Gamecocks expected to name Montario Hardesty new running backs coach

South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer is closing in on completing his inaugural staff.

Current Charlotte wide receivers coach and former Tennessee running back Montario Hardesty is expected to be named the Gamecocks' new running backs coach, sources tell Gamecock Central.

Hardesty will replace Des Kitchings who last week accepted the Atlanta Falcons running backs coach position.

The former NFL running back spent the last two seasons at Charlotte after spending a season as an offensive quality control coach at Tennessee.

In 2017, Hardesty was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Florida Atlantic for his former college coach, Lane Kiffin.

He spent two years as running backs coach and special teams coordinator at Norfolk State (2015, 2016).

A native of New Bern, N.C., Hardesty got his coaching start at Chowan University, where he served as an intern in 2014 under the NFL Players Association internship program before joining the staff at Norfolk State.

He played at Tennessee from 2005-09 and earned second-team all-SEC honors as a senior. He scored 14 touchdowns and ranked fourth in the SEC in rushing. His 1,345 rushing yards still rank as the fourth-most in school history.

Hardesty played in 23 games with the Browns during the 2011 and 2012 seasons before he was placed on injured reserve for 2013 following arthroscopic knee surgery.