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**Conway Celebrates Coastal Carolina’s College World Series Run with a Unique Mascot**

**CONWAY, SC –** As of 3:31 PM on June 22, 2025, Conway City Hall is awash in teal and bronze, proudly displaying Coastal Carolina University decorations as the baseball team continues its impressive run in the College World Series. The city’s excitement highlights not just the team’s success, but also the unique story behind the University’s mascot: the Chanticleer.

But why the rooster?

Connie Smith, a Coastal Carolina alumna and local high school teacher for more than 30 years, has always had a soft spot for the Chanticleer, a character plucked from Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales.” The Chanticleer is no ordinary bird; he’s a proud, cunning rooster who outwits a fox in “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale.”

The inspiration for the mascot came from former Coastal Carolina English professor and basketball coach, Cal Maddox, who sought a distinctive symbol for the school when it was transitioning from a two-year satellite campus of the University of South Carolina (whose teams were called the Trojans) in the early 1960s. Maddox passed away in 2014 at age 79. While some suggested aligning with USC’s Gamecocks, Coastal Carolina opted for something different.

“You see so many Tigers and Bears,” said Chance Miller, who oversees Coastal athletics. “This is a unique story. And to have a mascot that’s from a fabled tale with a unique brand and a unique color in teal, that’s really cool and that’s something that’s special about Coastal.”

Despite the team’s recent success, pronunciation remains a challenge. “Everybody say it with me, Chanticleers, Chanticleers,” said baseball coach Kevin Schnall this week during a news conference. “Not Shant-i-cleers.”

The university takes pride in its mascot and its origins. As Miller put it, “We have the ability to write our future…Here we can write new stories. Or at least make good use of an old one.”

With clear skies and a low of 74°F expected tonight, the city’s celebration is set to continue, fueled by the team’s performance and the enduring appeal of their literary mascot.

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