This season has not gone according to plan for South Carolina, and the step backward from last year’s breakthrough under coach Shane Beamer lends itself to uncertainty about the future of the program’s leadership. The most recent loss in a 3-4 start to the campaign, Saturday’s 26-7 defeat to No. 13 Oklahoma, brought renewed conjecture over whether Beamer is long for the job or whether he may seek an escape — particularly at Virginia Tech, where his father, Frank, was a coaching icon.
The Hokies job opened earlier this season, and Beamer’s name immediately arose as a theoretical candidate. The fifth-year Gamecocks coach brushed it off last month when asked about the vacancy, and he doubled down Saturday on his commitment to South Carolina.
“I have conveyed publicly many times how much I want to be here,” Beamer said after the loss to OU. “I respect you asking the question. I understand you asking it. I’m not mad. This is my dream job. I said that when I came here. Nothing has changed. I’m pissed off at the way we’re performing right now. And it’s not acceptable. I came here to win a championship and right now, we’re not getting it done. My focus is getting it fixed. Last year, we were two points away from being in the College Football Playoff, and I’m working my rear end off to get us back to where we’re in that mix. That’s the same thing I told my football team today.”
A potential move to Virginia Tech should not be counted out despite Beamer’s stated commitment to the Gamecocks, according to CBS Sports’ Richard Johnson and Chris Hummer. Beamer’s name was a popular one in previous Virginia Tech coaching searches following his father’s retirement at the end of the 2015 season, and the chatter will likely continue until the Hokies find their next coach.
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Beamer logged two winning seasons in his first three years at South Carolina and peaked last year when he won nine games and knocked on the door of the CFP. The Gamecocks entered this year at No. 13 in the preseason AP Top 25, but they are now on pace to finish under .500 after losing four of five games to start SEC play.
“I’m not happy where we are right now, and I’m determined to get it fixed,” said Beamer. “We’re in a storm right now that I’m going to get us out of.”
Beamer would owe South Carolina $5 million if he terminates his contract this year. That buyout drops by $1 million annually through the end of his deal in 2030. That language is part of the extension he signed at the end of last season, which pays him over $8 million annually.
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