
Following Spurrier: Six candidates to take over at South Carolina
Want a wild card? Beamer was a South Carolina assistant who served as Spurrier's recruiting coordinator during the program's high point. He left in 2011 to work for his dad, Frank, at Virginia Tech.
The downside is obviously the Hokies' recent record. If not for that, he just might be in line to replace his dad in Blacksburg.
But no one outside Columbia would know the ins and outs of the job better than the charismatic 38-year-old, who was born in Charleston.
I.... I don't know what to think about this. If he surrounds himself with top notch coordinators, he very well could be the next Dabo of the coaching world.
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I could support this.
If he does well there, he'd be a potential hire later at VT.
I don't see any SEC coach making a sideways move to the ACC if for no other reason than the SEC schools spend more on coaches than the ACC. The exception being if they were forced out of the SEC for being terrible, and then why would we want them anyways? (is Loeffler behind me?)
That would probably be true for most coaches. I think Shane might be an exception. I can see him wanting to follow Frank and take VT to a national championship.
I don't think he's ready to make a leap to a P5 head coaching job, though.
USC-e is just meh as a job. USC-e to VT is a pretty lateral move, mostly because being in the SEC is becoming less of a game changer playoff spot wise. Money wise it's still pretty big.
I was thinking maybe the North Texas job, or UCF or I mean if he wants to play down a level LOLUVA.
Talk about crash and burn, then pissed on top of situation. If Shane is given the reigns to this high profile of a job as his first HC job and then not succeed it could cause some serious damage to his future in football. I really hope he get a chance at a non power 5 team and develops himself there first. Hate to see the guy shell shocked from a high pressured job right out the gate.
Is USC(e) a high profile position? I know Spurrier being there made it high profile, but prior to him they had one 10 win season and had 3 with the HBC. Not sure that they are that high profile, outside of its SEC credentials that is.
I agree with what you're saying but I think he meant a non-P5 school
Don't forget about Dr. Lou. He is the one who turned the program around.
What USC has is $$, a strong football culture at the university, strong fan support across the state, and a recruiting base in SEC country.
What USC has is $$
Um if this is having money, then I am a billionaire.
Debt is not going to keep them or a lot of other schools from making a hire, it didn't stop Cincy.
the scary thing is football and basketball for some schools are the only two sports that bring in profit.. That profit then goes to fund a lot of the other sports..
So what are your thoughts on what kind of salary we'll be able to afford for Beamer's replacement?
3-4 million depending on assistants salaries.
Let's not forget that Lou went 33-37 at USCe. Including an 0-11 first year. YES, Winless. He never notched a 10 win season either n his 6 years there. And went to only 2 bowl games.
The school has never been to a major (Big-4, Fiesta, Rose, Sugar, Orange) bowl game, and are 8-12 all time. That included going 0-fer in bowl games prior to 1995.
And prior to the 2011 season, the school had never notched double digits in wins, ever.
They are second fiddle to Clemson in South Carolina, sorta like NCState is to UNC to the neighbor up north. And just because they belong to the $EC doesn't mean they have a pipeline. Sorta like Arkansas. Or Syracuse in the ACC...
Dr. Lou = cheater
I hope he gets it
He hasn't been a coordinator yet, and didn't ODU pass on him? He did a good job recruiting for SC, but his success in the Richmond area has tailed off the last few seasons.
I don't think Shane will go the coordinator route. I can't believe he would excel at either DC or OC. However I think he could follow the Dabo route. Never a coordinator, moved from position coach to Asst. HC. Be a good CEO more than tactician
Man reminds me of Dug ,the dog in up... during the games it seems like he has a short attention span with all those RB's subbing in and out. Could you imagine him in control of one side of the ball. It would be like Oprah giving away stuff.
You Go In! And You Go in, Your Turn, Oh can't forget about you!!!
He was special teams coordinator at USC I believe.
Nothing says he can't go back and be a top tier coordinator for the new coach...a step up from VT. If Whit goes out-of-house for a new VT coach, there's no guarantee that Shane has a job with said coach...
I'm not sure Shane's got what it takes to be a top-notch offensive coordinator. When you talk to Loeffler or hear him in interviews, football knowledge is leaking out of the guy's ears. When you do the same with Shane, he comes across more as the upper-level, program manager type. In that way, I see him as being very similar to Dabo. He's got enough football IQ to game plan and know the ins and outs of running a program, but his best fit is as the guy making good hires, establishing the culture of a program, closing on recruits, and all that stuff, not as the guy trying to outsmart Bud Foster or Kirby Smart.
(He doesn't have to be top notch to be given the job...)
But I do agree with you.
(And him given an opportunity at another school either seasons him for a potential return, or is a blessing that he left because he's not "there" and may never be.)
Why would he be the OFFENSIVE coordinator. He coached 4 All SEC DB's at MSST.
Then as DB's and LB's at SCAR in 2008 they had the 2nd best Pass D in the SEC. If anything I want to see him on the side of the ball he knows.
I agree, but he needs to get back on the Defensive side with ST's on the side too.
He contributed to some damn good SCAR D's and even before that had some good work with the DB's at MSST.
At this point in time, he is not a P5 head coach. He needs to demonstrate success at a high level before he sniffs a job like that.
He would be a Dabo hire. For example, should he follow Frank, if he holds onto Bud, and brings in a top of the line offensive coaching staff that he allows to run whatever offense they desire without interfering, and focuses his job on recruiting and fundraising, he could actually be an excellent head coach. He has the charisma and energy to pull it off. If he surrounds himself with top notch coaches, it can only end well for us.
something tells me (maybe it's Shane's attitude towards the RBs?) that if Shane succeeded Frank there would not be a massive offensive coaching overhaul
We would probably be the first to witness the "stable of offensive coordinators" coaching approach.
Brewer would make an excellent OC right outta the gate... Might as well bring back Glennon too.
Good call, last I heard he was just waiting for the phone to ring (from the NFL, that is)
We would probably be the first to witness the "stable of offensive coordinators" coaching approach.
At least you could have a new one every quarter.
FTFY
Ah, yes, a variation on the OCainSpring method.
sometimes seems like that's what we have now what with our "multiple formations"
I wonder if South Carolina has tried a running back rotation or by committee yet? If they haven't then they should at least give it a trial run before they consider Shane... just saying you know there is a connection. lol
The way for that to have been a possibility would have been for the rebuild to have been really successful, and an uptick in recruiting.
I'm sure it was what Frank Beamer was shooting for, but I don't see it happening.
My problem with Shane is he can't even tell his rbs bad news. How's he going to do that as a hc? Dabo is one of the few that jumped the oc route, but he can spot talent a mile away, and fires people when they don't do their job. Kevin Steel was an OK, not great DC, but was fired because Dabo wanted more (and it worked).
Shane can't even spot his best rb, and doesn't seem to have the heart or stomach to tell an upperclassman he's been passed.
Having a RB rotation is the OC's call.
How each should be used is the OC's call.
The RB coach carries out the plan the OC draws up.
There is no RB coach at VT or anywhere who defies his OC.
It is the OC's plan, whether RB by committee or a single feature back.
So, what exactly is your problem with Shane?
In the NFL this is 100% true.
In College football this is false we went over this a week ago. If the rotation of a skill player was chosen by Lefty we would see a rotation at WR and also TE. Lefty has said multiple times he would love to get Cam and Ford more rest, but he can't because we have limited 3rd WR's that can step in.
Shane's comments where he said he apologized to JC and Trey for not getting them the ball/more snaps clearly shows that he was the one making that decision therefore he felt the need to apologize. If he wasn't the one making the call why would he come out and apologize for something he has no control over?
I'm not saying Shane defies him, but based on how big beamer let's his assistants do game planning and choose starters, and how Foster lets Torrian pick his dbs at each position, I'd say Shane probably handles the general rotation. Loeffler might draw up a few plays that are player specific, but I doubt he's the one calling down to the field from the booth saying to rotate backs constantly.
The fact that the rotation we complain about only stopped when 1: massive injuries occurred or 2: big Beamer said he was stepping in (and Shane still came out afterwards saying he was apologizing to the other backs for not getting them touches) all point to him being the one who initially set the rotations.
As for what I have against him? Nothing personally. I just haven't seen anything that stands out to suggest he's a good coach. Other than being a nice guy who has lots of energy with the last name Beamer, what does he bring to the table that would suggest he'd be a good head coach?
Edit: removed some extraneous stuff
I do find it funny that this was written on the heels of Beamer's "interfering" turning the offense around at a critical point in the season.
1 game vs. many years of ineptitude?
Is it so much "interfering" when they guy that has been making the decisions the entire time makes a different decision?
I agree, I think Shane has a lot of upside. The perfect route for him would be to go be a HC at a non-p5 school and demonstrate that potential. That was probably the more logical route for Dabo as well.
That said, I would be strongly opposed to Shane being the next HC at VT. There are just too many options out there with less question marks to choose from. I hope Shane is the HC at VT someday, just not right after his dad. That would not end well.
I would agree he could be a Dabo hire. Not convinced the results would be similar. There is a lot to bringing in a top offensive staff. That is assuming Bud stays and that's all he has to worry about bringing on board.
Edit: sorry we are talking UsC-e and I am thinking Hokies. My bad
USCe will not go this route. Look for a Big Name Retread looking to restore their image, or an up and comer with HC experience. This team still considers itself a player in the SEC race (or did before HBC quit).
I imagined a funny situation that went like this
Assistant Coach: " I read somewhere that USC is planning on firing their coach."
Spurrier: "They won't get the chance, I QUIT!!!!!" **storms out slams door**
Assistant Coach: "I guess I should have mentioned USC West"
Agreed. This is a program that shelled out for Lou Holtz (back when he was considered something) and then Spurrier in an effort to contend in the SEC. Unless they had serious money issues and had to cut way back on the budget there is absolutely no way this happens.
so...Mack Brown on speed-dial, then?
Whatever it takes so that I don't have to listen to that ass clown call games anymore.
MottaPOOka.
Mispronouncing names is one thing. He straight up called McMillan "Williams" the entire game and only corrected himself late in the 4th. Did he have a copy of our 2014 depth chart?
That would be a crazy hire. I think Shane could make a great head coach some day. But his problem identifying and dealing with his failings as a RB coach suggests he has some more learning to do.
Granted, Frank has the same issue, ignoring problems for too long before taking action. But this is simply not a route to head coaching success, especially in today's world where fans and administrators demand immediate results.
Norfolk-N-Way.
Reminds me of our chants against Norfolk Catholic in high school.
Makes more sense when you know the local pronunciation.
Which would be the old Tidewater accent where it is pronounced "NorFUCK or NAWfick". No expletive intended on the first one. Anyone that been around especially the old timers there can confirm that.
Can confirm. Growing up in Norfolk, I don't think I ever actually pronounced the name of the city the way it's spelled. Whenever I hear someone say "NorFOLK" I cringe
Absolutely, it's the worst watching ODU games when they are on the TV.
Another one that drives me nuts is hearing folks pronounce Staunton VA as anything other that Stan-ten
Norfolk and chance.
It would be a major win for Shane just to get an interview at SC. But no way in hell does SC hire him. They're too smart for that. If he stumbles into a head coach gig this year, UCF is his ceiling.
If Lane Kiffin can get the jobs he's gotten with that resume, Shane can take Urban's job.
This will never happen.
Shane isn't ready for any P5 job, especially not a SEC one.
Next question.
SC is not a great job - despite what their fans think. Holtz and Spurrier had to rebuild the culture and I believe Spurrier set all of the school records for wins (so not much history of winning). South Carolina is a 2nd / 3rd tier SEC program and usually 2nd in the state to Clemson.
I agree they have way too much $$ to spend on coaches and will probably hire a big-name retread. For an up and comer, this is more of a stepping stone job or career killer. Shane would be lucky to land an interview but not sure its a successful situation for a 40 year old guy trying to progress to the top tier. A few years ago, I'd be worried about Foster interviewing but I think the shine on his resume may be wearing off - but still a concern.
This. South Carolina (and their fans even moreso) seem to have this image of that program as being some sort of player in college football.
If they wern't in the SEC, I can't think of one redeeming think about that job from a historical standpoint (beyond what Spurrier himself accomplished, which still isn't a whole lot beyond a good # of wins).
They feel pretty highly about themselves and will hire accordingly. Which if Shane wants to move to a HC position, is probably for the best. The USCe job is going to be very high pressure with a few rough years ahead of them.
LOL
Before he worked at ESPN, Haney covered USC for The Post and Courier while Shane Beamer was there. Coincidentally, Haney is the same insider that reported Loeffler would be fired last year (http://www.thekeyplay.com/virginia-tech-football/2014/11/8083/espns-trav...).
this part really stood out to me...I've mentioned on here before that I think it's strange Loeffler has had to work with members of his staff who were put in place by not him. That's an interesting dynamic and I sometimes wonder if it has an affect on the product.
I agree with you, an I actually mentioned this somewhere else on here not long ago. After thinking about it, though, Lefty did get hired along with Jeff Grimes, whom he worked with at Auburn, so to an extent Lefty did bring in one of his guys. It's not really Lefty's fault that LSU came calling after one year. We also have no idea how much influence Lefty might have be had in the hiring of Searels and Burden. Could have been a lot, could have been none. We do know that Lefty got the guy he wanted in the offensive quality control position, if we believe the interviews in which Lefty extols the virtues of Max Warner. So at least to some extent, Lefty has structured at least some of the offensive staff to his liking.
Just to offer a counterpoint, Chad Morris didn't bring in his own staff at Clemson. The year Morris was hired, Clemson also hired running backs coach Tony Elliott from Furman and OL coach Robbie Caldwell from Vanderbilt. So far as I can tell, there is nothing linking Morris to either Elliott or Caldwell.
Another interesting fact about Morris, he adopted the offensive terminology of his predecessor at Clemson, rather than asking his players to memorize new terms for positions or concepts they already understood by a different name.
So maybe the good OCs need their own guys, but maybe the great ones scheme to the strengths of both their players and their positions coaches.
great points...things I haven't considered. thanks for the response
If I was to pick an HC from our offensive staff, I'd take Stiney over Shane.
Interesting but I also wonder if USCe would go after Chad Morris. He knows the area, has recruiting links, etc...
Chad Morris to Texas in a few years. Book it. He's got his eyes on the prize.
And maybe Brewer will be there with him as some sort of assistant.
Things that make you go........
Who's shoes would a coach rather fill? Spurrier or Beamer (whenever he retires).
If it were Spurrier at Florida, different question. A beat down sad Spurrier who made USCe discuss worthy, then Beams.
Spurrier is an easier man to replace. Yes he is the winning-est coach at both Florida and USCe, but those numbers aren't too high. Beamer set the bar high at Virginia Tech and in today's 4 years and done mentality I am not sure anybody can live up to it.
Also don't forget when Beamer retires, he gets to stay at Tech in an advisory role per his contract. For that reason alone Spurrier is a easier choice. No old coach looking over the shoulder and always mentioned in the news.
while this quote can be true.. the last 4 years beg to differ. If a new HC comes in and can get us to a bowl game he certainly has done his job.
IMO Beamer's job would be easier to replace for many reasons. I don't see Bud becoming a HC, and the thought that he could possibly be included in the new HC hire process.
- new coach convince Bud and defensive staff to stay? 1/2 the battle already done
- hire a competent & complete offensive staff
- ACC Coastal Champ is a mess win 5 games win the conference
- VA and surrounding area little less competition recruiting wise than SC
I hope he gets the job. He seemed like he would be a good coach when he took over for the military bowl last season, and USCeast has the potential to be a really good team with a little extra recruiting luck (i.e landing a lattimore or clowney once every couple years)
One question for people, post this year, why do we think Shane would still look to coach Offense?
His experience so far:
2000 Georgia Tech (GA)
2001β2003 Tennessee (GA)
2004β2006 Mississippi State (CB/RB)
2007β2008 South Carolina (CB/Spurs)
2009β2010 South Carolina (LB/SS/ST/RC)
2011βpresent Virginia Tech (AHC/RB)
It is pretty clear his best success has come when he was working with the LBers and DB's, so it was a square peg round hole for him here based on just 2 years of part time experience at MSST. Obviously Torrian was smart to be kept where he is, and for better or worse Cornell was too, so we sort of had to hope for the best, and surprise its been hit or miss.
If I am him I do everything I can to go back to D and ST's wherever I go. Its not like HC's are expected to be great on both sides. Hell if Frank had been hired to coach RB's somewhere after his time at the Citadel we would probably think he was a crappy coach too. the smart ones stick to what they know and fill the gaps with other experts. Shane needs to do some image rehab next year wherever he is, now his contributing to our improved ST's this year is a good sign too that he is absorbing every last bit of knowledge he can from dad while it lasts, and if anything I think that will land him a job somewhere in the P5.
Short answer: No chance
No chance is putting it politely. Are you freakin kidding me? An SEC school hiring an assistant from an ACC school that is on the way down and who would have been fired if his dad wasn't the HC? That would be like CFB stepping down tomorrow and us hiring Steve Spurrier Jr. Who even started a thread like this?
Yes, please yes!
OT:
Watching this special on the Pete Carroll years at USC, and they show VT (along with Oklahoma, Miami, and Florida) as a powerhouse during the Trojan down years. The context was how football prowess shifted back to the south and east.
I saw when they flashed the rankings up for one of the seasons and we were 6th ahead of number 7 Ohio State
My prediction is that they will hire Justin Fuente, I don't know why but I have that feeling.
Would be a good hire. If not, I hope we could pick him up
I hope we hire Fuente, great coach
This does seem like a longshot. That said, a lot of people are discounting two big things here: (1) personal knowledge of a candidate and (2) understanding of how a program works.
If Shane were to get an interview at SCar, it wouldn't be solely because of his resume, right? Because his resume isn't one that supports a hire at a mid-level SEC school. So one of the reasons would have to be that the AD has personal knowledge of Shane from when he was there; his work ethic, his personality, his adaptability, some of his personal life (I know the AD there is relatively new, but he was the baseball coach before, so I am assuming there is some knowledge there). Point being is that if he gets an interview, it will be a sign that the AD had a good impression of Shane as a coach.
And once Shane gets into the interview, it will be up to him to explain some of the issues at VT (some stuff we talk about here all the time). But that's not to say he can't do it. College football programs are big, complex organizations. If he can articulate in a coherent way why something didn't work, even if its just BS, Shane could talk his way into a job, because results on the field aren't the whole story. But that's all predicated on getting the interview, which I doubt will happen just because of the resume. But if he were to get a foot in the door, I would take it as a sign that the AD liked what he saw when Shane was at SCar, which is a huge leg up.
You mean after he's already worked at a level SEC school?
Looks like this idea has some backing!
LINK
Unfortunately this snippet from your link is really the only information out there:
"News Note: South Carolina representatives have reached out to Beamer in the last 24 hours concerning the Gamecocks job."
No follow up, no explanation, and it's several days old now; no one else seems to be reporting it.
Now Chris Low and others are floating him as a potential candidate:
On the bright side, no where has anyone had anything negative to say about Shane when his name gets brought up; lots of "oh wow I didn't think of that" curiosity, though, and discussion of what he could coordinate in someone else's regime.
Yeah, the points made in the article make a lot of sense, but I can't see USCe, let alone any SEC team, hiring a coach that hasn't even been a coordinator in his career no matter how much sense it makes.
I'm glad VT didn't do that, but I'd love for Shane to head up another program, and eventually meander back to VT when it makes sense.
Clemson did it, I have a feeling South Carolina fans are acutely aware of how well that's gone.
Clemson moved a guy already on staff to an interim position, and then made it permanent.
So it's a little different.
Totally agree, but people talk like it's unthinkable. Unlikely maybe, but there's a very obvious precedent.
And to add to your point, the South Carolina staff already know Shane pretty well also.
I still don't think he's their next head coach. It's just too big a risk.
Who's to say he couldn't come in as a coordinator for USCe?
Sure. Why not?