Shane Beamer Reveals Behind-The-Scenes Story Of How He Landed South Carolina Head Coaching Job

Fans are expecting South Carolina to take the next step in 2023. And that's largely thanks to the work of head coach Shane Beamer.

Entering his third season with the Gamecocks, Beamer has turned the football program around. And sitting down with analyst Adam Breneman this week, Beamer shed some light on the night he got the job — a night the coach will "never forget."

"I'm on the edge of my seat 'cause it’s a big thing," he said. "I mean, you see him calling, you realize your life is about to change one way or another."

At the time, Beamer was the Assistant Head Coach at the University of Oklahoma. He'd been coaching college ball since his days as a graduate assistant in 2000.

"Phone rang about 9 o’clock. It was Ray Tanner, the athletic director here at South Carolina," Beamer said. He made small talk for about four or five minutes about college football that day."

Kept him waiting!

"And then finally he said, 'Well, are you ready to do this thing?'" Beamer recalled. "And I told him, I said, ‘I’ve been waiting for a long time to hear you say that.' Didn’t take me long to accept.

(Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Shane Beamer revived the South Carolina football program.

Beamer, 46, inherited a 2-8 program after the 2020 season and led a Gamecocks' resurgence. South Carolina was also 4-8 in 2019 under Will Muschamp.

The Gamecocks finished 7-6 with a 3-5 SEC mark in 2021.

Under Beamer, South Carolina proudly played the spoiler role in 2022. The Gamecocks knocked off No. 5 Tennessee, 63-38, and No. 8 Clemson, 31-30 — ruining College Football Playoff hopes for both teams.

South Carolina finished with an overall record of 8-5.

The Gamecocks have made significant strides on the recruiting trail and by utilizing the transfer portal, while Beamer has solidified himself as one of the rising young coaches in the SEC. Plus, he's a fan favorite.

After the way 2022 ended, it's clear Beamer is figuring out a way to take over the state of South Carolina — one recruit, one speech, one practice at a time.