Like with many positions, it can be said that a head coach is only as good as his assistants. If that’s the case, then Darrin Horn and the South Carolina basketball team are on a solid road to success.

Horn announced the hiring of former USC point guard Michael Boynton last week as a member of the basketball coaching staff. Boynton has been on staffs at Furman, Wofford and Coastal Carolina — under former coach Buzz Peterson — since his graduation from South Carolina.

“No one could bring more love and passion for the Gamecocks than Michael,” Horn said. “He not only played here, but he has recruited the state and truly wants to be part of our program. He was a key player here the last time the program was where we wanted it to be — in the NCAA tournament.”

Boynton played from 2000-2004 and averaged 9.9 points and dished out 3.3 assists per game in his senior season, when USC lost to Memphis in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Usually, the hiring of an assistant isn’t the biggest deal in the world. But, the USC program should be pretty pleased with itself on this hire.

Knowing Boynton from his playing days, I can’t recall a recent player I’ve admired more. There was an obvious air of leadership that surrounded Boynton on the court.

He always played like an extension of the coach. He held his teammates to high standards, orchestrated the offense and defense and always hustled, no matter what the score or outcome.

Boynton was never a prolific scorer good enough for the NBA, but his ability to get everyone involved and play all-out defense on every play earned him respect around the league.

It sounds cliché, but Boynton really did put the team above himself.

Like many youth aspiring to live basketball dreams, growing up wasn’t so easy. Boynton was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., surrounded by the realities of a rough life. Boynton said basketball was always his escape, and he used it to land a scholarship to South Carolina, away from that life.

Unfortunately, it also put Boynton away from his family, including his young daughter. But, Boynton knew he needed to make a better life for them. And as much as it hurt him to be so far from his daughter, he knew education and basketball was the ticket. And it’s paying off.

I still remember running into Boynton after writing a feature on him before the start of the 2003-04 season. The mild-mannered kid thanked me for the article, saying it represented him and his family well. I could see how important that aspect of his life was to him.

Now, he’s back in the family at South Carolina, and the Gamecocks get the same respectful and intelligent young man to help mold the future players of USC basketball.

They couldn’t be in better hands.