article, Drayton got a call from an NFL team with a job offer less than a month after he accepted The Citadel job where he was set to make about $300,000 per year.
The NFL offer was a four-year, guaranteed contract worth nearly $5 million.
Timing aside, most coaches wouldn't have to think too long about that, but most guys also haven't been around guiding principles The Citadel uses like Drayton has.
Believing in principles like duty, honor, and respect, Drayton shared that he didn't have to think about it for too long when combined with his love for the area.
“I am a man of my word. That’s the way my parents raised me. This is home to me. I love this school. I love the city of Charleston, the Lowcountry and, of course, Moncks Corner," he shared.
“This is what they do around here, they build principled leaders. I had made a commitment to the administration, to the players, to the recruits we signed, and I am going to follow through it.”
The decision to not return to the NFL for a lot more money (and security) showed AD Mike Capaccio that they had the right man for the job.
The list of guys that turn down that type of opportunity with the NFL are typically in place at their dream job, but Drayton isn't ready to say leading his alma mater is that just yet,
“I don’t know that I have a dream job. I try to keep my feet where they are at the moment and not get too far ahead of myself."
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.