‘We would love them just for the mullets’: ESPN’s Ryan McGee talks Chants ahead of ‘GameDay’

CONWAY, S.C. (WMBF) – Ryan McGee is enamored with the Chanticleers.

The co-host of ESPN’s “Marty and McGee” talked all things Coastal Carolina University on Friday, one day before “College GameDay” takes over Teal Nation and the Chants clash with BYU at Brooks Stadium.

For McGee, what appeals to him about the Chanticleers is, “they just know how to have fun.”

“We would love them just for the mullets, we would love them just for the orchestrated, WWE locker room celebrations,” McGee said. “We would love them just for their funky offense that they run in the turf. We would love them for just one of those things. When you add them all together, and put it just near Myrtle Beach, that’s our team, man.”

McGee and Marty Smith were among the first national pundits to show support for the Chanticleers.

In October, McGee wrote an article about the history of the Coastal Carolina football program.

The two have repeatedly expounded on their love for the Chanticleers on their show, calling Coastal Carolina the “official team of Marty and McGee.”

For McGee, the Chants aren’t just fun to watch; they’re also the real deal.

“I think a month ago, when they were like 5-0 and they cracked the top 25 but yet there are still chunks of college football that aren’t even playing games yet, it just felt like a great story,” McGee said. “But as November rolled along and as we hit December, I think everyone around the nation realized this isn’t just a great story, this isn’t quirky, this is a really good football team.”

The game pits two non-Power Five teams against each other, each trying to gain national attention and prove they belong in the conversation. For McGee, that’s the top storyline of Saturday’s game.

“For me, it is the non-Power Five teams fighting for respect with the College Football Playoffs Selection Committee, with the college football community in general,” McGee said. :So I’m excited about what’s happening now but I’m really excited to see what this means to the non-Power Five teams and that obviously includes Coastal and BYU.”

This weekend’s game between No. 18 Coastal and No. 13 BYU came together very quickly. Because of that, McGee is putting other programs on notice.

“Hey, I don’t want to hear anything from any athletic director anymore about we had to schedule this game for 2028. No, you don’t have to do that. You can schedule a game for a week from now because I’ve seen you do it,” he said.

Saturday’s matchup will air on ESPNU, but fans are calling for a change and McGee agrees.

“When I walk into the TV compound on Saturday, I’m immediately going to be calling my bosses going, ‘Are you sure this game isn’t better than the game that’s on that other channel?’” he said.

So who does McGee think will come out on top? The answer may be surprising.

“I think it’s a push. I’m assuming most people think BYU will have it because they are BYU, and Coastal still feels like a cute story,” he said. “But this game’s at home, and GameDay’s in town, and that triple options funky offense is going to be in full effect so I’m kind of leaning Chanticleers.”

Watch the full interview with McGee above.

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