Shane Beamer has maintained a laid back confidence about himself for much of the 7 months or so since he took over the South Carolina program.

Beamer has joked with the media and staff, and been vocal in meetings with fans about returning the Gamecocks to the golden days of a decade ago. In a press conference on Thursday, he explained why.

“It is what it is, I get it, the head football coach in the SEC, you’re in a pressure cooker,” Beamer said. “I love what I’m doing and there’s going to be bumps in the road, there’s going to be tough moments this season. What are the things we talk about in our program all the time is gratitude, positive energy and I’m not telling you that if we lose a game, I’m not going to come in here on a Tuesday press conference or whatever it is and I’m going to have a huge smile on my face. I’m not saying that. But I am, I’ve got a lot of confidence about what we’re about at South Carolina, I’ve got a lot of confidence about what the players in this program are about, the staff members that we have here, and I’ve got a great group of people around me.”

He admitted that in context, being relaxed this time of year can be easy.

“It is late July, it’s not mid-October, certainly the mindset’s going to be a little bit different, everybody’s undefeated right now, but I’m excited, can’t wait to get to work.”