South Carolina announces hiring of new special teams coordinator
By David Wasson
Published:
The South Carolina football team has found its new special teams coordinator, hiring NFL veteran assistant Matthew Smiley to replace Joe DeCamillis.
Smiley has worked with special teams in the NFL for more than a decade and was the Buffalo Bills’ special teams coordinator from 2022-24. He had been in Buffalo since 2017, where he served as the assistant special teams coordinator from 2017-21. The 47-year-old Smiley served as a special teams analyst at Penn State and has been a coach at the college or pro level for 21 years.
The Gamecocks face a special teams rebuild in 2026, having lost kicker Alex Herrera, punter/holder Kai Kroeger and long snapper Hunter Rogers.
Smiley is the eighth assistant that head coach Shane Beamer has replaced off the 2025 South Carolina staff. In addition to DeCamillis, who departed for the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, defensive line coach Sterling Lucas left to coach for Lane Kiffin at LSU.
Kendal Briles replaced fired offensive coordinator Mike Shula, Clayton White and Torrian Gray are new co-defensive coordinators, Stan Drayton is the new running backs coach, Travian Robertson is the new defensive line coach, Deion Barnes will be coaching defensive ends and outside linebackers, Shawn Elliott will be the run game coordinator and tight ends coach, and Mike Furrey is the new passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
