Former Gamecocks QB Stephen Garcia explains why Shane Beamer is 'a no freaking brainer'
“A no freaking brainer.”
That was what former South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia tweeted about the Gamecocks potentially hiring Shane Beamer just 3 days after Will Muschamp was fired. For Garcia, it was “Coach Beamer,” or as he was known when he was on Steve Spurrier’s staff at South Carolina from 2007-10, just simply “Beamer.”
Garcia got to see Beamer up close. Even after Beamer left South Carolina for Virginia Tech to work alongside his dad, legendary coach Frank Beamer, Garcia and Beamer would occasionally catch up.
Beamer, who is now on Lincoln Riley’s Oklahoma staff as the tight ends coach/h-backs coach, reportedly emerged as a “leader in the clubhouse” for the South Carolina job, which was music to Garcia’s ears.
“I’m hoping that he gets the damn job,” Garcia told SDS. “I know when it first came out, (Beamer) said, ‘Man, I would love to get that job out there.’ I mean, he still has an 843 area code. I think he definitely wants to get back out there and get back to the SEC.”
It was in the SEC where Beamer got his first roles as an on-field assistant. First, as cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator on Sylvester Croom’s staff at Mississippi State. On Spurrier’s staff, Beamer filled a variety of roles. At one point, he was the cornerbacks coach, but he also held the position of linebackers coach and special teams coach at different times. Garcia credited Beamer for doing a lot of the heavy lifting on the recruiting side to help set up South Carolina’s best run in school history.
By this point, Beamer’s résumé is common knowledge for most Gamecocks fans. What kind of a coach is he?
“S— man, he was awesome,” Garcia said. “He was the special teams guy. He was always energetic. All the players loved being around him.”
That’s an important reason for why Garcia believes he’s the right person for the job. According to the former South Carolina signal-caller, “99% of the guys absolutely love him,” which was echoed by former Gamecock star Melvin Ingram.
@GamecockFB LETS GET @CoachSBeamer IN SC AND BRING THAT CULTURE BACK!!!!!
— KINGMEL (@MelvinIngram) November 20, 2020
“You look at social media,” Garcia said, “and I haven’t seen one former player that says, ‘We don’t need to go the Coach Beamer route and we should hire a guy who is already proven as a head coach.’ Every single guy that I’ve seen and that I’ve talked with is like, ‘We need to get Beamer back because he really embodies what we wanted to do when we were out there at South Carolina.’”
As Garcia mentioned, Beamer doesn’t have experience as an FBS head coach or coordinator. Neither did Sam Pittman before he took over at Arkansas.
And if Beamer lacks coordinator or head coaching experience, he certainly isn’t lacking variety in terms of roles held and prominent coaches he worked for. Besides his dad and the aforementioned Spurrier, Croom and Riley, Beamer also worked on staffs for Phillip Fulmer and Kirby Smart.
Riley signed off on Beamer becoming a head coach and praised the plethora of job titles and regions of the country he worked in. Garcia isn’t worried about the inexperience as a coordinator or head coach, either.
“I don’t think that’s a bad thing, to be honest with you,” Garcia said. “Everybody says jack of all trades, master of none. But if he’s a head coach, that’s what head coaches are supposed to do. They’re supposed to delegate the offense and the defense and have input on everything, but they’re supposed to delegate to their coordinators.
“With his background at all those different positions, that would benefit him more than it would not benefit him.”
That’s the unique part about Beamer’s background. Ever since he left Columbia, he’s been on the offensive side of the ball. Not many candidates can say they’ve coached tight ends, running backs, special teams, cornerbacks and linebackers. Beamer would still check the important box of being that young, offensive mind while also adding that experience from the defensive side of the ball.
If he were to get the job, what should South Carolina fans expect?
“A lot more offense,” Garcia said. “People just want offense now. You see Alabama, you see LSU. Everybody wants to score points. Back then, those teams weren’t scoring a lot of points. They were mainly focused on defense. That’s just the way the game is going now.”
For what it’s worth, Garcia wouldn’t be upset if South Carolina wound up hiring a different offensive-minded candidate like Liberty coach Hugh Freeze. But at this point, Beamer is still the obvious leader in Garcia’s clubhouse.
When he first saw Beamer’s name being linked to the opening, Garcia texted with his former South Carolina strength and conditioning coach, Joe Connolly, who is currently in the same role at Arizona State. Connolly and Beamer have stayed in touch since their days at South Carolina. If Beamer does get offered the South Carolina job, well, let’s just say Connolly doesn’t think they’ll have to drag him back to Columbia.
“I said (to Connolly), ‘Did you see Coach Beamer’s name being brought up?’ And (Connolly) said, ‘Holy s—, man. I talked to (Beamer) the other day and I talk to him all the time. This is his dream job. He absolutely wants to get out there,’” Garcia said.
And if Beamer does get back to South Carolina, well, he won’t even need a new phone number.
I don’t think you want to take advice from Garcia on too much stuff.
Most people are saying Beamer is the one for Gamecock.
I think garcia is right but he was probably half lit when he gave the interview.
Good article, enjoyed reading it.
Idk why comments on here are bashing Garcia, he can always call Carolina home, he beat bama for us, I was there and will never forget it. I’ve also recently met Garcia and he seems like a good dude.
Beamer is my choice, has been from the start. Napier will use us as a stepping stone, someone like Beamer who truly wants to be here can make a difference.
I wouldnt put a lot of stock in Napier using as a stepping stone and Beamer would not. There are lots of HC right now at several schools that are using them as stepping stones. Not saying Beamer would..I just wouldnt use that as a factor you can count on. Example..Dabo goes to the NFL, Beamer has been having some 8,9 win seasons. Jump ship, move to the easier world of the ACC and become top dog in the conference.
Yes, lets take the advice of a drunk who was kicked off the football team. I’d bet my grandmother Garcia was on the video call with the other 40 or so players who told Dumbo Tanner to hire Beamer.
The culture at USC needs to be changed starting with the AD. Great baseball coach, horrible AD. Next, stop thinking small and start thinking outside the box with Urban Myer types. FIRE RAY TANNER.
You don’t pick coaches because former players “like” them. Their opinion is based on an emotional response from the heart. “He’s a great guy, give him the job” is not a decision based on logic. It’s based on emotion. You need someone with a proven track record of WINNING, not checked all the boxes BS. Cheese it’s TANNER, hurry up and get fired.
Yeah let’s throw money at Urban while we’re paying off Muschamps buyout. When was the last time you donated to the school? I’m going to guess never.
Probably bought something from the concessions at W.B.
If Urban was interested and could be tempted to your school if you threw enough cash his way then you throw that cash his way. He’d bring in the revenue to make up for it almost instantly.
Urban wouldn’t accept. We don’t have the pieces to win a championship right now. He also has health problems.
Nah, not interested, maybe the Vol’s can go after him when Pruitt gets canned. He fits the culture better at UT and with Fat Phil.
Beamer. Never been a head coach, coordinator, or called plays. Great pick Tanner. You can’t close the deal bud. Not with kirby Smart, et al. and certainly not with Freeze or anyone substantial.
Kirby,the guy who cant beat Saban and got rocked by Mullen this year?
Sleazy Freezy, the guy who would have us under a microscope by the SEC?
Dabo wasnt a coordinator, Saban wasnt, Urban wasn’t. It’s not the end all be all.
famously, i get you’re on a role of sorts in challenging jjbadd, but do you really feel good about that shade u just threw at smart?
he’s 0-3 against saban, yet has lead him in all 3 contests and that’s not truly acknowledging how close he was in 2 of those games. the previous bama/uga game before smart took over was a 38-10 beatdown by bama.
he’s also 3-1 against mullen. mullen has a pretty good team this year and i wouldn’t consider losing to that team as a bad loss by any stretch
muschamp was 28-30 at sc. i feel pretty confident in saying that smart would have at least won 40 games at sc in that stretch. so yeah, that guy.
Lol, close only counts in hand grenades and horse shoes.
Yeah, you’re right, Smart sucks, leave him alone for use Dawgs! LOL
Smart is a good coach. Remember we were courting him before McGarrity threw Richt out the door. With Freeze, he wins the games he’s not supposed to and looses the ones he’s supposed to win. Also his defenses were suspect. Don’t get me wrong, he is a great coach but he is not a GOAT Coach. Fomously made a good point in his original comment. If a coach wants to be at a job, it makes a difference. Smart ibviously wants to be at GA. Pitman at Arkansas and Mullen at Florida. Why settle for a coach that wants to use the uSC job as a stepping stone. Muschamp seemed to want a job, but never struck me as a serious Gamecock coach. That being said it will probably be Beamer or Napier. Napier may also parlay his position to something greater later. My choice is Beamer, he has ties here and wants to be here. I understand the Brass is looking for revenue but I remember Beamer and all he did while he was here before. He would be a CEO coach like Sweeney, Pittman and Saban. His hire would make all the difference but he does have a history and ties to a lot of programs. I hope we take a chance on him, personally.
Pardon the spelling above.
I’ll be happy with Beamer or Napier. Two best picks in my opinion.
Freeze is just the trendy choice at the moment, and not a fit at South Carolina. A recent article summed up Freeze perfectly, “he is a coach that will win the games as an underdog, and lose the games he is a favorite.” His teams have not played defense well enough for me.
Does Bud Foster have a son in coaching? Beamer’s and Foster’s make great combinations.
Freaking…hmmmm…do you really want to think he is the sharp knife in the drawer?
What about Napier? Rumor last year was he turned down Miss State and Arkansas cause he wants the Gamecock job
Obviously the former Cock players really like Beamer but my concern is that he has not ever been a head coach, nor even a coordinator. Yes I know his Dad was a legend at Virginia Tech but Tennessee hired Derek Dooley(also offspring of a legend). On the job training in not what the Cocks’ program needs. the program needs someone who can hire quality assistants & coordinators and allow them to do their jobs and coach.
Being a Gamecock fan I have always thought Clemson and Georgia had some horrible fans but I’ve never seen fans as horrible as Gamecock fans have been. Why not give Beamer a shot at it what do we have to lose at this point it’s gonna take time to get us back on track to where we where I think it would be an awesome hire he wants the job he loves the program I think he’ll do a lot better than Muschamp