Jon Melia Takes Over as South Carolina Football’s Head Athletic Trainer

For the first time in 18 seasons, South Carolina football will have a new head Athletic Trainer on the sideline.

Jon Melia joined the Gamecocks in June after spending the past three seasons in a similar role at Tulane. Head coach Shane Beamer praised Melia and the athletic training staff as South Carolina prepared for preseason camp.

“Jon has come in and hit the ground running, and he and his staff did a great job — Kelsey Hounshell and Jared Muth and Josh Fike — and the work that they’ve put in,” Beamer said during USC Media Day.

Before joining Tulane, Melia spent five years at Arkansas, first as an assistant Athletic Trainer and later as associate Athletic Trainer. The Rogers, Arkansas, native earned two degrees from Arkansas and also completed an internship with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns.

Melia succeeds Clint Haggard, although Haggard isn’t leaving South Carolina. In May, he was promoted to Executive Associate AD/Sports Performance and Wellness, putting him in charge of sports medicine across the university. He also serves as an adjunct instructor in South Carolina’s Athletic Training Education Program.

“Now he’s over all of sports medicine here at the university, which is an awesome honor for him,” Beamer said.

Haggard became South Carolina football’s head Athletic Trainer in 2010 under Steve Spurrier and remained in the position throughout the Will Muschamp era and the first five seasons under Beamer.

With Melia now leading football sports medicine and Haggard stepping into a broader leadership position, South Carolina enters the new season with changes to its athletic training leadership at both the team and department levels. Read the full story here!