Before coaching at South Carolina, Shane Beamer spent time working under Kirby Smart at Georgia.

Ahead of Georgia’s Week 3 matchup against the Gamecocks, Smart talked about what he saw in Beamer when he hired him as a tight ends coach in 2016.

“He’d been an SEC assistant prior to coming,” Smart said during the SEC coaches teleconference Wednesday. “I first got to know Shane through his dad had a lake house over at Lake Oconee so we met several times, crossed paths, I think he was a GA at Tennessee at one time. And he got on staff at Mississippi State and got to know him there. He interviewed at one time at Alabama, can’t remember what it was, the very beginning or something. We’ve known each other for quite a while and been friends and when I got the job, had the opportunity to interview a lot of coaches and he was a guy I thought would bring good energy, good recruiter, good special teams knowledge and wanted to bring him in to our staff because I knew how loyal he’d be, knew how hard working he’d be.”

Beamer has had a promising start as head coach of South Carolina, picking up big wins against Tennessee and Clemson last year. While South Carolina has had a less-than-desirable start, losing to North Carolina Week 1, the Gamecocks are looking for a huge win against Georgia this Saturday.

The Bulldogs and Gamecocks kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.