The South Carolina football coaching search is now six days old after the Gamecocks parted ways with head football coach Will Muschamp on Sunday, seven games into his fifth season in Columbia.
There's already been plenty of movement behind the scenes as the South Carolina administration does its due diligence on each candidate and we've kept you up to date with daily news on the search.
Below is a snapshot of where we believe things currently stand. While it's not a complete list of names that you would see internally at South Carolina, all of these names have been vetted and provided by actual sources to confirm interest on the South Carolina end. We will update the hot board as the info changes.
The profiles are in alphabetical order.
Want to get caught up on the latest on the search? Our Coaching Search Central landing page will always have the absolute latest including a Sunday night update!
Shane Beamer
Currently: Oklahoma, Assistant Head Coach for Offense, Tight Ends and H-Backs
Resume: Hired at Oklahoma in January 2018 as assistant head coach for offense (coaching tight ends and H-backs) after serving the 2016 and ’17 seasons as special teams coordinator and tight ends coach at Georgia. In addition to his OU offensive coaching responsibilities, also plays a role in overseeing special teams. Served as associate head coach and running backs coach at Virginia Tech for five years (2011-15) and was an assistant coach at South Carolina (2007-10) and Mississippi State (2004-06).
Why it makes sense: Born in Charleston, Beamer was at South Carolina from 2007-10 under Steve Spurrier and impressed higher-ups at the time with his ability and organization skills. He'd likely bring a Lincoln Riley-style offense to Columbia and has obviously coached under Riley, Spurrier and his father Frank Beamer. Shane Beamer would bring a CEO-style approach and would likely be able to build a strong staff due to the respect he's earned in the coaching community.
Reasons for concern: Is he ready for an SEC job? Beamer hasn't been a head coach or even an offensive or defensive coordinator. Most who know him have always known he'd be a head coach one day, but there's always some inherent risk in hiring a guy who hasn't experienced it yet.
The Latest (11/20): As we've reported on The Insiders Forum in our daily updates, Beamer has the support of several prominent former players and boosters and he's gained traction in the search as the week has progressed. The admin is intrigued by his organization skills, energy, and plan for the job considering his ties to the state and program. There are more details in this update and this update. Beamer is firmly in the mix and his name isn't going away.
